Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $1,143 in Taichung, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Taichung
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Taichung Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Taichung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,143

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taichung and in Karachi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Taichung and in Karachi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,143 in Taichung versus $490 in Karachi.

Taichung $1,143
Karachi $490

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,887 in Taichung versus $755 in Karachi.

Taichung $1,887
Karachi $755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,631 in Taichung versus $1,019 in Karachi.

Taichung $2,631
Karachi $1,019

Living in Taichung is roughly 133% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taichung 15% lower, Karachi 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.68 NT$149

$2.15 PKR 596

117.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.12 NT$1,025

$13.37 PKR 3,700

140.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 NT$155

$5.29 PKR 1,464

-8.32%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 PKR 2,005

Cappuccino

$2.75 NT$87.6

$2.11 PKR 583

30.33%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 NT$32.80

$0.37 PKR 103

178.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 NT$23.56

$0.28 PKR 78.2

164.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 NT$49.69

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NT$88.7

Milk (1 liter)

$3.27 NT$104

$0.86 PKR 238

280.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 NT$56.2

$0.52 PKR 144

238.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 NT$84.7

$1.24 PKR 344

114.52%

Eggs

$2.62 NT$83.7

$1.24 PKR 342

111.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.33 NT$936

$5.86 PKR 1,622

400.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.13 NT$259

$3.12 PKR 862

160.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.14 NT$547

$6.25 PKR 1,731

174.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 NT$135

$1.29 PKR 356

227.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 NT$61.3

$0.54 PKR 150

255.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NT$95.3

$0.99 PKR 273

202.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 NT$68.6

$0.56 PKR 155

283.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 NT$38.28

$0.33 PKR 91.6

263.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NT$62.9

$0.35 PKR 95.9

462.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 NT$76.7

$0.45 PKR 124

433.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 NT$28.80

$0.44 PKR 121

104.55%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.23 PKR 341

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PKR 381

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 PKR 676

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 NT$120

$1.79 PKR 497

109.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.53 NT$495

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 NT$52.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 NT$78.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 NT$23.05

$0.28 PKR 76.5

157.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.97 NT$1,020

$9.68 PKR 2,679

230.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 NT$86.1

$0.92 PKR 255

193.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 NT$29.49

$0.71 PKR 196

29.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.61 NT$307

$2.22 PKR 615

332.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.76

$1.35 PKR 372

-23.70%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.0K NT$1.1M

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

85.17%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$22.7K NT$725.9K

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

-14.92%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$127 NT$4,037

$112 PKR 30.9K

13.16%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$14.84 NT$474

$6.05 PKR 1,673

145.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.00 NT$670

$13.29 PKR 3,679

58.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.96 NT$1,052

$21.51 PKR 5,954

53.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.63 NT$371

$17.80 PKR 4,927

-34.66%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 NT$320

$4.42 PKR 1,222

126.70%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$347 NT$11.1K

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

583.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K NT$537.2K

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

760.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 NT$2,314

$17.57 PKR 4,862

312.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.93 NT$1,147

$22.78 PKR 6,304

57.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 NT$2,738

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

26.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 NT$3,727

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

185.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 NT$12.6K

$117 PKR 32.5K

237.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 NT$8,722

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

261.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 NT$38.8K

$365 PKR 101.1K

233.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 NT$24.7K

$182 PKR 50.5K

324.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,642 NT$275.8K

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

720.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,368 NT$171.3K

$491 PKR 135.8K

993.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,432 NT$45.7K

$185 PKR 51.2K

674.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

13.21

-82.82%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Taichung: October 4, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Taichung

$379 32.8%

Karachi

$101 20.9% 73.4% $278

Accommodation & Living

Taichung

$273 23.7%

Karachi

$76 15.7% 72.3% $198

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taichung

$162 14.1%

Karachi

$131 27.3% 19.2% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Taichung

$140 12.1%

Karachi

$67 13.9% 52.1% $73

Eating Out

Taichung

$105 9.1%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 42.1% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Taichung

$53 4.6%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 42.7% $23

Getting Around

Taichung

$42 3.7%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 63.9% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $396 in Taichung and $117 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taichung pays 675% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Taichung vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taichung

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

16:48 4:48 PM

13:48 1:48 PM

3 h behind Taichung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,767,239

14,910,352

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.79 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 31.91 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.79 TWD (100 TWD = 2.79 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Taichung Karachi 5,390 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Taichung
Karachi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Taichung vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taichung and Karachi differ by about 133% in total monthly costs ($1,143 vs $490 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 675% higher in Taichung, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $396 in Taichung versus $117 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,143 per month in Taichung versus $490 in Karachi – a 133% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 230% less than in Taichung. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $490 in Karachi versus $1,143 in Taichung, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Taichung. The gap between the two cities makes Karachi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Taichung and Karachi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 133% less than in Taichung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.