Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $1,395 in Taipei, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Taipei
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Taipei Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index

Jump to prices

Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,395

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taipei 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 Taipei and in Karachi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,395 in Taipei versus $490 in Karachi.

Taipei $1,395
Karachi $490

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,227 in Taipei versus $755 in Karachi.

Taipei $2,227
Karachi $755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,059 in Taipei versus $1,019 in Karachi.

Taipei $3,059
Karachi $1,019

Living in Taipei is roughly 185% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taipei is 4% above, Karachi is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.76 NT$152

$2.15 PKR 596

121.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.18 NT$1,537

$13.37 PKR 3,700

260.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.75 NT$183

$5.29 PKR 1,464

8.70%

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

$3.49 NT$112

$2.11 PKR 583

65.40%

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

$0.88 NT$28.03

$0.37 PKR 103

137.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 NT$20.61

$0.28 PKR 78.2

132.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 NT$91.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 NT$117

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 NT$98.5

$0.86 PKR 238

259.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 NT$65.5

$0.52 PKR 144

294.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 NT$97.5

$1.24 PKR 344

146.77%

Eggs

$2.70 NT$86.0

$1.24 PKR 342

117.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.66 NT$627

$5.86 PKR 1,622

235.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 NT$314

$3.12 PKR 862

215.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.11 NT$674

$6.25 PKR 1,731

237.76%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 NT$162

$1.29 PKR 356

293.80%

Banana (1kg)

$3.39 NT$108

$0.54 PKR 150

527.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NT$95.8

$0.99 PKR 273

203.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 NT$146

$0.56 PKR 155

714.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NT$86.8

$0.33 PKR 91.6

724.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NT$72.9

$0.35 PKR 95.9

551.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$53.7

$0.45 PKR 124

273.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$36.81

$0.44 PKR 121

161.36%

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)

$4.05 NT$129

$1.79 PKR 497

126.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 NT$457

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 NT$54.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$73.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.46

$0.28 PKR 76.5

117.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.47 NT$1,228

$9.68 PKR 2,679

297.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 NT$87.0

$0.92 PKR 255

196.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 NT$24.02

$0.71 PKR 196

5.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.59 NT$306

$2.22 PKR 615

331.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.56

$1.35 PKR 372

-24.44%

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

$34.1K NT$1.1M

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

91.06%

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

$24.2K NT$771.9K

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

-9.53%

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

$86.4 NT$2,756

$112 PKR 30.9K

-22.75%

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

$17.12 NT$546

$6.05 PKR 1,673

182.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.06 NT$864

$13.29 PKR 3,679

103.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 NT$1,301

$21.51 PKR 5,954

89.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.04 NT$512

$17.80 PKR 4,927

-9.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 NT$307

$4.42 PKR 1,222

117.87%

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

$656 NT$20.9K

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

1192.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K NT$524.1K

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

739.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 NT$2,001

$17.57 PKR 4,862

256.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.50 NT$1,261

$22.78 PKR 6,304

73.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 NT$2,677

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

24.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 NT$3,392

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

159.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 NT$32.4K

$117 PKR 32.5K

766.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 NT$15.3K

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

532.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 NT$50.0K

$365 PKR 101.1K

329.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 NT$30.4K

$182 PKR 50.5K

422.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K NT$389.2K

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

1057.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,207 NT$230.0K

$491 PKR 135.8K

1368.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,772 NT$56.5K

$185 PKR 51.2K

858.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

13.21

-81.83%

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

Last update for Taipei: October 4, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taipei

$479 34.8%

Karachi

$76 15.7% 84.2% $403

Groceries & Markets

Taipei

$401 29.2%

Karachi

$101 20.9% 74.9% $301

Clothing & Footwear

Taipei

$132 9.6%

Karachi

$67 13.9% 49.1% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taipei

$131 9.5%

Karachi

$131 27.3% 0.4% $0.6

Eating Out

Taipei

$125 9.1%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 51.2% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Taipei

$60 4.4%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 49.4% $30

Getting Around

Taipei

$47 3.5%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 67.8% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,016 in Taipei and $117 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taipei pays 858% 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: $48.00 in Taipei vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taipei

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

10:52 10:52 AM

07:52 7:52 AM

3 h behind Taipei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,635,286 Capital

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 →

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Between locations

Taipei Karachi 5,460 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Taipei
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

Taipei vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taipei and Karachi differ by about 185% in total monthly costs ($1,395 vs $490 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 858% higher in Taipei, 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: $1,016 in Taipei versus $117 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,395 per month in Taipei versus $490 in Karachi – a 185% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 297% less than in Taipei. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $490 in Karachi versus $1,395 in Taipei, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Taipei. 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, Taipei 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 185% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.