Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tak and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $483 a month against $938 in Tak, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Tak
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Tak Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Tak

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Tak versus $483 in Karachi.

Tak $938
Karachi $483

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,488 in Tak versus $754 in Karachi.

Tak $1,488
Karachi $754

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,039 in Tak versus $1,025 in Karachi.

Tak $2,039
Karachi $1,025

Living in Tak is roughly 94% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tak 31% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 ฿113

$2.11 PKR 585

60.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.54 ฿720

$13.73 PKR 3,801

56.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 ฿242

$5.53 PKR 1,531

30.74%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 PKR 609

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 PKR 2,040

Cappuccino

$1.74 ฿58.1

$2.14 PKR 593

-18.69%

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

$0.60 ฿20.07

$0.40 PKR 111

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿10.93

$0.28 PKR 77.7

17.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 ฿63.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 ฿103

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ฿52.6

$0.90 PKR 250

74.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 ฿44.76

$0.55 PKR 153

143.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.41

$1.20 PKR 333

10.83%

Eggs

$2.16 ฿72.3

$1.25 PKR 346

72.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.40 ฿548

$5.96 PKR 1,650

175.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$3.19 PKR 883

-9.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.41 ฿381

$6.48 PKR 1,793

76.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿97.4

$1.24 PKR 344

134.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.47

$0.53 PKR 147

94.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$1.03 PKR 284

119.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$0.51 PKR 142

333.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.69

$0.31 PKR 85.1

380.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.59

$0.31 PKR 87.1

241.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ฿38.47

$0.41 PKR 113

180.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.70

$0.44 PKR 120

20.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.31 PKR 362

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PKR 369

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 PKR 670

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 ฿149

$1.83 PKR 508

144.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.78 ฿561

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ฿100

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 ฿27.11

$0.28 PKR 76.8

189.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.81 PKR 2,716

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿45.00

$0.87 PKR 240

55.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 ฿39.33

$0.74 PKR 204

59.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.56 ฿186

$2.23 PKR 617

149.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ฿50.4

$1.38 PKR 383

9.42%

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

$26.3K ฿877.5K

$18.4K PKR 5.1M

43.08%

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

$26.0K ฿870.1K

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

-1.55%

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

$85.9 ฿2,869

$113 PKR 31.4K

-24.21%

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

$12.38 ฿414

$6.12 PKR 1,694

102.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.05 ฿670

$13.11 PKR 3,628

52.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.87 ฿1,399

$21.78 PKR 6,029

92.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.06 ฿470

$18.27 PKR 5,058

-23.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿198

$4.26 PKR 1,179

38.97%

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

$595 ฿19.9K

$52.1 PKR 14.4K

1043.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K ฿373.1K

$1,941 PKR 537.3K

475.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.91 ฿1,467

$17.53 PKR 4,852

150.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.26 ฿1,011

$22.88 PKR 6,332

32.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ฿2,686

$68.1 PKR 18.8K

18.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 ฿2,647

$41.55 PKR 11.5K

90.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 ฿13.9K

$118 PKR 32.5K

254.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 ฿10.5K

$73.2 PKR 20.3K

328.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 ฿40.4K

$360 PKR 99.6K

235.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 ฿23.1K

$188 PKR 52.1K

267.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,060 ฿68.8K

$1,082 PKR 299.4K

90.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,359 ฿45.4K

$474 PKR 131.2K

186.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$182 PKR 50.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.21

-57.83%

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

Last update for Tak: October 20, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tak

$314 33.5%

Karachi

$73 15.2% 76.7% $241

Groceries & Markets

Tak

$247 26.4%

Karachi

$102 21.1% 58.7% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tak

$118 12.6%

Karachi

$133 27.4% 12% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Tak

$105 11.2%

Karachi

$68 14% 35.8% $38

Eating Out

Tak

$89 9.5%

Karachi

$62 12.8% 30.4% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Tak

$54 5.7%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 43.6% $23

Getting Around

Tak

$10 * 1.1%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 47.7% $5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $416 in Tak and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22.00 in Tak vs $14.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $247 vs $102 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Tak

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

22:31 10:31 PM

20:31 8:31 PM

2 h behind Tak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,900

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tak Karachi 3,440 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tak
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

Tak vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tak and Karachi differ by about 94% in total monthly costs ($938 vs $483 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,407 in Tak and $725 in Karachi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $416 in Tak versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 142% higher in Tak. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $938 per month in Tak versus $483 in Karachi – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Karachi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Tak 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 94% less than in Tak. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.