Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tanjung Pinang and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $483 a month against $639 in Tanjung Pinang, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Tanjung Pinang
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Tanjung Pinang Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index

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Tanjung Pinang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$639

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $639 in Tanjung Pinang versus $483 in Karachi.

Tanjung Pinang $639
Karachi $483

Estimated couple costs with rent: $987 in Tanjung Pinang versus $754 in Karachi.

Tanjung Pinang $987
Karachi $754

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,335 in Tanjung Pinang versus $1,025 in Karachi.

Tanjung Pinang $1,335
Karachi $1,025

Living in Tanjung Pinang is roughly 32% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tanjung Pinang 53% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.42 Rp 61.5K

$2.11 PKR 585

62.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.81 Rp 248.6K

$13.73 PKR 3,801

0.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.52 Rp 63.3K

$5.53 PKR 1,531

-36.35%

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

$1.65 Rp 29.7K

$2.14 PKR 593

-22.90%

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

$0.40 Rp 7,163

$0.40 PKR 111

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,530

$0.28 PKR 77.7

-10.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 Rp 43.6K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 Rp 61.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 Rp 21.1K

$0.90 PKR 250

30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 Rp 19.6K

$0.55 PKR 153

98.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.20 PKR 333

-30.83%

Eggs

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

$1.25 PKR 346

13.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.56 Rp 136.0K

$5.96 PKR 1,650

26.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 51.0K

$3.19 PKR 883

-11.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.40 Rp 133.1K

$6.48 PKR 1,793

14.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 Rp 36.8K

$1.24 PKR 344

65.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

$0.53 PKR 147

133.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 Rp 33.5K

$1.03 PKR 284

80.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 Rp 23.1K

$0.51 PKR 142

150.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.9K

$0.31 PKR 85.1

274.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.0K

$0.31 PKR 87.1

474.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

$0.41 PKR 113

85.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 Rp 7,277

$0.44 PKR 120

-9.09%

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)

$2.68 Rp 48.3K

$1.83 PKR 508

46.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.87 Rp 375.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 Rp 31.7K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 Rp 60.6K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 Rp 5,028

$0.28 PKR 76.8

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.81 PKR 2,716

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.54 Rp 9,797

$0.87 PKR 240

-37.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 Rp 6,649

$0.74 PKR 204

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$2.23 PKR 617

22.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 Rp 11.4K

$1.38 PKR 383

-54.35%

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

$25.1K Rp 451.9M

$18.4K PKR 5.1M

36.79%

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

$35.7K Rp 642.7M

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

35.01%

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

$65.9 Rp 1.2M

$113 PKR 31.4K

-41.80%

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

$4.46 Rp 80.3K

$6.12 PKR 1,694

-27.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.46 Rp 350.3K

$13.11 PKR 3,628

48.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.32 Rp 347.8K

$21.78 PKR 6,029

-11.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.96 Rp 143.3K

$18.27 PKR 5,058

-56.43%

Cinema Ticket

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

$4.26 PKR 1,179

-36.62%

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

$91.3 Rp 1.6M

$52.1 PKR 14.4K

75.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,140 Rp 128.5M

$1,941 PKR 537.3K

267.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.61 Rp 821.0K

$17.53 PKR 4,852

160.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 Rp 471.7K

$22.88 PKR 6,332

14.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 Rp 1.4M

$68.1 PKR 18.8K

13.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.2 Rp 1.2M

$41.55 PKR 11.5K

54.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$252 Rp 4.5M

$118 PKR 32.5K

114.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$152 Rp 2.7M

$73.2 PKR 20.3K

107.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 Rp 10.4M

$360 PKR 99.6K

60.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 Rp 5.6M

$188 PKR 52.1K

66.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,270 Rp 22.9M

$1,082 PKR 299.4K

17.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$901 Rp 16.2M

$474 PKR 131.2K

90.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$198 Rp 3.6M

$182 PKR 50.4K

8.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

13.21

-28.39%

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

Last update for Tanjung Pinang: October 20, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tanjung Pinang

$194 30.4%

Karachi

$102 21.1% 47.4% $92

Accommodation & Living

Tanjung Pinang

$152 23.7%

Karachi

$73 15.2% 51.8% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Tanjung Pinang

$96 15%

Karachi

$68 14% 29.6% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tanjung Pinang

$90 14.1%

Karachi

$133 27.4% 47.5% $43

Eating Out

Tanjung Pinang

$79 12.4%

Karachi

$62 12.8% 21.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Tanjung Pinang

$25 3.9%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 22.6% $5.6

Getting Around

Tanjung Pinang

$3.5 * 0.6%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 341% $12

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 $252 in Tanjung Pinang and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tanjung Pinang pays 9% 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: $14.00 in Tanjung Pinang vs $14.00 in Karachi. Groceries flip the comparison at $194 vs $102, with Karachi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Tanjung Pinang

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

01:54 1:54 AM

23:54 11:54 PM

2 h behind Tanjung Pinang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

239,854

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tanjung Pinang Karachi 4,820 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Tanjung Pinang
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

Tanjung Pinang vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tanjung Pinang and Karachi differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($639 vs $483 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Tanjung Pinang, 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: $252 in Tanjung Pinang versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Tanjung Pinang. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $639 per month in Tanjung Pinang versus $483 in Karachi – a 32% 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.

Expats usually find Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Tanjung Pinang. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.