Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tomsk and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $1,068 in Tomsk, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Tomsk
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Tomsk Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Tomsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,068

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,068 in Tomsk versus $490 in Karachi.

Tomsk $1,068
Karachi $490

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,648 in Tomsk versus $755 in Karachi.

Tomsk $1,648
Karachi $755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,227 in Tomsk versus $1,019 in Karachi.

Tomsk $2,227
Karachi $1,019

Living in Tomsk is roughly 118% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tomsk 20% lower, Karachi 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.50 ₽638

$2.15 PKR 596

248.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.48 ₽2,509

$13.37 PKR 3,700

120.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.42 ₽546

$5.29 PKR 1,464

21.36%

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

$2.12 ₽181

$2.11 PKR 583

0.47%

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

$0.86 ₽73.2

$0.37 PKR 103

132.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₽36.62

$0.28 PKR 78.2

53.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ₽91.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 ₽278

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₽102

$0.86 PKR 238

39.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 ₽59.9

$0.52 PKR 144

34.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₽80.5

$1.24 PKR 344

-23.39%

Eggs

$1.32 ₽112

$1.24 PKR 342

6.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.45 ₽974

$5.86 PKR 1,622

95.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.50 ₽383

$3.12 PKR 862

44.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.50 ₽808

$6.25 PKR 1,731

52.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 ₽139

$1.29 PKR 356

27.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 ₽167

$0.54 PKR 150

262.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 ₽179

$0.99 PKR 273

113.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 ₽235

$0.56 PKR 155

394.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.41 ₽34.80

$0.33 PKR 91.6

24.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 ₽29.27

$0.35 PKR 95.9

-2.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 ₽143

$0.45 PKR 124

273.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₽42.98

$0.44 PKR 121

15.91%

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)

$2.76 ₽235

$1.79 PKR 497

54.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 ₽486

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₽79.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₽141

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₽39.17

$0.28 PKR 76.5

64.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.35 ₽711

$9.68 PKR 2,679

-13.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.33 ₽199

$0.92 PKR 255

153.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 ₽23.74

$0.71 PKR 196

-60.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.03 ₽598

$2.22 PKR 615

216.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 ₽65.5

$1.35 PKR 372

-42.96%

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

$35.1K ₽3.0M

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

96.95%

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

$31.2K ₽2.7M

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

16.75%

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

$167 ₽14.2K

$112 PKR 30.9K

49.00%

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

$8.06 ₽686

$6.05 PKR 1,673

33.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.77 ₽1,087

$13.29 PKR 3,679

-3.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.73 ₽3,126

$21.51 PKR 5,954

70.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.05 ₽1,366

$17.80 PKR 4,927

-9.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.66 ₽396

$4.42 PKR 1,222

5.43%

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

$234 ₽19.9K

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

361.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 ₽9,732

$17.57 PKR 4,862

550.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.6 ₽6,095

$22.78 PKR 6,304

214.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$165 ₽14.1K

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

144.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ₽10.2K

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

192.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$486 ₽41.4K

$117 PKR 32.5K

314.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₽27.4K

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

324.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₽67.1K

$365 PKR 101.1K

115.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 ₽53.6K

$182 PKR 50.5K

245.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,041 ₽173.7K

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

93.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,430 ₽121.7K

$491 PKR 135.8K

191.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$885 ₽75.3K

$185 PKR 51.2K

378.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

66.54%

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

Last update for Tomsk: October 3, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tomsk

$322 29.4%

Karachi

$76 15.7% 76.5% $246

Clothing & Footwear

Tomsk

$212 19.4%

Karachi

$67 13.9% 68.4% $145

Groceries & Markets

Tomsk

$190 17.4%

Karachi

$101 20.9% 46.9% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tomsk

$187 17.2%

Karachi

$131 27.3% 30% $56

Eating Out

Tomsk

$122 11.2%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 49.9% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Tomsk

$46 4.2%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 34.1% $16

Getting Around

Tomsk

$14 1.3%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 9.5% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $486 in Tomsk and $117 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tomsk pays 379% 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: $29.00 in Tomsk vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Tomsk

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

08:55 8:55 AM

06:55 6:55 AM

2 h behind Tomsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

551,505

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.18 USD

100 RUB = 1.05 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.09 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.44 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 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 RUB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tomsk Karachi 3,800 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Tomsk
Karachi

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

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

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

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Tomsk vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tomsk and Karachi differ by about 118% in total monthly costs ($1,068 vs $490 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 379% higher in Tomsk, 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: $486 in Tomsk versus $117 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,068 per month in Tomsk versus $490 in Karachi – a 118% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 16% less than in Tomsk. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $490 in Karachi versus $1,068 in Tomsk, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Tomsk. 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, Tomsk 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 118% less than in Tomsk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.