Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alor Setar and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $881 in Alor Setar, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Alor Setar
Learn more

Alor Setar Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index

Jump to prices

Alor Setar

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$881

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $881 per month in Alor Setar vs $482 in Karachi, rent included.

Alor Setar $881
Karachi $482

A couple spends around $1,277 per month in Alor Setar vs $750 in Karachi, rent included.

Alor Setar $1,277
Karachi $750

A family of three spends $1,672 per month in Alor Setar vs $1,018 in Karachi, rent included.

Alor Setar $1,672
Karachi $1,018

Alor Setar costs about 83% more than Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Alor Setar and Karachi are more affordable than the global median – Alor Setar 35% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 MYR 8.48

$2.13 PKR 588

-2.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.30 MYR 50.2

$13.30 PKR 3,680

-7.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.28 MYR 17.44

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-21.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 607

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 PKR 2,005

Cappuccino

$1.82 MYR 7.40

$2.09 PKR 579

-12.92%

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

$0.56 MYR 2.30

$0.40 PKR 111

40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.24

$0.26 PKR 71.1

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.25 MYR 17.33

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 MYR 17.68

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MYR 6.51

$0.92 PKR 254

73.91%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 MYR 3.49

$0.56 PKR 156

51.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.85

$1.25 PKR 345

34.40%

Eggs

$1.51 MYR 6.17

$1.23 PKR 341

22.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.63 MYR 55.6

$5.67 PKR 1,570

140.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 MYR 17.76

$3.16 PKR 876

37.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.75 MYR 35.68

$6.28 PKR 1,737

39.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 MYR 11.98

$1.26 PKR 348

133.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 5.04

$0.53 PKR 148

133.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 MYR 11.10

$1.00 PKR 276

172.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.91

$0.56 PKR 154

158.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 MYR 4.33

$0.33 PKR 91.4

221.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.62

$0.34 PKR 95.1

232.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 MYR 4.48

$0.42 PKR 116

161.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.18

$0.44 PKR 121

22.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.25 PKR 346

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 PKR 365

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 PKR 670

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 MYR 18.37

$1.84 PKR 509

144.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.89 MYR 77.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 MYR 11.83

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 MYR 21.88

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MYR 3.21

$0.28 PKR 77.0

182.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.78 MYR 43.98

$9.99 PKR 2,764

7.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 MYR 6.80

$0.92 PKR 256

81.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 MYR 1.65

$0.70 PKR 193

-42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 MYR 30.08

$2.16 PKR 597

241.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$1.38 PKR 382

-63.04%

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

$41.8K MYR 170.3K

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

133.29%

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

$35.9K MYR 146.6K

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

32.69%

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

$37.61 MYR 153

$113 PKR 31.4K

-66.85%

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

$7.49 MYR 30.57

$5.95 PKR 1,648

25.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.82 MYR 89.0

$13.16 PKR 3,642

65.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.96 MYR 163

$21.55 PKR 5,965

85.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.19 MYR 29.33

$18.23 PKR 5,044

-60.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MYR 20.19

$4.21 PKR 1,165

17.58%

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

$427 MYR 1,741

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

718.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MYR 43.7K

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

451.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 MYR 246

$17.55 PKR 4,858

243.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.46 MYR 141

$23.51 PKR 6,506

46.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.4 MYR 336

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

19.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.8 MYR 281

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

69.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$371 MYR 1,513

$118 PKR 32.7K

214.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 MYR 1,246

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

314.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$662 MYR 2,700

$357 PKR 98.9K

85.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 MYR 1,831

$188 PKR 52.0K

138.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,986 MYR 8,103

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

87.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$970 MYR 3,958

$481 PKR 133.1K

101.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,642 MYR 6,697

$183 PKR 50.6K

797.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

13.21

-69.42%

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

Last update for Alor Setar: October 11, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alor Setar

$305 34.7%

Karachi

$74 15.3% 75.9% $232

Groceries & Markets

Alor Setar

$246 27.9%

Karachi

$101 21% 58.8% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Alor Setar

$111 12.6%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 38.8% $43

Eating Out

Alor Setar

$85 9.6%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 27.8% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alor Setar

$67 7.6%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 98.1% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Alor Setar

$50 5.7%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 39.9% $20

Getting Around

Alor Setar

$18 2%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 11.9% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $371 in Alor Setar versus $118 in Karachi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 797% higher in Alor Setar, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Alor Setar versus $13.00 in Karachi. Groceries tell a different story – $246 in Alor Setar vs $101 in Karachi – so Karachi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Alor Setar

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

08:48 8:48 AM

05:48 5:48 AM

3 h behind Alor Setar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

423,868

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Alor Setar Karachi 4,120 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Alor Setar
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

Alor Setar vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alor Setar costs about 83% more than Karachi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,321 per month in Alor Setar and $723 in Karachi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karachi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $427 per month in Alor Setar and $52.2 in Karachi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 143% more in Alor Setar, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $881 in Alor Setar and $482 in Karachi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Karachi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Karachi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alor Setar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.