Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Anshan and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $630 in Anshan, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Anshan
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Anshan Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Anshan

🇨🇳 China

$630

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $630 in Anshan versus $482 in Karachi.

Anshan $630
Karachi $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,018 in Anshan versus $750 in Karachi.

Anshan $1,018
Karachi $750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,406 in Anshan versus $1,018 in Karachi.

Anshan $1,406
Karachi $1,018

Living in Anshan is roughly 31% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.08 ¥20.56

$2.13 PKR 588

44.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.82 ¥126

$13.30 PKR 3,680

41.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.36 ¥29.12

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-20.00%

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

$2.49 ¥16.63

$2.09 PKR 579

19.14%

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

$0.39 ¥2.57

$0.40 PKR 111

-2.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ¥1.54

$0.26 PKR 71.1

-11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.78 ¥5.24

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.07

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 ¥11.81

$0.92 PKR 254

92.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ¥8.63

$0.56 PKR 156

130.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.35 ¥2.37

$1.25 PKR 345

-72.00%

Eggs

$1.06 ¥7.11

$1.23 PKR 341

-13.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.74 ¥58.3

$5.67 PKR 1,570

54.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.77 ¥11.81

$3.16 PKR 876

-43.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ¥60.8

$6.28 PKR 1,737

45.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.10

$1.26 PKR 348

-15.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.81

$0.53 PKR 148

120.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.87

$1.00 PKR 276

18.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.80

$0.56 PKR 154

108.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.33 PKR 91.4

-6.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.94

$0.34 PKR 95.1

161.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.42 PKR 116

-30.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.44 PKR 121

-2.27%

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)

$3.66 ¥24.42

$1.84 PKR 509

98.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 ¥51.2

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.13

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 ¥7.37

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.28 PKR 77.0

3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.75 ¥119

$9.99 PKR 2,764

77.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ¥7.12

$0.92 PKR 256

16.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.16 ¥1.06

$0.70 PKR 193

-77.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 ¥19.50

$2.16 PKR 597

35.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥7.06

$1.38 PKR 382

-23.19%

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

$19.5K ¥130.4K

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

9.15%

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

$15.2K ¥101.8K

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

-43.73%

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

$29.30 ¥196

$113 PKR 31.4K

-74.17%

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

$7.25 ¥48.41

$5.95 PKR 1,648

21.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.66 ¥97.9

$13.16 PKR 3,642

11.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.00 ¥280

$21.55 PKR 5,965

94.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.17 ¥101

$18.23 PKR 5,044

-16.79%

Cinema Ticket

$5.91 ¥39.47

$4.21 PKR 1,165

40.38%

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

$221 ¥1,476

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

323.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K ¥144.7K

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

1016.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.91 ¥253

$17.55 PKR 4,858

116.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.24 ¥222

$23.51 PKR 6,506

41.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.1 ¥401

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

-12.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 ¥469

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

73.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$298 ¥1,993

$118 PKR 32.7K

152.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 ¥1,227

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

149.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ¥4,181

$357 PKR 98.9K

75.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 ¥2,536

$188 PKR 52.0K

102.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,597 ¥24.0K

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

239.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,957 ¥13.1K

$481 PKR 133.1K

307.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$960 ¥6,409

$183 PKR 50.6K

424.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

-84.86%

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

Last update for Anshan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Anshan

$184 29.2%

Karachi

$74 15.3% 59.9% $110

Groceries & Markets

Anshan

$152 24.1%

Karachi

$101 21% 33.4% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Anshan

$91 14.4%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 25.3% $23

Eating Out

Anshan

$77 12.3%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 21% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Anshan

$54 8.6%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 44.3% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Anshan

$51 8.1%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 159% $81

Getting Around

Anshan

$21 3.3%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 25.3% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $298 in Anshan and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Anshan pays 425% 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: $19.00 in Anshan vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $152 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Anshan

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

21:58 9:58 PM

18:58 6:58 PM

3 h behind Anshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,543,696

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 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 CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Anshan Karachi 5,420 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Anshan
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

Anshan vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 425% higher in Anshan, 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: $298 in Anshan versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Karachi – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $19.00 in Anshan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $630 per month in Anshan versus $482 in Karachi – a 31% 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 31% less than in Anshan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.