Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bahawalnagar and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $496 a month against $509 in Bahawalnagar, rent and utilities included – about $160 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bahawalnagar
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Bahawalnagar Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Bahawalnagar

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$509

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$496

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $509 in Bahawalnagar versus $496 in Karachi.

Bahawalnagar $509
Karachi $496

Estimated couple costs with rent: $765 in Bahawalnagar versus $769 in Karachi.

Bahawalnagar $765
Karachi $769

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,022 in Bahawalnagar versus $1,042 in Karachi.

Bahawalnagar $1,022
Karachi $1,042

Monthly costs are close between Bahawalnagar and Karachi; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bahawalnagar 62% lower, Karachi 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.54 PKR 703

$2.21 PKR 611

14.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.66 PKR 4,056

$12.74 PKR 3,525

15.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.84 PKR 1,615

$5.28 PKR 1,460

10.61%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 PKR 1,028

$2.23 PKR 616

66.82%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 PKR 1,467

$7.11 PKR 1,966

-25.46%

Cappuccino

$2.62 PKR 725

$2.08 PKR 575

25.96%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.39 PKR 107

2.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 PKR 66.0

$0.25 PKR 68.4

-4.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 255

$0.84 PKR 234

9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 PKR 202

$0.53 PKR 148

37.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 342

$1.20 PKR 331

3.33%

Eggs

$1.20 PKR 332

$1.20 PKR 333

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.34 PKR 1,755

$5.69 PKR 1,573

11.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.54 PKR 703

$3.04 PKR 841

-16.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.76 PKR 1,317

$6.16 PKR 1,705

-22.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 342

$1.31 PKR 361

-5.34%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 PKR 192

$0.54 PKR 148

27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.88 PKR 244

$0.98 PKR 272

-10.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 PKR 175

$0.54 PKR 148

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 79.5

$0.28 PKR 76.2

3.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 106

$0.33 PKR 91.9

15.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 PKR 124

$0.44 PKR 122

2.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 PKR 104

$0.38 PKR 105

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.10 PKR 304

$1.30 PKR 359

-15.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 PKR 166

$1.34 PKR 370

-55.22%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 PKR 480

$2.43 PKR 671

-28.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 PKR 606

$1.80 PKR 498

21.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 47.72

$0.28 PKR 77.3

-39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.07 PKR 2,785

$11.57 PKR 3,200

-12.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 PKR 243

$0.96 PKR 266

-8.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$0.71 PKR 196

-1.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.80 PKR 497

$2.20 PKR 610

-18.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 PKR 371

$1.41 PKR 391

-4.96%

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

$17.9K PKR 4.9M

$18.0K PKR 5.0M

-0.52%

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

$24.1K PKR 6.7M

$25.8K PKR 7.1M

-6.47%

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

$126 PKR 34.9K

$116 PKR 32.0K

9.17%

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

$5.43 PKR 1,501

$5.61 PKR 1,553

-3.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.59 PKR 4,590

$12.77 PKR 3,534

29.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.93 PKR 4,130

$24.83 PKR 6,868

-39.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.32 PKR 2,301

$17.96 PKR 4,967

-53.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.23 PKR 1,171

$4.32 PKR 1,196

-2.08%

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

$74.8 PKR 20.7K

$68.5 PKR 18.9K

9.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,060 PKR 569.7K

$8,195 PKR 2.3M

-74.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.08 PKR 5,001

$18.23 PKR 5,044

-0.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.39 PKR 7,576

$22.50 PKR 6,225

21.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 PKR 20.7K

$70.3 PKR 19.4K

6.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.66 PKR 9,035

$43.53 PKR 12.0K

-24.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$137 PKR 37.8K

$136 PKR 37.6K

0.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$84.0 PKR 23.2K

$82.8 PKR 22.9K

1.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 PKR 74.6K

$390 PKR 107.9K

-30.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 PKR 49.6K

$206 PKR 56.9K

-12.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$816 PKR 225.8K

$1,083 PKR 299.6K

-24.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$504 PKR 139.3K

$489 PKR 135.2K

3.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 PKR 46.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.05

13.05

7.66%

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

Last update for Bahawalnagar: November 2, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bahawalnagar

$148 29.1%

Karachi

$134 27% 9.6% $14

Groceries & Markets

Bahawalnagar

$97 19.1%

Karachi

$98 19.8% 1.1% $1.1

Accommodation & Living

Bahawalnagar

$84 16.5%

Karachi

$83 16.7% 1.5% $1.2

Eating Out

Bahawalnagar

$72 14.1%

Karachi

$61 12.3% 15.1% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Bahawalnagar

$69 13.5%

Karachi

$70 14% 1% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Bahawalnagar

$23 4.6%

Karachi

$33 6.8% 43.1% $10

Getting Around

Bahawalnagar

$15 3%

Karachi

$17 3.5% 13.7% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $137 in Bahawalnagar and $136 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $15 in Bahawalnagar vs $13 in Karachi. Groceries flip the comparison at $97 vs $98, with Bahawalnagar cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Bahawalnagar

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

05:59 5:59 AM

Same time as Bahawalnagar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

161,033

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bahawalnagar Karachi 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bahawalnagar
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

Bahawalnagar vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $763 in Bahawalnagar and $744 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: $137 in Bahawalnagar versus $136 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 versus $15 in Bahawalnagar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $75 in Bahawalnagar versus $68 in Karachi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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.