Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bahawalpur and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Bahawalpur: $290 a month against $482 in Karachi, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

14

Cost of Living Index in Bahawalpur
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Bahawalpur Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index

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Bahawalpur

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$290

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $290 in Bahawalpur versus $482 in Karachi.

Bahawalpur $290
Karachi $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $504 in Bahawalpur versus $750 in Karachi.

Bahawalpur $504
Karachi $750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $717 in Bahawalpur versus $1,018 in Karachi.

Bahawalpur $717
Karachi $1,018

Living in Bahawalpur costs roughly 40% less than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bahawalpur 79% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.80 PKR 498

$2.13 PKR 588

-15.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.39 PKR 2,047

$13.30 PKR 3,680

-44.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 PKR 1,256

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-16.70%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 PKR 719

$2.19 PKR 607

18.72%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 PKR 609

$7.24 PKR 2,005

-69.61%

Cappuccino

$1.51 PKR 417

$2.09 PKR 579

-27.75%

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

$0.31 PKR 84.6

$0.40 PKR 111

-22.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.0

$0.26 PKR 71.1

-19.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.55 PKR 151

$0.92 PKR 254

-40.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 154

$0.56 PKR 156

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 PKR 283

$1.25 PKR 345

-18.40%

Eggs

$0.89 PKR 247

$1.23 PKR 341

-27.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.34 PKR 1,477

$5.67 PKR 1,570

-5.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.60 PKR 719

$3.16 PKR 876

-17.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.17 PKR 1,155

$6.28 PKR 1,737

-33.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 PKR 292

$1.26 PKR 348

-15.87%

Banana (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 144

$0.53 PKR 148

-1.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 156

$1.00 PKR 276

-44.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 146

$0.56 PKR 154

-5.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 PKR 84.3

$0.33 PKR 91.4

-9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 PKR 130

$0.34 PKR 95.1

38.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 PKR 172

$0.42 PKR 116

47.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 PKR 103

$0.44 PKR 121

-15.91%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.56 PKR 155

$1.25 PKR 346

-55.20%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 PKR 145

$1.32 PKR 365

-59.85%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 PKR 193

$2.42 PKR 670

-71.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.41 PKR 389

$1.84 PKR 509

-23.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 PKR 302

$0.92 PKR 256

18.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 PKR 304

$0.70 PKR 193

57.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 PKR 791

$2.16 PKR 597

32.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 PKR 333

$1.38 PKR 382

-13.04%

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

$23.8K PKR 6.6M

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

32.83%

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

$21.6K PKR 6.0M

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

-20.11%

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

$68.0 PKR 18.8K

$113 PKR 31.4K

-40.08%

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

$4.60 PKR 1,274

$5.95 PKR 1,648

-22.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.58 PKR 3,206

$13.16 PKR 3,642

-12.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,965

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.67 PKR 2,953

$18.23 PKR 5,044

-41.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.09 PKR 1,963

$4.21 PKR 1,165

68.41%

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

$23.83 PKR 6,596

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

-54.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$646 PKR 178.7K

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

-66.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.54 PKR 4,578

$17.55 PKR 4,858

-5.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.85 PKR 6,047

$23.51 PKR 6,506

-7.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.5 PKR 14.8K

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

-22.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.37 PKR 8,127

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

-27.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$252 PKR 69.8K

$357 PKR 98.9K

-29.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$126 PKR 34.8K

$188 PKR 52.0K

-33.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 PKR 964.1K

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

228.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$758 PKR 209.8K

$481 PKR 133.1K

57.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$138 PKR 38.1K

$183 PKR 50.6K

-24.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.83

13.21

-10.45%

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

Last update for Bahawalpur: October 11, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bahawalpur

$84 29%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 57.5% $48

Groceries & Markets

Bahawalpur

$82 28.4%

Karachi

$101 21% 23% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Bahawalpur

$55 18.8%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 24.1% $13

Eating Out

Bahawalpur

$48 16.6%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 26.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Bahawalpur

$14 * 4.9%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 111% $16

Getting Around

Bahawalpur

$6.6 * 2.3%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 136% $8.9

Accommodation & Living

Bahawalpur

- * 0%

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Karachi pays 33% 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: $7.00 in Bahawalpur vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $82.0 vs $101 per month, with Bahawalpur cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Bahawalpur

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

04:46 4:46 AM

Same time as Bahawalpur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

762,111

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bahawalpur Karachi 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bahawalpur
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

Bahawalpur vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bahawalpur wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Karachi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bahawalpur the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Karachi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Karachi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $290 per month in Bahawalpur versus $482 in Karachi – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Bahawalpur 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 Bahawalpur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Karachi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.