Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,568 per month in Cape Town vs $490 in Karachi, rent included.

Cape Town $1,568
Karachi $490

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Cape Town vs $755 in Karachi, rent included.

Cape Town $2,438
Karachi $755

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Cape Town vs $1,019 in Karachi, rent included.

Cape Town $3,307
Karachi $1,019

Cape Town costs about 220% more than Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Karachi is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 195

$2.15 PKR 596

447.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 772

$13.37 PKR 3,700

248.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.9

$5.29 PKR 1,464

12.67%

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

$2.47 R 41.01

$2.11 PKR 583

17.06%

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

$1.33 R 22.03

$0.37 PKR 103

259.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 17.08

$0.28 PKR 78.2

267.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.8

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 23.08

$0.86 PKR 238

61.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.70

$0.52 PKR 144

128.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 35.02

$1.24 PKR 344

70.16%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.84

$1.24 PKR 342

142.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 149

$5.86 PKR 1,622

52.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

$3.12 PKR 862

113.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 154

$6.25 PKR 1,730

48.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.28

$1.29 PKR 356

41.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.47

$0.54 PKR 150

251.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.98

$0.99 PKR 273

76.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.59

$0.56 PKR 155

273.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.78

$0.33 PKR 91.6

369.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.65

$0.35 PKR 95.8

325.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.53

$0.45 PKR 124

188.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.29

$0.44 PKR 121

163.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.23 PKR 341

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PKR 380

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 PKR 676

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.5

$1.79 PKR 497

107.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.51

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 25.11

$0.28 PKR 76.5

439.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,011

$9.68 PKR 2,679

529.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.38

$0.92 PKR 255

-31.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.42

$0.71 PKR 196

115.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.8

$2.22 PKR 615

116.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.22

$1.35 PKR 372

17.04%

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

$35.5K R 588.7K

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

98.98%

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

$31.7K R 526.6K

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

18.73%

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

$116 R 1,930

$112 PKR 30.9K

4.10%

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

$28.37 R 471

$6.05 PKR 1,673

368.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 675

$13.29 PKR 3,679

206.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 810

$21.51 PKR 5,954

127.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 185

$17.80 PKR 4,927

-37.47%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

$4.42 PKR 1,222

99.77%

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

$261 R 4,336

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

415.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 111.2K

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

242.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 919

$17.57 PKR 4,862

215.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 535

$22.78 PKR 6,304

41.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,949

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

73.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,775

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

161.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.8K

$117 PKR 32.4K

765.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.9K

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

844.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.9K

$365 PKR 101.1K

393.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.1K

$182 PKR 50.5K

629.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.7K

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

121.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.1K

$491 PKR 135.8K

208.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.1K

$185 PKR 51.2K

785.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

13.21

-16.96%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Karachi

$76 15.7% 89.4% $640

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Karachi

$101 20.9% 54.7% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Karachi

$131 27.3% 29.3% $54

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 64.9% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Karachi

$67 13.9% 52.3% $74

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 79.8% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 54.4% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,015 in Cape Town versus $117 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 785% higher in Cape Town, 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 $47.00 in Cape Town versus $13.00 in Karachi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $101 – making Karachi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

05:10 5:10 AM

08:10 8:10 AM

3 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

14,910,352

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.59 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.03 USD). 1 EUR = 18.6 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.38 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 ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Karachi 8,310 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
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

Cape Town vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 220% 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 $2,352 per month in Cape Town and $735 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,568 in Cape Town and $490 in Karachi. That's a gap of about 220%.

Public transport costs about 530% less in Karachi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Karachi, where all-in costs run around $490, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Karachi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Karachi costs $490 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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