Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $734 in Chengdu, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Chengdu
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Chengdu Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Chengdu

🇨🇳 China

$734

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $734 per month in Chengdu vs $490 in Karachi, rent included.

Chengdu $734
Karachi $490

A couple spends around $1,211 per month in Chengdu vs $755 in Karachi, rent included.

Chengdu $1,211
Karachi $755

A family of three spends $1,688 per month in Chengdu vs $1,019 in Karachi, rent included.

Chengdu $1,688
Karachi $1,019

Chengdu costs about 50% more than Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chengdu and Karachi are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 45% lower, Karachi 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 ¥19.11

$2.15 PKR 596

33.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.31 ¥149

$13.37 PKR 3,700

66.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 ¥32.71

$5.29 PKR 1,464

-7.56%

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

$2.99 ¥19.96

$2.11 PKR 583

41.71%

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

$0.51 ¥3.40

$0.37 PKR 103

37.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.28 PKR 78.2

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 ¥9.74

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ¥14.55

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.28

$0.86 PKR 238

113.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.36

$0.52 PKR 144

198.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.58

$1.24 PKR 344

-20.97%

Eggs

$1.57 ¥10.47

$1.24 PKR 342

26.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 ¥94.7

$5.86 PKR 1,622

141.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.71 ¥24.76

$3.12 PKR 862

18.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.12 ¥74.3

$6.25 PKR 1,731

77.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ¥12.52

$1.29 PKR 356

44.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.73

$0.54 PKR 150

142.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.34

$0.99 PKR 273

11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.59

$0.56 PKR 155

103.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.03

$0.33 PKR 91.6

127.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.56

$0.35 PKR 95.9

94.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.45 PKR 124

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.66

$0.44 PKR 121

25.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.23 PKR 341

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PKR 381

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 PKR 676

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.59

$1.79 PKR 497

113.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.60 ¥30.71

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.45

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ¥9.77

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.93

$0.28 PKR 76.5

57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.70 ¥165

$9.68 PKR 2,679

155.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.09

$0.92 PKR 255

47.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.71 PKR 196

-56.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 ¥29.26

$2.22 PKR 615

97.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.69

$1.35 PKR 372

-3.70%

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

$19.5K ¥130.6K

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

9.53%

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

$17.1K ¥114.1K

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

-36.16%

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

$47.43 ¥317

$112 PKR 30.9K

-57.58%

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

$9.39 ¥62.8

$6.05 PKR 1,673

55.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.51 ¥83.6

$13.29 PKR 3,679

-5.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.41 ¥183

$21.51 PKR 5,954

27.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.30 ¥75.5

$17.80 PKR 4,927

-36.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.14 ¥41.05

$4.42 PKR 1,222

38.91%

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

$376 ¥2,516

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

641.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ¥99.8K

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

663.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.02 ¥167

$17.57 PKR 4,862

42.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.00 ¥187

$22.78 PKR 6,304

22.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.3 ¥383

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

-15.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.7 ¥352

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

28.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,145

$117 PKR 32.5K

301.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 ¥1,716

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

239.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ¥5,472

$365 PKR 101.1K

124.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 ¥3,580

$182 PKR 50.5K

193.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,708 ¥24.8K

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

251.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,928 ¥12.9K

$491 PKR 135.8K

292.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,277 ¥8,531

$185 PKR 51.2K

590.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

13.21

-74.41%

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

Last update for Chengdu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chengdu

$257 34.2%

Karachi

$76 15.7% 70.5% $181

Groceries & Markets

Chengdu

$195 25.9%

Karachi

$101 20.9% 48.2% $94

Eating Out

Chengdu

$88 11.7%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 30.9% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Chengdu

$73 9.8%

Karachi

$67 13.9% 8.6% $6.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chengdu

$69 9.2%

Karachi

$131 27.3% 89.1% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Chengdu

$40 5.3%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 23.6% $9.4

Getting Around

Chengdu

$29 3.9%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 48.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $471 in Chengdu 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 590% higher in Chengdu, 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 $22.00 in Chengdu versus $13.00 in Karachi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $101 – making Karachi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Chengdu

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

18:04 6:04 PM

15:04 3:04 PM

3 h behind Chengdu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,937,757

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 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 CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chengdu Karachi 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chengdu
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

Chengdu vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $734 in Chengdu, $490 in Karachi – roughly 50% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,101 per month in Chengdu 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Chengdu and $13.00 in Karachi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $734 in Chengdu and $490 in Karachi. That's a gap of about 50%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $734 in Chengdu and $490 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.

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