Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheras and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $1,130 in Cheras, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Cheras
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Cheras Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Cheras

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,130

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,130 per month in Cheras vs $482 in Karachi, rent included.

Cheras $1,130
Karachi $482

A couple spends around $1,541 per month in Cheras vs $750 in Karachi, rent included.

Cheras $1,541
Karachi $750

A family of three spends $1,952 per month in Cheras vs $1,018 in Karachi, rent included.

Cheras $1,952
Karachi $1,018

Cheras costs about 135% more than Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cheras and Karachi are more affordable than the global median – Cheras 16% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.62

$2.13 PKR 588

68.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.28 MYR 99.1

$13.30 PKR 3,680

82.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.80 MYR 19.57

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-11.93%

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

$3.08 MYR 12.55

$2.09 PKR 579

47.37%

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

$0.93 MYR 3.79

$0.40 PKR 111

132.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 MYR 2.44

$0.26 PKR 71.1

130.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.35 MYR 17.75

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.25 MYR 25.50

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 MYR 7.88

$0.92 PKR 254

109.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MYR 4.18

$0.56 PKR 156

82.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.89

$1.25 PKR 345

15.20%

Eggs

$1.77 MYR 7.23

$1.23 PKR 341

43.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.85 MYR 72.8

$5.67 PKR 1,570

214.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 MYR 18.60

$3.16 PKR 876

44.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 MYR 44.09

$6.28 PKR 1,737

72.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 MYR 14.50

$1.26 PKR 348

181.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MYR 7.91

$0.53 PKR 148

266.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 MYR 10.73

$1.00 PKR 276

163.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.80

$0.56 PKR 154

198.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MYR 8.48

$0.33 PKR 91.4

530.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.72

$0.34 PKR 95.1

385.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 MYR 5.63

$0.42 PKR 116

228.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$0.44 PKR 121

15.91%

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)

$4.24 MYR 17.30

$1.84 PKR 509

130.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 MYR 56.6

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 MYR 11.30

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 MYR 12.83

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.87

$0.28 PKR 77.0

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.03 MYR 49.08

$9.99 PKR 2,764

20.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 MYR 4.13

$0.92 PKR 256

9.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MYR 1.44

$0.70 PKR 193

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.96 MYR 36.57

$2.16 PKR 597

314.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 MYR 3.58

$1.38 PKR 382

-36.23%

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

$40.9K MYR 167.0K

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

128.75%

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

$34.0K MYR 138.7K

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

25.54%

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

$49.67 MYR 203

$113 PKR 31.4K

-56.22%

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

$11.06 MYR 45.10

$5.95 PKR 1,648

85.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.31 MYR 111

$13.16 PKR 3,642

107.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.42 MYR 161

$21.55 PKR 5,965

82.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.14 MYR 29.13

$18.23 PKR 5,044

-60.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.99 MYR 20.36

$4.21 PKR 1,165

18.53%

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

$164 MYR 667

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

213.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,451 MYR 18.2K

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

129.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 MYR 221

$17.55 PKR 4,858

209.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.39 MYR 120

$23.51 PKR 6,506

25.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 MYR 332

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

18.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.6 MYR 402

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

142.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$409 MYR 1,669

$118 PKR 32.7K

246.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 MYR 1,906

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

534.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$687 MYR 2,803

$357 PKR 98.9K

92.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$485 MYR 1,977

$188 PKR 52.0K

157.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,052 MYR 8,372

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

93.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,103 MYR 4,501

$481 PKR 133.1K

129.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,189 MYR 4,851

$183 PKR 50.6K

550.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

13.21

-69.27%

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

Last update for Cheras: October 11, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cheras

$467 41.4%

Karachi

$74 15.3% 84.2% $394

Groceries & Markets

Cheras

$268 23.8%

Karachi

$101 21% 62.3% $167

Eating Out

Cheras

$120 10.7%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 49.2% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Cheras

$119 10.5%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 42.9% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cheras

$88 7.8%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 50.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Cheras

$49 4.4%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 39.3% $19

Getting Around

Cheras

$18 1.6%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 11.9% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $409 in Cheras versus $118 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 550% higher in Cheras, 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 $24.00 in Cheras versus $13.00 in Karachi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $101 – making Karachi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Cheras

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

10:23 10:23 AM

07:23 7:23 AM

3 h behind Cheras

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

440,000

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 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 MYR in detail →

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Between locations

Cheras Karachi 4,430 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cheras
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

Cheras vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cheras is pricier by about 135%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,695 per month in Cheras and $723 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.

Groceries cost about 165% more in Cheras, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cheras and $13.00 in Karachi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Karachi, where all-in costs run around $482, than in Cheras at $1,130. In Karachi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cheras it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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