Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chongqing and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $714 in Chongqing, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Chongqing
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Chongqing Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Chongqing

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $714 per month in Chongqing vs $490 in Karachi, rent included.

Chongqing $714
Karachi $490

A couple spends around $1,168 per month in Chongqing vs $755 in Karachi, rent included.

Chongqing $1,168
Karachi $755

A family of three spends $1,622 per month in Chongqing vs $1,019 in Karachi, rent included.

Chongqing $1,622
Karachi $1,019

Chongqing costs about 46% more than Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chongqing and Karachi are more affordable than the global median – Chongqing 47% lower, Karachi 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.64 ¥17.67

$2.15 PKR 596

22.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.05 ¥147

$13.37 PKR 3,700

64.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ¥31.20

$5.29 PKR 1,464

-11.72%

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

$2.06 ¥13.79

$2.11 PKR 583

-2.37%

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

$0.43 ¥2.90

$0.37 PKR 103

16.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.28 PKR 78.2

10.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ¥8.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.71

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ¥12.85

$0.86 PKR 238

123.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 ¥10.56

$0.52 PKR 144

203.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 ¥4.25

$1.24 PKR 344

-48.39%

Eggs

$2.16 ¥14.42

$1.24 PKR 342

74.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.55 ¥117

$5.86 PKR 1,622

199.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.55

$3.12 PKR 862

8.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.08 ¥67.4

$6.25 PKR 1,731

61.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 ¥10.43

$1.29 PKR 356

20.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 ¥9.01

$0.54 PKR 150

150.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$0.99 PKR 273

26.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.32

$0.56 PKR 155

123.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 ¥4.07

$0.33 PKR 91.6

84.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$0.35 PKR 95.9

168.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 ¥5.83

$0.45 PKR 124

93.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$0.44 PKR 121

40.91%

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)

$3.07 ¥20.51

$1.79 PKR 497

71.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.95 ¥59.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥5.10

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥10.93

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ¥2.59

$0.28 PKR 76.5

39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.16 ¥148

$9.68 PKR 2,679

128.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.24

$0.92 PKR 255

66.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.71 PKR 196

-59.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 ¥19.81

$2.22 PKR 615

33.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.44

$1.35 PKR 372

-6.67%

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

$19.5K ¥130.3K

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

9.29%

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

$16.8K ¥112.4K

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

-37.10%

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

$44.19 ¥295

$112 PKR 30.9K

-60.47%

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

$6.95 ¥46.43

$6.05 PKR 1,673

14.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.17 ¥47.91

$13.29 PKR 3,679

-46.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 ¥339

$21.51 PKR 5,954

135.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.64 ¥71.1

$17.80 PKR 4,927

-40.22%

Cinema Ticket

$5.94 ¥39.71

$4.42 PKR 1,222

34.39%

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

$290 ¥1,939

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

471.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ¥171.0K

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

1207.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.88 ¥267

$17.57 PKR 4,862

126.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.80 ¥199

$22.78 PKR 6,304

30.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.8 ¥433

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

-4.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.7 ¥419

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

53.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 ¥2,790

$117 PKR 32.5K

256.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 ¥1,338

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

164.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 ¥5,879

$365 PKR 101.1K

140.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$414 ¥2,767

$182 PKR 50.5K

127.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ¥17.9K

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

154.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,705 ¥11.4K

$491 PKR 135.8K

247.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,111 ¥7,423

$185 PKR 51.2K

500.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.34

13.21

-74.72%

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

Last update for Chongqing: October 3, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chongqing

$213 29.5%

Karachi

$101 20.9% 52.6% $112

Accommodation & Living

Chongqing

$200 27.7%

Karachi

$76 15.7% 62.2% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Chongqing

$89 12.3%

Karachi

$67 13.9% 24.5% $22

Eating Out

Chongqing

$72 10%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 15.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Chongqing

$63 8.7%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 51.5% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chongqing

$58 8.1%

Karachi

$131 27.3% 125% $73

Getting Around

Chongqing

$27 3.7%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 42.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $418 in Chongqing 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 501% higher in Chongqing, 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 Chongqing versus $13.00 in Karachi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $213 vs $101 – making Karachi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Chongqing

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

13:16 1:16 PM

10:16 10:16 AM

3 h behind Chongqing

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,564,449

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 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

Chongqing Karachi 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chongqing
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

Chongqing vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chongqing is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,071 per month in Chongqing 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.

Kindergarten costs $290 per month in Chongqing and $50.7 in Karachi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 111% more in Chongqing, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $714 in Chongqing 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, Chongqing makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.