Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Darkhan and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $655 in Darkhan, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. The total is higher in Darkhan despite lower rent and utilities.

Darkhan
🇲🇳 Mongolia
$655
/mo nomad
Karachi
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$490
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $655 in Darkhan versus $490 in Karachi.

  • Darkhan $655
  • Karachi $490

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,075 in Darkhan versus $755 in Karachi.

  • Darkhan $1,075
  • Karachi $755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,496 in Darkhan versus $1,019 in Karachi.

  • Darkhan $1,496
  • Karachi $1,019

Living in Darkhan is roughly 34% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Darkhan 51% lower, Karachi 63% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Darkhan
Karachi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.46 MNT 19.6K
$2.15 PKR 596
153.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.74 MNT 114.0K
$13.37 PKR 3,700
137.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.62 MNT 20.2K
$5.29 PKR 1,464
6.24%
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
$2.39 MNT 8,575
$2.11 PKR 583
13.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 MNT 3,140
$0.37 PKR 103
135.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 MNT 2,065
$0.28 PKR 78.2
103.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.35 MNT 8,427
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.41 MNT 12.3K
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Darkhan
Karachi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 MNT 5,184
$0.86 PKR 238
67.44%
White Bread (500g)
$1.02 MNT 3,653
$0.52 PKR 144
96.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.06 MNT 7,389
$1.24 PKR 344
66.13%
Eggs
$2.16 MNT 7,750
$1.24 PKR 342
74.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.46 MNT 44.8K
$5.86 PKR 1,622
112.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.87 MNT 17.5K
$3.12 PKR 862
56.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.44 MNT 26.7K
$6.25 PKR 1,731
19.04%
Apples (1kg)
$3.21 MNT 11.5K
$1.29 PKR 356
148.84%
Banana (1kg)
$2.39 MNT 8,592
$0.54 PKR 150
342.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.84 MNT 13.8K
$0.99 PKR 273
287.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.07 MNT 11.0K
$0.56 PKR 155
448.21%
Potato (1kg)
$0.71 MNT 2,567
$0.33 PKR 91.6
115.15%
Onion (1kg)
$1.05 MNT 3,772
$0.35 PKR 95.9
200.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.71 MNT 6,146
$0.45 PKR 124
280.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.73 MNT 2,626
$0.44 PKR 121
65.91%
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)
$1.67 MNT 5,985
$1.79 PKR 497
-6.70%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.29 MNT 37.0K
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.43 MNT 5,126
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 MNT 6,455
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Darkhan
Karachi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.28 PKR 76.5
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$9.68 PKR 2,679
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.55 MNT 1,967
$0.92 PKR 255
-40.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.54 MNT 1,950
$0.71 PKR 196
-23.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.48 MNT 23.3K
$2.22 PKR 615
191.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.07 MNT 3,852
$1.35 PKR 372
-20.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.3K MNT 98.2M
$17.8K PKR 4.9M
53.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K MNT 127.4M
$26.7K PKR 7.4M
32.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Darkhan
Karachi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$70.6 MNT 253.8K
$112 PKR 30.9K
-36.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.68 MNT 27.6K
$6.05 PKR 1,673
26.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.82 MNT 49.7K
$13.29 PKR 3,679
3.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Darkhan
Karachi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$21.51 PKR 5,954
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.80 PKR 4,927
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.24 MNT 15.2K
$4.42 PKR 1,222
-4.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Darkhan
Karachi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$831 MNT 3.0M
$50.7 PKR 14.0K
1539.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,568 MNT 30.8M
$1,957 PKR 541.6K
337.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Darkhan
Karachi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$83.5 MNT 299.8K
$17.57 PKR 4,862
374.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.49 MNT 163.5K
$22.78 PKR 6,304
99.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 MNT 371.8K
$67.6 PKR 18.7K
53.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$185 MNT 665.6K
$40.97 PKR 11.3K
352.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Darkhan
Karachi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$117 PKR 32.5K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$75.7 PKR 21.0K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$365 PKR 101.1K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$182 PKR 50.5K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$1,054 PKR 291.6K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$491 PKR 135.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Darkhan
Karachi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$185 PKR 51.2K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.32
13.21
-21.88%

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

Last update for Darkhan: October 5, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Darkhan
$238
Karachi
$101 57.6% $137
Clothing & Footwear
Darkhan
$188
Karachi
$67 64.4% $121
Eating Out
Darkhan
$114
Karachi
$61 46.3% $53
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Darkhan
$92
Karachi
$131 42.3% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Darkhan
$8.5 *
Karachi
$30 258% $22
Getting Around
Darkhan
$3.3 *
Karachi
$15 368% $12
Accommodation & Living
Darkhan
- *
Karachi
$76

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Darkhan vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇳 Darkhan
🇵🇰 Karachi
🕒 Local time
14:16 2:16 PM
11:16 11:16 AM
3 h behind Darkhan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,738
14,910,352
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to MNT – Mongolian Tögrög Converter

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,593 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,030 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.48 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Darkhan Karachi 4,330 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Darkhan
  • 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
Darkhan vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Darkhan or Karachi?
Karachi wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Darkhan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Karachi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Darkhan and in Karachi?
You'd need roughly $983 in Darkhan and $735 in Karachi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do childcare costs compare in Darkhan and in Karachi?
Childcare runs $831 in Darkhan versus $50.7 in Karachi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Darkhan and in Karachi?
Dining out is cheaper in Karachi – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $32.00 in Darkhan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Darkhan or in Karachi?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Karachi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Darkhan or Karachi?
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.
How safe is Darkhan compared to Karachi?
Safety-wise, Darkhan and Karachi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Darkhan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Darkhan vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?