Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dongguan and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $813 in Dongguan, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Dongguan
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Dongguan Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index

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Dongguan

🇨🇳 China

$813

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $813 in Dongguan versus $482 in Karachi.

Dongguan $813
Karachi $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,291 in Dongguan versus $750 in Karachi.

Dongguan $1,291
Karachi $750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,768 in Dongguan versus $1,018 in Karachi.

Dongguan $1,768
Karachi $1,018

Living in Dongguan is roughly 69% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dongguan 40% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.57 ¥17.18

$2.13 PKR 588

20.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.04 ¥147

$13.30 PKR 3,679

65.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.26 ¥35.16

$5.45 PKR 1,507

-3.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 607

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 PKR 2,004

Cappuccino

$2.56 ¥17.14

$2.09 PKR 579

22.49%

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

$0.47 ¥3.15

$0.40 PKR 111

17.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.26 PKR 71.1

11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 ¥6.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.80

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ¥10.69

$0.92 PKR 254

73.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ¥10.42

$0.56 PKR 156

178.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.90

$1.25 PKR 345

-17.60%

Eggs

$1.66 ¥11.12

$1.23 PKR 341

34.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.79 ¥139

$5.67 PKR 1,570

266.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 ¥22.99

$3.16 PKR 875

8.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.23 ¥95.2

$6.28 PKR 1,737

126.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 ¥15.17

$1.26 PKR 348

80.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ¥10.51

$0.53 PKR 147

196.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.95

$1.00 PKR 276

94.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.47

$0.56 PKR 154

153.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.19

$0.33 PKR 91.4

227.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.32

$0.34 PKR 95.1

264.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.72

$0.42 PKR 116

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.68

$0.44 PKR 121

25.00%

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)

$4.49 ¥30.04

$1.84 PKR 509

144.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.89 ¥79.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥5.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.68

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ¥2.35

$0.28 PKR 77.0

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.79 ¥152

$9.99 PKR 2,764

128.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ¥7.91

$0.92 PKR 256

28.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.59

$0.70 PKR 193

-44.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 ¥29.14

$2.16 PKR 597

101.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥8.53

$1.38 PKR 382

-7.25%

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

$19.5K ¥130.7K

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

9.20%

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

$18.6K ¥124.6K

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

-31.23%

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

$63.8 ¥426

$113 PKR 31.4K

-43.80%

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

$9.24 ¥61.8

$5.95 PKR 1,647

55.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.08 ¥87.5

$13.16 PKR 3,641

-0.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 ¥341

$21.55 PKR 5,963

136.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.01 ¥107

$18.23 PKR 5,043

-12.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ¥51.3

$4.21 PKR 1,165

82.19%

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

$533 ¥3,566

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

922.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥161.6K

$1,940 PKR 536.9K

1145.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.76 ¥313

$17.55 PKR 4,857

166.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.41 ¥270

$23.51 PKR 6,504

71.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.3 ¥490

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

6.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.10 ¥262

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

-3.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$372 ¥2,490

$118 PKR 32.6K

215.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 ¥1,459

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

196.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$662 ¥4,427

$357 PKR 98.9K

85.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 ¥2,883

$188 PKR 52.0K

129.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ¥38.2K

$1,060 PKR 293.3K

438.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,066 ¥20.5K

$481 PKR 133.0K

537.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$858 ¥5,736

$183 PKR 50.6K

368.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

13.21

-74.64%

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

Last update for Dongguan: October 10, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dongguan

$246 30.3%

Karachi

$101 21% 58.9% $145

Accommodation & Living

Dongguan

$218 26.8%

Karachi

$74 15.3% 66.3% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Dongguan

$90 11%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 24.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dongguan

$86 10.6%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 54% $46

Eating Out

Dongguan

$79 9.7%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 22.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Dongguan

$66 8.2%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 54.9% $36

Getting Around

Dongguan

$27 3.4%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 43.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $372 in Dongguan and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dongguan pays 369% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $22.00 in Dongguan vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Dongguan

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

13:06 1:06 PM

10:06 10:06 AM

3 h behind Dongguan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,254,100

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 = 3.23 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.23 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dongguan Karachi 4,730 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dongguan
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

Dongguan vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 369% higher in Dongguan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $372 in Dongguan versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 128% less than in Dongguan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $533 in Dongguan versus $52.2 in Karachi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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.

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.

Expats usually find Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Dongguan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.