Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between George Town and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $956 in George Town, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in George Town
Learn more

George Town Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index

Jump to prices

George Town

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$956

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $956 in George Town versus $482 in Karachi.

George Town $956
Karachi $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in George Town versus $750 in Karachi.

George Town $1,599
Karachi $750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,243 in George Town versus $1,018 in Karachi.

George Town $2,243
Karachi $1,018

Living in George Town is roughly 98% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: George Town 29% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.41 MYR 13.92

$2.13 PKR 588

60.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.33 MYR 62.5

$13.30 PKR 3,680

15.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 MYR 18.58

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-16.51%

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

$2.61 MYR 10.66

$2.09 PKR 579

24.88%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.16

$0.40 PKR 111

95.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 MYR 1.43

$0.26 PKR 71.1

34.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 MYR 9.88

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MYR 18.21

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MYR 7.56

$0.92 PKR 254

101.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.28

$0.56 PKR 156

87.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.85

$1.25 PKR 345

34.40%

Eggs

$2.21 MYR 9.03

$1.23 PKR 341

79.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 MYR 55.7

$5.67 PKR 1,570

140.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 MYR 18.38

$3.16 PKR 876

42.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.49 MYR 34.62

$6.28 PKR 1,737

35.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 MYR 9.89

$1.26 PKR 348

92.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.84

$0.53 PKR 148

169.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 MYR 9.12

$1.00 PKR 276

123.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.86

$0.56 PKR 154

112.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 MYR 3.77

$0.33 PKR 91.4

181.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 MYR 3.45

$0.34 PKR 95.1

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 MYR 2.87

$0.42 PKR 116

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.31

$0.44 PKR 121

29.55%

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)

$4.42 MYR 18.03

$1.84 PKR 509

140.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.74 MYR 76.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 MYR 9.89

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MYR 14.65

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 MYR 1.91

$0.28 PKR 77.0

67.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.84 MYR 44.24

$9.99 PKR 2,764

8.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 MYR 5.08

$0.92 PKR 256

34.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$0.70 PKR 193

-27.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 MYR 28.03

$2.16 PKR 597

218.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 MYR 3.43

$1.38 PKR 382

-39.13%

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

$42.3K MYR 172.6K

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

136.44%

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

$28.7K MYR 117.0K

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

5.93%

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

$36.87 MYR 150

$113 PKR 31.4K

-67.50%

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

$8.21 MYR 33.51

$5.95 PKR 1,648

37.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.51 MYR 116

$13.16 PKR 3,642

116.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 MYR 164

$21.55 PKR 5,965

86.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.04 MYR 20.55

$18.23 PKR 5,044

-72.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 MYR 19.43

$4.21 PKR 1,165

13.06%

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

$173 MYR 705

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

231.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,848 MYR 19.8K

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

149.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 MYR 216

$17.55 PKR 4,858

202.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.45 MYR 141

$23.51 PKR 6,506

46.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 MYR 304

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

8.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 MYR 285

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

71.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 MYR 2,059

$118 PKR 32.7K

327.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MYR 1,524

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

407.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 MYR 3,804

$357 PKR 98.9K

160.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 MYR 4,046

$188 PKR 52.0K

427.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,094 MYR 4,462

$183 PKR 50.6K

497.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

13.21

-69.42%

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

Last update for George Town: October 12, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

George Town

$374 39.1%

Karachi

$74 15.3% 80.3% $300

Groceries & Markets

George Town

$240 25.1%

Karachi

$101 21% 57.8% $139

Clothing & Footwear

George Town

$104 10.9%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 35.1% $37

Eating Out

George Town

$98 10.2%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 37.6% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

George Town

$74 7.7%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 80.1% $59

Sport & Entertainment

George Town

$50 5.2%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 39.7% $20

Getting Around

George Town

$17 1.7%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 6.1% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $505 in George Town and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 498% 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: $15.00 in George Town vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 George Town

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

00:43 12:43 AM

21:43 9:43 PM

3 h behind George Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

794,313

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 17, 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 17, 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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

George Town Karachi 4,160 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

George Town
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

George Town vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 98% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 498% higher in George Town, 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: $505 in George Town 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 9% less than in George Town. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $173 in George Town versus $52.2 in Karachi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $482 in Karachi versus $956 in George Town, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in George Town. The gap between the two cities makes Karachi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Karachi is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in George Town, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, George Town 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.

Expats usually find Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in George Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.