Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gombak and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $927 in Gombak, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Gombak
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Gombak Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Gombak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$927

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $927 in Gombak versus $482 in Karachi.

Gombak $927
Karachi $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,429 in Gombak versus $750 in Karachi.

Gombak $1,429
Karachi $750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Gombak versus $1,018 in Karachi.

Gombak $1,931
Karachi $1,018

Living in Gombak is roughly 92% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gombak 31% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.71 MYR 15.12

$2.13 PKR 588

74.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.58 MYR 100

$13.30 PKR 3,680

84.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 MYR 20.23

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-8.99%

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

$2.98 MYR 12.15

$2.09 PKR 579

42.58%

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

$0.92 MYR 3.74

$0.40 PKR 111

130.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MYR 1.69

$0.26 PKR 71.1

61.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MYR 13.16

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.79 MYR 23.63

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MYR 7.69

$0.92 PKR 254

104.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MYR 4.19

$0.56 PKR 156

83.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MYR 5.80

$1.25 PKR 345

13.60%

Eggs

$1.85 MYR 7.55

$1.23 PKR 341

50.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MYR 40.93

$5.67 PKR 1,570

76.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 MYR 13.34

$3.16 PKR 876

3.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.82 MYR 40.06

$6.28 PKR 1,737

56.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 MYR 14.37

$1.26 PKR 348

179.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 MYR 7.81

$0.53 PKR 148

260.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 MYR 10.79

$1.00 PKR 276

164.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 MYR 7.44

$0.56 PKR 154

225.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MYR 8.50

$0.33 PKR 91.4

530.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MYR 8.08

$0.34 PKR 95.1

482.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MYR 6.04

$0.42 PKR 116

252.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.24

$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)

$4.41 MYR 17.97

$1.84 PKR 509

139.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.70 MYR 80.4

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 MYR 10.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 MYR 19.04

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MYR 2.73

$0.28 PKR 77.0

139.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.05 MYR 49.15

$9.99 PKR 2,764

20.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 MYR 5.03

$0.92 PKR 256

33.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MYR 1.44

$0.70 PKR 193

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.72 MYR 35.57

$2.16 PKR 597

303.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 MYR 3.27

$1.38 PKR 382

-42.03%

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

$42.6K MYR 173.6K

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

137.79%

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

$32.0K MYR 130.6K

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

18.21%

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

$49.80 MYR 203

$113 PKR 31.4K

-56.10%

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

$8.34 MYR 34.02

$5.95 PKR 1,648

40.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 MYR 112

$13.16 PKR 3,642

108.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.60 MYR 166

$21.55 PKR 5,965

88.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.17 MYR 29.23

$18.23 PKR 5,044

-60.67%

Cinema Ticket

$3.26 MYR 13.29

$4.21 PKR 1,165

-22.57%

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

$274 MYR 1,120

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

426.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MYR 42.3K

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

434.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 MYR 206

$17.55 PKR 4,858

187.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.06 MYR 123

$23.51 PKR 6,506

27.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 MYR 312

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

10.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.2 MYR 352

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

112.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 MYR 1,650

$118 PKR 32.7K

242.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 MYR 1,235

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

311.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$682 MYR 2,781

$357 PKR 98.9K

90.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 MYR 2,261

$188 PKR 52.0K

194.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,059 MYR 8,400

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

94.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,053 MYR 4,295

$481 PKR 133.1K

119.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$538 MYR 2,193

$183 PKR 50.6K

193.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

13.21

-65.86%

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

Last update for Gombak: October 10, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gombak

$303 32.7%

Karachi

$74 15.3% 75.7% $229

Groceries & Markets

Gombak

$252 27.1%

Karachi

$101 21% 59.8% $150

Eating Out

Gombak

$113 12.2%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 46.1% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Gombak

$109 11.8%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 38.1% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gombak

$86 9.2%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 55% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Gombak

$47 5.1%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 36.4% $17

Getting Around

Gombak

$18 1.9%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 12.5% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $405 in Gombak and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gombak pays 194% 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: $25.00 in Gombak vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Gombak

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

15:21 3:21 PM

12:21 12:21 PM

3 h behind Gombak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,699

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Gombak Karachi 4,420 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Gombak
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

Gombak vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi wins on cost – living expenses run 92% lower than in Gombak. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Karachi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 194% higher in Gombak, 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: $405 in Gombak versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 148% higher in Gombak. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Karachi – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $25.00 in Gombak. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

Safety-wise, Gombak 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 92% less than in Gombak. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.