Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guangzhou (Canton) and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $924 in Guangzhou (Canton), rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Guangzhou (Canton)
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Guangzhou (Canton) Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Guangzhou (Canton)

🇨🇳 China

$924

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $924 per month in Guangzhou (Canton) vs $490 in Karachi, rent included.

Guangzhou (Canton) $924
Karachi $490

A couple spends around $1,438 per month in Guangzhou (Canton) vs $755 in Karachi, rent included.

Guangzhou (Canton) $1,438
Karachi $755

A family of three spends $1,953 per month in Guangzhou (Canton) vs $1,019 in Karachi, rent included.

Guangzhou (Canton) $1,953
Karachi $1,019

Guangzhou (Canton) costs about 89% more than Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Guangzhou (Canton) and Karachi are more affordable than the global median – Guangzhou (Canton) 31% lower, Karachi 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.02 ¥20.21

$2.15 PKR 596

40.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.67 ¥198

$13.37 PKR 3,700

121.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.32 ¥35.53

$5.29 PKR 1,464

0.57%

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

$2.97 ¥19.83

$2.11 PKR 583

40.76%

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

$0.58 ¥3.89

$0.37 PKR 103

56.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$0.28 PKR 78.2

32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.79

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ¥18.41

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ¥12.75

$0.86 PKR 238

122.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ¥12.23

$0.52 PKR 144

251.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.30

$1.24 PKR 344

-12.10%

Eggs

$1.52 ¥10.14

$1.24 PKR 342

22.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.76 ¥112

$5.86 PKR 1,622

186.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.95 ¥33.07

$3.12 PKR 862

58.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.20 ¥81.5

$6.25 PKR 1,731

95.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥15.04

$1.29 PKR 356

74.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.19

$0.54 PKR 150

127.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$0.99 PKR 273

48.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 ¥11.89

$0.56 PKR 155

217.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.86

$0.33 PKR 91.6

212.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.84

$0.35 PKR 95.9

234.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 ¥5.56

$0.45 PKR 124

84.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ¥4.33

$0.44 PKR 121

47.73%

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)

$3.88 ¥25.93

$1.79 PKR 497

116.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.85 ¥72.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ¥7.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥12.61

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ¥3.11

$0.28 PKR 76.5

67.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.21 ¥148

$9.68 PKR 2,679

129.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 ¥12.23

$0.92 PKR 255

98.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ¥2.69

$0.71 PKR 196

-43.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.90

$2.22 PKR 615

216.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.75

$1.35 PKR 372

-2.96%

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

$19.2K ¥128.2K

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

7.57%

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

$17.6K ¥117.5K

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

-34.22%

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

$60.0 ¥401

$112 PKR 30.9K

-46.30%

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

$16.00 ¥107

$6.05 PKR 1,673

164.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.46 ¥96.6

$13.29 PKR 3,679

8.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ¥460

$21.51 PKR 5,954

220.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.04 ¥80.4

$17.80 PKR 4,927

-32.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ¥43.94

$4.42 PKR 1,222

48.64%

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

$1,471 ¥9,831

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

2799.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥161.5K

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

1134.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.75 ¥326

$17.57 PKR 4,862

177.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.61 ¥278

$22.78 PKR 6,304

82.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 ¥545

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

20.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.4 ¥471

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

71.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 ¥3,623

$117 PKR 32.5K

362.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 ¥1,842

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

263.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 ¥8,974

$365 PKR 101.1K

267.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 ¥3,157

$182 PKR 50.5K

159.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,553 ¥57.2K

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

711.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,459 ¥23.1K

$491 PKR 135.8K

604.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,265 ¥8,452

$185 PKR 51.2K

584.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

13.21

-74.26%

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

Last update for Guangzhou (Canton): October 4, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guangzhou (Canton)

$276 30.1%

Karachi

$76 15.7% 72.5% $200

Groceries & Markets

Guangzhou (Canton)

$240 26.2%

Karachi

$101 20.9% 58% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Guangzhou (Canton)

$109 11.9%

Karachi

$67 13.9% 38.5% $42

Eating Out

Guangzhou (Canton)

$91 9.9%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 32.9% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guangzhou (Canton)

$90 9.9%

Karachi

$131 27.3% 44.9% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Guangzhou (Canton)

$82 9%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 63% $52

Getting Around

Guangzhou (Canton)

$28 3.1%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 45.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $542 in Guangzhou (Canton) 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 584% higher in Guangzhou (Canton), 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 $30.00 in Guangzhou (Canton) versus $13.00 in Karachi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $240 vs $101 – making Karachi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Guangzhou (Canton)

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

19:49 7:49 PM

16:49 4:49 PM

3 h behind Guangzhou (Canton)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,043,500

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 = 3.22 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 = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 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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Guangzhou (Canton) Karachi 4,680 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Guangzhou (Canton)
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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

Guangzhou (Canton) vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $924 in Guangzhou (Canton), $490 in Karachi – roughly 89% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,385 per month in Guangzhou (Canton) 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $924 in Guangzhou (Canton) and $490 in Karachi. That's a gap of about 89%.

Public transport costs about 129% less in Karachi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Karachi, where all-in costs run around $490, than in Guangzhou (Canton) at $924. In Karachi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guangzhou (Canton) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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, Guangzhou (Canton) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.