Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $29,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $490 in Karachi, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Karachi $490

A couple spends around $4,558 per month in Hong Kong vs $755 in Karachi, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,558
Karachi $755

A family of three spends $6,132 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,019 in Karachi, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,132
Karachi $1,019

Hong Kong costs about 509% more than Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 123% above the global median, while Karachi is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.46 HK$66.4

$2.15 PKR 596

293.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 HK$496

$13.37 PKR 3,700

372.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 HK$48.66

$5.29 PKR 1,464

17.20%

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

$4.90 HK$38.41

$2.11 PKR 583

132.23%

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

$1.27 HK$10.01

$0.37 PKR 103

243.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 HK$8.31

$0.28 PKR 78.2

278.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 HK$60.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 HK$49.24

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 HK$22.45

$0.86 PKR 238

232.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 HK$19.10

$0.52 PKR 144

367.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 HK$17.09

$1.24 PKR 344

75.81%

Eggs

$3.54 HK$27.80

$1.24 PKR 342

185.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.12 HK$197

$5.86 PKR 1,622

328.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 HK$69.8

$3.12 PKR 862

184.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 HK$138

$6.25 PKR 1,731

182.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 HK$32.22

$1.29 PKR 356

218.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 HK$21.32

$0.54 PKR 150

403.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 HK$36.05

$0.99 PKR 273

363.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 HK$31.52

$0.56 PKR 155

617.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 HK$25.50

$0.33 PKR 91.6

884.85%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 HK$25.70

$0.35 PKR 95.9

834.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 HK$12.54

$0.45 PKR 124

255.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 HK$13.56

$0.44 PKR 121

293.18%

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)

$13.14 HK$103

$1.79 PKR 497

634.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.59 HK$130

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 HK$15.80

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.13

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 HK$11.31

$0.28 PKR 76.5

414.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.1 HK$699

$9.68 PKR 2,679

820.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 HK$28.53

$0.92 PKR 255

295.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 HK$10.29

$0.71 PKR 196

84.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.82 HK$124

$2.22 PKR 615

612.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.06 HK$31.89

$1.35 PKR 372

200.74%

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

$44.4K HK$348.2K

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

148.70%

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

$37.4K HK$293.2K

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

39.74%

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

$247 HK$1,942

$112 PKR 30.9K

121.34%

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

$15.89 HK$125

$6.05 PKR 1,673

162.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.46 HK$168

$13.29 PKR 3,679

61.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.4 HK$717

$21.51 PKR 5,954

324.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.08 HK$71.3

$17.80 PKR 4,927

-48.99%

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 HK$110

$4.42 PKR 1,222

215.84%

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

$1,155 HK$9,067

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

2177.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K HK$174.6K

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

1036.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 HK$541

$17.57 PKR 4,862

292.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.44 HK$317

$22.78 PKR 6,304

77.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 HK$627

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

18.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 HK$923

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

187.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 HK$17.1K

$117 PKR 32.5K

1758.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

2169.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,047 HK$39.6K

$365 PKR 101.1K

1282.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,543 HK$27.8K

$182 PKR 50.5K

1842.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.1K HK$228.7K

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

2666.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$491 PKR 135.8K

3480.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,228 HK$25.3K

$185 PKR 51.2K

1646.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

13.21

-70.40%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: 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

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.5%

Karachi

$76 15.7% 95.6% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$415 13.9%

Karachi

$101 20.9% 75.7% $314

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$285 9.5%

Karachi

$131 27.3% 54% $154

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$205 6.9%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 70.3% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$138 4.6%

Karachi

$67 13.9% 51.5% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$119 4%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 74.6% $89

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 85.5% $90

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,180 in Hong Kong 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 1646% higher in Hong Kong, 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 $63.0 in Hong Kong versus $13.00 in Karachi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $415 vs $101 – making Karachi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

08:58 8:58 AM

05:58 5:58 AM

3 h behind Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to HKD – Hong Kong Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.8 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 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 HKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hong Kong Karachi 4,790 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
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

Hong Kong vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $490 in Karachi – roughly 509% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,476 per month in Hong Kong 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Hong Kong and $13.00 in Karachi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,984 in Hong Kong and $490 in Karachi. That's a gap of about 509%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Karachi, where all-in costs run around $490, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Karachi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $490 in Karachi to $2,984 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Karachi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hong Kong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.