Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jhelum and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Jhelum: $382 a month against $482 in Karachi, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Jhelum
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Jhelum Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index

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Jhelum

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$382

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $382 in Jhelum versus $482 in Karachi.

Jhelum $382
Karachi $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $584 in Jhelum versus $750 in Karachi.

Jhelum $584
Karachi $750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $785 in Jhelum versus $1,018 in Karachi.

Jhelum $785
Karachi $1,018

Living in Jhelum costs roughly 21% less than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jhelum 72% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.79 PKR 496

$2.13 PKR 588

-15.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.87 PKR 3,007

$13.30 PKR 3,680

-18.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.30 PKR 1,468

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-2.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 PKR 710

$2.19 PKR 607

16.89%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 PKR 593

$7.24 PKR 2,005

-70.44%

Cappuccino

$1.51 PKR 418

$2.09 PKR 579

-27.75%

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

$0.47 PKR 129

$0.40 PKR 111

17.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 PKR 82.0

$0.26 PKR 71.1

15.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 PKR 187

$0.92 PKR 254

-26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 PKR 170

$0.56 PKR 156

10.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 347

$1.25 PKR 345

Eggs

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.23 PKR 341

1.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.72 PKR 753

$5.67 PKR 1,570

-52.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.38 PKR 659

$3.16 PKR 876

-24.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.61 PKR 721

$6.28 PKR 1,737

-58.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 PKR 307

$1.26 PKR 348

-11.90%

Banana (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 96.8

$0.53 PKR 148

-33.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.62 PKR 171

$1.00 PKR 276

-38.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 PKR 162

$0.56 PKR 154

5.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 PKR 83.3

$0.33 PKR 91.4

-9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 96.4

$0.34 PKR 95.1

2.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 120

$0.44 PKR 121

-2.27%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.87 PKR 517

$1.25 PKR 346

49.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 PKR 143

$1.32 PKR 365

-60.61%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 PKR 658

$2.42 PKR 670

-1.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.42 PKR 392

$1.84 PKR 509

-22.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 PKR 49.26

$0.28 PKR 77.0

-35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.15 PKR 2,534

$9.99 PKR 2,764

-8.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 PKR 291

$0.92 PKR 256

14.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 PKR 305

$0.70 PKR 193

57.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 PKR 781

$2.16 PKR 597

30.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 PKR 326

$1.38 PKR 382

-14.49%

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

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

29.17%

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

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

-14.75%

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

$66.5 PKR 18.4K

$113 PKR 31.4K

-41.37%

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

$5.75 PKR 1,592

$5.95 PKR 1,648

-3.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.71 PKR 4,071

$13.16 PKR 3,642

11.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.14 PKR 4,191

$21.55 PKR 5,965

-29.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.50 PKR 2,354

$18.23 PKR 5,044

-53.37%

Cinema Ticket

$7.07 PKR 1,956

$4.21 PKR 1,165

67.93%

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

$26.62 PKR 7,367

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

-48.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,986 PKR 549.7K

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

2.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.84 PKR 5,214

$17.55 PKR 4,858

7.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.91 PKR 7,449

$23.51 PKR 6,506

14.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.4 PKR 15.1K

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

-21.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.21 PKR 8,362

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

-25.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$114 PKR 31.6K

$118 PKR 32.7K

-3.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$66.7 PKR 18.5K

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

-9.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 PKR 72.9K

$357 PKR 98.9K

-26.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$135 PKR 37.4K

$188 PKR 52.0K

-28.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$956 PKR 264.7K

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

-9.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$551 PKR 152.5K

$481 PKR 133.1K

14.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.83

13.21

-10.45%

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

Last update for Jhelum: October 10, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jhelum

$87 22.8%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 52.4% $46

Groceries & Markets

Jhelum

$72 18.9%

Karachi

$101 21% 40% $29

Accommodation & Living

Jhelum

$67 17.5%

Karachi

$74 15.3% 10.3% $6.9

Clothing & Footwear

Jhelum

$59 15.4%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 15.4% $9.1

Eating Out

Jhelum

$51 13.5%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 18.8% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Jhelum

$29 7.7%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 2.4% $0.7

Getting Around

Jhelum

$16 4.3%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 5.6% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $114 in Jhelum and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $11.00 in Jhelum vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $72.0 vs $101 per month, with Jhelum cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Jhelum

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

23:11 11:11 PM

Same time as Jhelum

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

190,425

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Jhelum Karachi 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Jhelum
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

Jhelum vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jhelum is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $573 in Jhelum and $723 in Karachi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $114 in Jhelum versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Karachi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Jhelum – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $13.00 in Karachi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Jhelum 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, Jhelum 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 Jhelum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Karachi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.