Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Abbottabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Abbottabad: $315 a month against $483 in Karachi, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index
15

Cost of Living Index in Abbottabad
Learn more

Abbottabad Living Index

Jump to prices

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Abbottabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$315

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Abbottabad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Karachi and in Abbottabad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $483 per month in Karachi vs $315 in Abbottabad, rent included.

Karachi $483
Abbottabad $315

A couple spends around $754 per month in Karachi vs $469 in Abbottabad, rent included.

Karachi $754
Abbottabad $469

A family of three spends $1,025 per month in Karachi vs $624 in Abbottabad, rent included.

Karachi $1,025
Abbottabad $624

Karachi costs about 53% more than Abbottabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Karachi and Abbottabad are more affordable than the global median – Karachi 64% lower, Abbottabad 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 PKR 585

$1.84 PKR 508

14.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.73 PKR 3,801

$8.79 PKR 2,434

56.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 PKR 1,531

$5.28 PKR 1,462

4.73%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 PKR 609

$2.22 PKR 614

-0.90%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 PKR 2,040

$1.86 PKR 515

296.24%

Cappuccino

$2.14 PKR 593

$1.16 PKR 321

84.48%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.32 PKR 87.8

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 PKR 77.7

$0.17 PKR 47.75

64.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 250

$0.82 PKR 228

9.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 PKR 153

$0.97 PKR 269

-43.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 333

$1.08 PKR 300

11.11%

Eggs

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.20 PKR 332

4.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.96 PKR 1,650

$3.49 PKR 967

70.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 PKR 883

$2.33 PKR 646

36.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.48 PKR 1,793

$5.86 PKR 1,623

10.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 344

$1.07 PKR 295

15.89%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 147

$0.92 PKR 253

-42.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 PKR 284

$0.86 PKR 239

19.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 PKR 142

$0.46 PKR 128

10.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 85.1

$0.26 PKR 72.1

19.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 87.1

$0.47 PKR 131

-34.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 PKR 113

$0.53 PKR 146

-22.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 120

$0.32 PKR 89.4

37.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.31 PKR 362

$5.01 PKR 1,387

-73.85%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PKR 369

$0.75 PKR 208

77.33%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 PKR 670

$0.69 PKR 191

250.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.83 PKR 508

$1.63 PKR 452

12.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 76.8

$0.21 PKR 57.1

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.81 PKR 2,716

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 PKR 240

$1.10 PKR 305

-20.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 204

$0.35 PKR 96.0

111.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 PKR 617

$1.49 PKR 412

49.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 383

$1.23 PKR 341

12.20%

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

$18.4K PKR 5.1M

$21.9K PKR 6.1M

-16.17%

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

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

14.54%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$55.2 PKR 15.3K

105.14%

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

$6.12 PKR 1,694

$3.55 PKR 984

72.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.11 PKR 3,628

$12.75 PKR 3,528

2.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.78 PKR 6,029

$9.23 PKR 2,556

135.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.27 PKR 5,058

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 PKR 1,179

$1.95 PKR 541

118.46%

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

$52.1 PKR 14.4K

$27.09 PKR 7,498

92.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,941 PKR 537.3K

$533 PKR 147.5K

264.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.53 PKR 4,852

$7.44 PKR 2,060

135.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.88 PKR 6,332

$7.10 PKR 1,965

222.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.1 PKR 18.8K

$50.1 PKR 13.9K

35.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.55 PKR 11.5K

$10.73 PKR 2,969

287.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.5K

$81.2 PKR 22.5K

44.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.2 PKR 20.3K

$55.3 PKR 15.3K

32.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 PKR 99.6K

$164 PKR 45.4K

119.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.1K

$83.1 PKR 23.0K

126.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,082 PKR 299.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$474 PKR 131.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$182 PKR 50.4K

$187 PKR 51.7K

-2.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

20.09%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Abbottabad: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.4%

Abbottabad

$72 22.7% 46% $61

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$102 21.1%

Abbottabad

$91 28.9% 10.8% $11

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$73 15.2%

Abbottabad

$55 17.6% 24.4% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14%

Abbottabad

$34 10.8% 49.8% $34

Eating Out

Karachi

$62 12.8%

Abbottabad

$46 14.7% 25.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.3%

Abbottabad

$13 4.2% 56.6% $17

Getting Around

Karachi

$15 3.2%

Abbottabad

$3.7 * 1.2% 76.4% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $118 in Karachi versus $81.2 in Abbottabad. 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 3% higher in Abbottabad, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $14.00 in Karachi versus $9.00 in Abbottabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $102 vs $91.0 – making Abbottabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇵🇰 Abbottabad

🕒 Local time

17:31 5:31 PM

Same time as Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

208,491

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karachi Abbottabad 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Abbottabad

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

Karachi vs Abbottabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi costs about 53% more than Abbottabad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $725 per month in Karachi and $473 in Abbottabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Abbottabad, 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 $14.00 in Karachi and $9.00 in Abbottabad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Karachi, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $483 in Karachi and $315 in Abbottabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Abbottabad – 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 Abbottabad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Karachi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.