Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Ampang Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $1,009 in Ampang Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Ampang Jaya
Learn more

Ampang Jaya Living Index

Jump to prices

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Ampang Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Ampang Jaya

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 Ampang Jaya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $482 per month in Karachi vs $1,009 in Ampang Jaya, rent included.

Karachi $482
Ampang Jaya $1,009

A couple spends around $750 per month in Karachi vs $1,506 in Ampang Jaya, rent included.

Karachi $750
Ampang Jaya $1,506

A family of three spends $1,018 per month in Karachi vs $2,003 in Ampang Jaya, rent included.

Karachi $1,018
Ampang Jaya $2,003

Karachi is about 52% cheaper than Ampang Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Karachi and Ampang Jaya are more affordable than the global median – Karachi 64% lower, Ampang Jaya 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$3.69 MYR 15.07

-42.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,680

$24.43 MYR 99.6

-45.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,508

$4.95 MYR 20.19

10.10%

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

$2.09 PKR 579

$3.06 MYR 12.48

-31.70%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.93 MYR 3.79

-56.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

$0.55 MYR 2.26

-52.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.37 MYR 17.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.42 MYR 26.19

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$1.74 MYR 7.10

-47.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$1.08 MYR 4.41

-48.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$1.50 MYR 6.10

-16.67%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.76 MYR 7.18

-30.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,570

$9.99 MYR 40.76

-43.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 876

$3.47 MYR 14.16

-8.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,737

$9.91 MYR 40.42

-36.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$3.37 MYR 13.73

-62.61%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 148

$1.69 MYR 6.91

-68.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$3.21 MYR 13.09

-68.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$1.62 MYR 6.62

-65.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.4

$1.43 MYR 5.83

-76.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$1.72 MYR 7.02

-80.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$1.38 MYR 5.61

-69.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.52 MYR 2.13

-15.38%

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)

$1.84 PKR 509

$4.54 MYR 18.51

-59.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 MYR 80.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 MYR 11.61

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 MYR 18.70

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

$1.01 MYR 4.10

-72.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

$19.59 MYR 79.9

-49.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$1.25 MYR 5.08

-26.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$0.35 MYR 1.44

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 597

$6.21 MYR 25.33

-65.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$0.87 MYR 3.55

58.62%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$42.5K MYR 173.4K

-57.88%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$34.6K MYR 141.0K

-21.62%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$48.90 MYR 199

132.00%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,648

$11.23 MYR 45.79

-47.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,642

$28.37 MYR 116

-53.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,965

$36.16 MYR 148

-40.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,044

$7.54 MYR 30.76

141.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,165

$5.04 MYR 20.54

-16.47%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$193 MYR 786

-72.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

$4,453 MYR 18.2K

-56.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,858

$53.2 MYR 217

-67.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,506

$30.19 MYR 123

-22.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

$81.6 MYR 333

-15.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$86.6 MYR 353

-53.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.7K

$436 MYR 1,780

-72.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$364 MYR 1,484

-79.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

$1,491 MYR 6,083

-76.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

$590 MYR 2,407

-68.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$836 MYR 3,412

-78.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

4.51

192.90%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ampang Jaya: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

Ampang Jaya

$88 8.8% 33.2% $44

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

Ampang Jaya

$249 24.7% 146% $147

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Ampang Jaya

$364 36.1% 394% $290

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

Ampang Jaya

$113 11.2% 67.1% $45

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Ampang Jaya

$122 12.1% 99.2% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

Ampang Jaya

$46 4.6% 54.3% $16

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

Ampang Jaya

$27 2.6% 71.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $118 in Karachi versus $436 in Ampang Jaya. 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 357% higher in Ampang Jaya, 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 $13.00 in Karachi versus $24.00 in Ampang Jaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $101 vs $249 – making Karachi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇲🇾 Ampang Jaya

🕒 Local time

18:14 6:14 PM

21:14 9:14 PM

3 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

531,904

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

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).

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).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karachi Ampang Jaya 4,430 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Ampang Jaya

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 Ampang Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $482 in Karachi, $1,009 in Ampang Jaya – roughly 109% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $723 per month in Karachi and $1,513 in Ampang Jaya. 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 $482 in Karachi and $1,009 in Ampang Jaya. That's a gap of about 109%.

Public transport costs about 96% 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 $482, than in Ampang Jaya at $1,009. In Karachi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ampang Jaya 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.

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, Ampang Jaya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.