Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Bahawalnagar

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $496 a month against $509 in Bahawalnagar, rent and utilities included – about $160 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Bahawalnagar
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Bahawalnagar Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$496

/mo nomad

Bahawalnagar

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$509

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Bahawalnagar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $496 in Karachi versus $509 in Bahawalnagar.

Karachi $496
Bahawalnagar $509

Estimated couple costs with rent: $769 in Karachi versus $765 in Bahawalnagar.

Karachi $769
Bahawalnagar $765

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,042 in Karachi versus $1,022 in Bahawalnagar.

Karachi $1,042
Bahawalnagar $1,022

Monthly costs are close between Karachi and Bahawalnagar; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 63% lower, Bahawalnagar 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.21 PKR 611

$2.54 PKR 703

-12.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.74 PKR 3,522

$14.66 PKR 4,052

-13.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 PKR 1,459

$5.84 PKR 1,613

-9.59%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 PKR 615

$3.72 PKR 1,027

-40.05%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 PKR 1,964

$5.30 PKR 1,466

34.15%

Cappuccino

$2.08 PKR 575

$2.62 PKR 724

-20.61%

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

$0.39 PKR 107

$0.40 PKR 111

-2.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 PKR 68.4

$0.24 PKR 65.9

4.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 PKR 233

$0.92 PKR 254

-8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 PKR 148

$0.73 PKR 201

-27.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 331

$1.24 PKR 342

-3.23%

Eggs

$1.20 PKR 333

$1.20 PKR 331

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.69 PKR 1,572

$6.34 PKR 1,753

-10.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.04 PKR 840

$2.54 PKR 703

19.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.16 PKR 1,704

$4.76 PKR 1,316

29.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 PKR 361

$1.24 PKR 342

5.65%

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 148

$0.69 PKR 192

-21.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 PKR 272

$0.88 PKR 244

11.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 148

$0.63 PKR 175

-14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.28 PKR 76.2

$0.29 PKR 79.4

-3.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.8

$0.38 PKR 106

-13.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 PKR 122

$0.45 PKR 124

-2.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 PKR 105

$0.38 PKR 104

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.30 PKR 358

$1.10 PKR 304

18.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 PKR 370

$0.60 PKR 166

123.33%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 PKR 671

$1.74 PKR 480

39.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.80 PKR 497

$2.19 PKR 606

-17.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.2

$0.17 PKR 47.68

64.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 PKR 3,197

$10.07 PKR 2,783

14.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 PKR 266

$0.88 PKR 243

9.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 PKR 196

$0.70 PKR 193

1.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.20 PKR 609

$1.80 PKR 496

22.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 PKR 391

$1.34 PKR 371

5.22%

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

$18.0K PKR 5.0M

$17.9K PKR 4.9M

0.52%

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

$25.8K PKR 7.1M

$24.1K PKR 6.7M

6.92%

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

$116 PKR 31.9K

$126 PKR 34.9K

-8.40%

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

$5.61 PKR 1,551

$5.43 PKR 1,500

3.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.77 PKR 3,530

$16.59 PKR 4,586

-23.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.83 PKR 6,862

$14.93 PKR 4,127

66.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.96 PKR 4,963

$8.32 PKR 2,299

115.87%

Cinema Ticket

$4.32 PKR 1,195

$4.23 PKR 1,170

2.13%

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

$68.5 PKR 18.9K

$74.8 PKR 20.7K

-8.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,195 PKR 2.3M

$2,060 PKR 569.2K

297.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.23 PKR 5,039

$18.08 PKR 4,996

0.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.50 PKR 6,219

$27.39 PKR 7,569

-17.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 PKR 19.4K

$74.9 PKR 20.7K

-6.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.53 PKR 12.0K

$32.66 PKR 9,027

33.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$136 PKR 37.6K

$137 PKR 37.8K

-0.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$82.8 PKR 22.9K

$84.0 PKR 23.2K

-1.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 PKR 107.9K

$270 PKR 74.6K

44.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$206 PKR 56.8K

$179 PKR 49.6K

14.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,083 PKR 299.4K

$816 PKR 225.6K

32.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$489 PKR 135.1K

$504 PKR 139.2K

-2.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 PKR 46.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.05

14.05

-7.12%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 31, 2026

Last update for Bahawalnagar: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$134 27%

Bahawalnagar

$148 29.1% 10.6% $14

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$98 19.8%

Bahawalnagar

$97 19.1% 1.1% $1.1

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$83 16.7%

Bahawalnagar

$84 16.5% 1.5% $1.2

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$70 14%

Bahawalnagar

$69 13.5% 1% $0.7

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.3%

Bahawalnagar

$72 14.1% 17.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$33 6.8%

Bahawalnagar

$23 4.6% 30.1% $10

Getting Around

Karachi

$17 3.5%

Bahawalnagar

$15 3% 12% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $136 in Karachi and $137 in Bahawalnagar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $13 in Karachi vs $15 in Bahawalnagar. Groceries flip the comparison at $98 vs $97, with Bahawalnagar cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇵🇰 Bahawalnagar

🕒 Local time

11:10 11:10 AM

Same time as Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

161,033

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Karachi Bahawalnagar 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Bahawalnagar

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 Bahawalnagar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $744 in Karachi and $763 in Bahawalnagar 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: $136 in Karachi versus $137 in Bahawalnagar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Karachi – a meal for two runs $13 versus $15 in Bahawalnagar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $68 in Karachi versus $75 in Bahawalnagar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Karachi 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.