Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Bahawalpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Bahawalpur: $290 a month against $482 in Karachi, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index
14

Cost of Living Index in Bahawalpur
Learn more

Bahawalpur Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Bahawalpur

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$290

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Bahawalpur

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $482 in Karachi versus $290 in Bahawalpur.

Karachi $482
Bahawalpur $290

Estimated couple costs with rent: $750 in Karachi versus $504 in Bahawalpur.

Karachi $750
Bahawalpur $504

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,018 in Karachi versus $717 in Bahawalpur.

Karachi $1,018
Bahawalpur $717

Living in Karachi is roughly 66% more expensive than in Bahawalpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Bahawalpur 79% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$1.80 PKR 498

18.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,680

$7.39 PKR 2,047

79.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,508

$4.54 PKR 1,256

20.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 607

$2.60 PKR 719

-15.77%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 PKR 2,005

$2.20 PKR 609

229.09%

Cappuccino

$2.09 PKR 579

$1.51 PKR 417

38.41%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.31 PKR 84.6

29.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

$0.21 PKR 58.0

23.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$0.55 PKR 151

67.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$0.56 PKR 154

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$1.02 PKR 283

22.55%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$0.89 PKR 247

38.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,570

$5.34 PKR 1,477

6.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 876

$2.60 PKR 719

21.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,737

$4.17 PKR 1,155

50.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$1.06 PKR 292

18.87%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 148

$0.52 PKR 144

1.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$0.56 PKR 156

78.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$0.53 PKR 146

5.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.4

$0.30 PKR 84.3

10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$0.47 PKR 130

-27.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$0.62 PKR 172

-32.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.37 PKR 103

18.92%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.25 PKR 346

$0.56 PKR 155

123.21%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 PKR 365

$0.53 PKR 145

149.06%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 PKR 670

$0.70 PKR 193

245.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 PKR 509

$1.41 PKR 389

30.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$1.09 PKR 302

-15.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$1.10 PKR 304

-36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 597

$2.86 PKR 791

-24.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$1.20 PKR 333

15.00%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$23.8K PKR 6.6M

-24.71%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$21.6K PKR 6.0M

25.17%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$68.0 PKR 18.8K

66.89%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,648

$4.60 PKR 1,274

29.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,642

$11.58 PKR 3,206

13.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,965

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,044

$10.67 PKR 2,953

70.85%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,165

$7.09 PKR 1,963

-40.62%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$23.83 PKR 6,596

118.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

$646 PKR 178.7K

200.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,858

$16.54 PKR 4,578

6.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,506

$21.85 PKR 6,047

7.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

$53.5 PKR 14.8K

28.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$29.37 PKR 8,127

38.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

$252 PKR 69.8K

41.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

$126 PKR 34.8K

49.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

$3,483 PKR 964.1K

-69.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.1K

$758 PKR 209.8K

-36.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$138 PKR 38.1K

32.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

11.83

11.67%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bahawalpur: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

Bahawalpur

$84 29% 36.5% $48

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

Bahawalpur

$82 28.4% 18.7% $19

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Bahawalpur

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

Bahawalpur

$55 18.8% 19.4% $13

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Bahawalpur

$48 16.6% 21.2% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

Bahawalpur

$14 * 4.9% 52.7% $16

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

Bahawalpur

$6.6 * 2.3% 57.6% $8.9

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

Cost Breakdown

Karachi pays 33% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $13.00 in Karachi vs $7.00 in Bahawalpur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $101 vs $82.0 per month, with Bahawalpur cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇵🇰 Bahawalpur

🕒 Local time

05:32 5:32 AM

Same time as Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

762,111

💱 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

Karachi Bahawalpur 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Bahawalpur

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 Bahawalpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bahawalpur wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Karachi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bahawalpur the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 33% higher in Karachi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Karachi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $482 per month in Karachi versus $290 in Bahawalpur – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Bahawalpur 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.

Expats usually find Bahawalpur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Karachi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.