Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Cape Town

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

A single person spends $490 per month in Karachi vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Karachi $490
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $755 per month in Karachi vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Karachi $755
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $1,019 per month in Karachi vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Karachi $1,019
Cape Town $3,307

Karachi is about 69% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Karachi sits 63% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.15 PKR 596

$11.78 R 195

-81.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.37 PKR 3,700

$46.55 R 772

-71.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.29 PKR 1,464

$5.96 R 98.9

-11.24%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 PKR 2,005

Cappuccino

$2.11 PKR 583

$2.47 R 41.01

-14.57%

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

$0.37 PKR 103

$1.33 R 22.03

-72.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 PKR 78.2

$1.03 R 17.08

-72.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.8

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 PKR 238

$1.39 R 23.08

-38.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 PKR 144

$1.19 R 19.70

-56.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 344

$2.11 R 35.02

-41.23%

Eggs

$1.24 PKR 342

$3.01 R 49.84

-58.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.86 PKR 1,622

$8.96 R 149

-34.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 PKR 862

$6.65 R 110

-53.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.25 PKR 1,730

$9.29 R 154

-32.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 356

$1.83 R 30.28

-29.51%

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 150

$1.90 R 31.47

-71.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 PKR 273

$1.75 R 28.98

-43.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 155

$2.09 R 34.59

-73.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.6

$1.55 R 25.78

-78.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 95.8

$1.49 R 24.65

-76.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 PKR 124

$1.30 R 21.53

-65.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$1.16 R 19.29

-62.07%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.23 PKR 341

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PKR 380

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 PKR 676

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.79 PKR 497

$3.71 R 61.5

-51.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.51

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 76.5

$1.51 R 25.11

-81.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.68 PKR 2,679

$61.0 R 1,011

-84.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 255

$0.63 R 10.38

46.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 PKR 196

$1.53 R 25.42

-53.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 PKR 615

$4.81 R 79.8

-53.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PKR 372

$1.58 R 26.22

-14.56%

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

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

$35.5K R 588.7K

-49.74%

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

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

$31.7K R 526.6K

-15.78%

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

$112 PKR 30.9K

$116 R 1,930

-3.94%

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

$6.05 PKR 1,673

$28.37 R 471

-78.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.29 PKR 3,679

$40.69 R 675

-67.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.51 PKR 5,954

$48.85 R 810

-55.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.80 PKR 4,927

$11.13 R 185

59.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 PKR 1,222

$8.83 R 146

-49.94%

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

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

$261 R 4,336

-80.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

$6,702 R 111.2K

-70.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.57 PKR 4,862

$55.4 R 919

-68.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.78 PKR 6,304

$32.27 R 535

-29.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

$118 R 1,949

-42.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

$107 R 1,775

-61.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$117 PKR 32.4K

$1,015 R 16.8K

-88.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

$715 R 11.9K

-89.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$365 PKR 101.1K

$1,801 R 29.9K

-79.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 PKR 50.5K

$1,330 R 22.1K

-86.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

$2,331 R 38.7K

-54.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$491 PKR 135.8K

$1,513 R 25.1K

-67.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 PKR 51.2K

$1,636 R 27.1K

-88.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

10.97

20.42%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$131 27.3%

Cape Town

$185 11.7% 41.4% $54

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 20.9%

Cape Town

$222 14.1% 121% $122

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$76 15.7%

Cape Town

$715 45.3% 845% $640

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$67 13.9%

Cape Town

$141 8.9% 110% $74

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Cape Town

$174 11% 185% $113

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.3%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 119% $36

Getting Around

Karachi

$15 3.2%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 394% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $117 in Karachi versus $1,015 in Cape Town. 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 785% higher in Cape Town, 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 $47.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $101 vs $222 – making Karachi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

12:06 12:06 PM

09:06 9:06 AM

3 h behind Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.59 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.03 USD). 1 EUR = 18.6 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Karachi Cape Town 8,310 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Cape Town

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 Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 220% more than Karachi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $735 per month in Karachi and $2,352 in Cape Town. 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 $490 in Karachi and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 220%.

Public transport costs about 530% 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 $490, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Karachi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Karachi costs $490 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Karachi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.