Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Chang-hua

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $864 in Chang-hua, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Chang-hua
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Chang-hua Living Index

Jump to prices

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Chang-hua

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$864

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Chang-hua

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 Chang-hua actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $482 per month in Karachi vs $864 in Chang-hua, rent included.

Karachi $482
Chang-hua $864

A couple spends around $750 per month in Karachi vs $1,343 in Chang-hua, rent included.

Karachi $750
Chang-hua $1,343

A family of three spends $1,018 per month in Karachi vs $1,822 in Chang-hua, rent included.

Karachi $1,018
Chang-hua $1,822

Karachi is about 44% cheaper than Chang-hua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Karachi and Chang-hua are more affordable than the global median – Karachi 64% lower, Chang-hua 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$3.83 NT$124

-44.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,680

$32.76 NT$1,062

-59.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,508

$5.53 NT$179

-1.45%

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

$1.63 NT$52.7

28.22%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.96 NT$30.99

-58.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

$0.56 NT$18.01

-53.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 NT$44.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 NT$70.3

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$2.38 NT$77.1

-61.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$2.07 NT$67.2

-72.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$2.94 NT$95.5

-57.48%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$2.76 NT$89.5

-55.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,570

$16.19 NT$525

-64.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 876

$9.51 NT$308

-66.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,737

$21.23 NT$688

-70.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$4.82 NT$156

-73.86%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 148

$3.38 NT$110

-84.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$2.93 NT$95.1

-65.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$3.17 NT$103

-82.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.4

$2.77 NT$89.8

-88.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$2.11 NT$68.4

-83.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$1.69 NT$54.9

-75.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.77 NT$24.97

-42.86%

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

$3.96 NT$128

-53.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.43 NT$306

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 NT$44.70

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$74.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

$1.55 NT$50.4

-81.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

$34.80 NT$1,129

-71.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$2.65 NT$85.9

-65.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$0.76 NT$24.71

-7.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 597

$9.29 NT$301

-76.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$1.06 NT$34.39

30.19%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$33.1K NT$1.1M

-45.99%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$24.3K NT$787.5K

11.53%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$31.62 NT$1,025

258.79%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,648

$16.99 NT$551

-64.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,642

$18.71 NT$607

-29.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,965

$31.75 NT$1,029

-32.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,044

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,165

$9.38 NT$304

-55.12%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$636 NT$20.6K

-91.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

$7,946 NT$257.7K

-75.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,858

$49.35 NT$1,600

-64.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,506

$15.47 NT$502

51.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

$78.1 NT$2,534

-11.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$49.57 NT$1,607

-18.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.7K

$252 NT$8,160

-53.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$170 NT$5,528

-56.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

$509 NT$16.5K

-29.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

$169 NT$5,480

11.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

$2,959 NT$96.0K

-64.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.1K

$1,631 NT$52.9K

-70.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$2,011 NT$65.2K

-90.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

2.2

500.45%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chang-hua: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

Chang-hua

$67 7.8% 49.2% $65

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

Chang-hua

$358 41.4% 254% $257

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Chang-hua

$170 19.7% 132% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

Chang-hua

$87 10% 27.9% $19

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Chang-hua

$84 9.7% 37.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

Chang-hua

$51 5.8% 68.5% $21

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

Chang-hua

$47 5.5% 206% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $118 in Karachi versus $252 in Chang-hua. 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 999% higher in Chang-hua, 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 $33.00 in Chang-hua. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $101 vs $358 – making Karachi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇹🇼 Chang-hua

🕒 Local time

07:54 7:54 AM

10:54 10:54 AM

3 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

226,564

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karachi Chang-hua 5,380 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Chang-hua

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 Chang-hua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chang-hua costs about 79% 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 $723 per month in Karachi and $1,296 in Chang-hua. 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 $864 in Chang-hua. That's a gap of about 79%.

Public transport costs about 248% less in Karachi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $482 in Karachi and $864 in Chang-hua, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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