Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Chittagong

For one person, living is cheaper in Chittagong: $371 a month against $482 in Karachi, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Chittagong
Learn more

Chittagong Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Chittagong

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$371

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Chittagong

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

A single person spends $482 per month in Karachi vs $371 in Chittagong, rent included.

Karachi $482
Chittagong $371

A couple spends around $750 per month in Karachi vs $626 in Chittagong, rent included.

Karachi $750
Chittagong $626

A family of three spends $1,018 per month in Karachi vs $881 in Chittagong, rent included.

Karachi $1,018
Chittagong $881

Karachi costs about 30% more than Chittagong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Karachi and Chittagong are more affordable than the global median – Karachi 64% lower, Chittagong 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$2.08 ৳257

2.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,680

$12.17 ৳1,503

9.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,508

$5.37 ৳664

1.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 607

$2.62 ৳323

-16.41%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 PKR 2,005

$4.18 ৳516

73.21%

Cappuccino

$2.09 PKR 579

$1.94 ৳239

7.73%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.40 ৳48.92

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

$0.11 ৳13.77

136.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$0.75 ৳93.0

22.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$0.60 ৳73.9

-6.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$0.63 ৳77.6

98.41%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.16 ৳144

6.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,570

$7.21 ৳891

-21.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 876

$2.03 ৳251

55.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,737

$7.22 ৳892

-13.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$2.35 ৳291

-46.38%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 148

$0.84 ৳104

-36.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$2.06 ৳255

-51.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$0.86 ৳106

-34.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.4

$0.44 ৳54.3

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$0.78 ৳96.9

-56.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$0.49 ৳60.7

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.32 ৳39.89

37.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.25 PKR 346

$4.38 ৳541

-71.46%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 PKR 365

$0.84 ৳104

57.14%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 PKR 670

$1.48 ৳183

63.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 PKR 509

$3.04 ৳376

-39.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

$0.21 ৳25.83

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$0.80 ৳98.7

15.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$0.58 ৳72.1

20.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 597

$3.94 ৳487

-45.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$1.15 ৳142

20.00%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$32.0K ৳4.0M

-44.12%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$45.5K ৳5.6M

-40.45%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$30.32 ৳3,746

274.18%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,648

$5.57 ৳689

6.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,642

$12.57 ৳1,553

4.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,965

$19.87 ৳2,455

8.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,044

$13.88 ৳1,714

31.34%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,165

$3.68 ৳455

14.40%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$36.24 ৳4,478

43.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

$1,444 ৳178.4K

34.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,858

$23.22 ৳2,869

-24.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,506

$19.79 ৳2,445

18.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

$57.1 ৳7,053

20.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$34.68 ৳4,285

17.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.7K

$124 ৳15.3K

-4.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$60.0 ৳7,418

22.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

$268 ৳33.1K

33.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

$163 ৳20.1K

15.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

$782 ৳96.7K

35.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.1K

$462 ৳57.1K

4.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$281 ৳34.7K

-34.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

11.5

14.87%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chittagong: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

Chittagong

$48 13.1% 63.4% $84

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

Chittagong

$112 30.2% 10.8% $11

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Chittagong

$60 16.2% 18.4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

Chittagong

$61 16.3% 10.5% $7.1

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Chittagong

$58 15.6% 5.1% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

Chittagong

$27 7.3% 9.1% $2.7

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

Chittagong

$4.6 * 1.2% 70.7% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $118 in Karachi versus $124 in Chittagong. 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 53% higher in Chittagong, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Karachi versus $12.00 in Chittagong. Groceries tell a different story – $101 in Karachi vs $112 in Chittagong – so Karachi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇧🇩 Chittagong

🕒 Local time

00:00 12:00 AM

01:00 1:00 AM

1 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

2,592,439

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, 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).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karachi Chittagong 2,540 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Chittagong

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 Chittagong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $482 in Karachi, $371 in Chittagong – roughly 30% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $723 per month in Karachi and $557 in Chittagong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chittagong, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Karachi and $12.00 in Chittagong. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Karachi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $482 in Karachi and $371 in Chittagong, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Chittagong – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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