Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Chongqing

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $714 in Chongqing, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Chongqing
Learn more

Chongqing Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Chongqing

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Chongqing

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

A single person spends $490 per month in Karachi vs $714 in Chongqing, rent included.

Karachi $490
Chongqing $714

A couple spends around $755 per month in Karachi vs $1,168 in Chongqing, rent included.

Karachi $755
Chongqing $1,168

A family of three spends $1,019 per month in Karachi vs $1,622 in Chongqing, rent included.

Karachi $1,019
Chongqing $1,622

Karachi is about 31% cheaper than Chongqing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Karachi and Chongqing are more affordable than the global median – Karachi 63% lower, Chongqing 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.15 PKR 596

$2.64 ¥17.67

-18.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.37 PKR 3,700

$22.05 ¥147

-39.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.29 PKR 1,464

$4.67 ¥31.20

13.28%

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

$2.06 ¥13.79

2.43%

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

$0.37 PKR 103

$0.43 ¥2.90

-13.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 PKR 78.2

$0.31 ¥2.09

-9.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ¥8.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.71

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 PKR 238

$1.92 ¥12.85

-55.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 PKR 144

$1.58 ¥10.56

-67.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 344

$0.64 ¥4.25

93.75%

Eggs

$1.24 PKR 342

$2.16 ¥14.42

-42.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.86 PKR 1,622

$17.55 ¥117

-66.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 PKR 862

$3.37 ¥22.55

-7.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.25 PKR 1,731

$10.08 ¥67.4

-38.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 356

$1.56 ¥10.43

-17.31%

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 150

$1.35 ¥9.01

-60.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 PKR 273

$1.25 ¥8.35

-20.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 155

$1.25 ¥8.32

-55.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.6

$0.61 ¥4.07

-45.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 95.9

$0.94 ¥6.31

-62.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 PKR 124

$0.87 ¥5.83

-48.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.62 ¥4.13

-29.03%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.23 PKR 341

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PKR 381

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 PKR 676

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.79 PKR 497

$3.07 ¥20.51

-41.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.95 ¥59.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥5.10

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥10.93

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 76.5

$0.39 ¥2.59

-28.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.68 PKR 2,679

$22.16 ¥148

-56.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 255

$1.53 ¥10.24

-39.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 PKR 196

$0.29 ¥1.91

144.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 PKR 615

$2.96 ¥19.81

-25.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PKR 372

$1.26 ¥8.44

7.14%

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

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

$19.5K ¥130.3K

-8.50%

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

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

$16.8K ¥112.4K

58.97%

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

$112 PKR 30.9K

$44.19 ¥295

153.00%

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

$6.05 PKR 1,673

$6.95 ¥46.43

-12.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.29 PKR 3,679

$7.17 ¥47.91

85.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.51 PKR 5,954

$50.7 ¥339

-57.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.80 PKR 4,927

$10.64 ¥71.1

67.29%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 PKR 1,222

$5.94 ¥39.71

-25.59%

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

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

$290 ¥1,939

-82.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

$25.6K ¥171.0K

-92.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.57 PKR 4,862

$39.88 ¥267

-55.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.78 PKR 6,304

$29.80 ¥199

-23.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

$64.8 ¥433

4.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

$62.7 ¥419

-34.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$117 PKR 32.5K

$418 ¥2,790

-71.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

$200 ¥1,338

-62.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$365 PKR 101.1K

$880 ¥5,879

-58.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 PKR 50.5K

$414 ¥2,767

-55.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

$2,681 ¥17.9K

-60.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$491 PKR 135.8K

$1,705 ¥11.4K

-71.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 PKR 51.2K

$1,111 ¥7,423

-83.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

3.34

295.51%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Chongqing: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$131 27.3%

Chongqing

$58 8.1% 55.5% $73

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 20.9%

Chongqing

$213 29.5% 111% $112

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$76 15.7%

Chongqing

$200 27.7% 164% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$67 13.9%

Chongqing

$89 12.3% 32.5% $22

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Chongqing

$72 10% 18.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.3%

Chongqing

$63 8.7% 106% $32

Getting Around

Karachi

$15 3.2%

Chongqing

$27 3.7% 75% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $117 in Karachi versus $418 in Chongqing. 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 501% higher in Chongqing, 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 $22.00 in Chongqing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $101 vs $213 – making Karachi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇨🇳 Chongqing

🕒 Local time

09:55 9:55 AM

12:55 12:55 PM

3 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

1,564,449

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, 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).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Karachi Chongqing 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Chongqing

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 Chongqing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chongqing is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $735 per month in Karachi and $1,071 in Chongqing. 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.

Kindergarten costs $50.7 per month in Karachi and $290 in Chongqing. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 111% more in Chongqing, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $490 in Karachi and $714 in Chongqing, 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.

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