Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Datong

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $483 a month against $715 in Datong, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Datong
Learn more

Datong Living Index

Jump to prices

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Datong

🇨🇳 China

$715

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Datong

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $483 in Karachi versus $715 in Datong.

Karachi $483
Datong $715

Estimated couple costs with rent: $754 in Karachi versus $1,133 in Datong.

Karachi $754
Datong $1,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,025 in Karachi versus $1,551 in Datong.

Karachi $1,025
Datong $1,551

Living in Karachi costs roughly 32% less than in Datong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Datong 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 PKR 585

$2.77 ¥18.50

-23.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.73 PKR 3,801

$21.44 ¥143

-35.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 PKR 1,531

$4.93 ¥32.98

12.17%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 PKR 609

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 PKR 2,040

Cappuccino

$2.14 PKR 593

$3.05 ¥20.42

-29.84%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.47 ¥3.11

-14.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 PKR 77.7

$0.27 ¥1.80

3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ¥6.31

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥13.76

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 250

$1.82 ¥12.16

-50.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 PKR 153

$1.62 ¥10.80

-66.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 333

$0.89 ¥5.92

34.83%

Eggs

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.55 ¥10.36

-19.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.96 PKR 1,650

$12.59 ¥84.2

-52.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 PKR 883

$3.23 ¥21.62

-1.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.48 PKR 1,793

$10.12 ¥67.7

-35.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 344

$1.87 ¥12.52

-33.69%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 147

$1.26 ¥8.39

-57.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 PKR 284

$1.47 ¥9.83

-29.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 PKR 142

$1.15 ¥7.68

-55.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 85.1

$0.73 ¥4.89

-57.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 87.1

$0.92 ¥6.13

-66.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 PKR 113

$0.56 ¥3.77

-26.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 120

$0.51 ¥3.44

-13.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.31 PKR 362

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PKR 369

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 PKR 670

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.83 PKR 508

$3.17 ¥21.22

-42.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 ¥71.6

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.69

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 76.8

$0.27 ¥1.80

3.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.81 PKR 2,716

$16.82 ¥112

-41.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 PKR 240

$1.42 ¥9.48

-38.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 204

$0.33 ¥2.19

124.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 PKR 617

$6.87 ¥45.96

-67.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 383

$1.17 ¥7.83

17.95%

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

$18.4K PKR 5.1M

$19.4K ¥129.6K

-5.33%

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

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

$17.4K ¥116.3K

52.01%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$44.62 ¥298

153.88%

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

$6.12 PKR 1,694

$9.53 ¥63.7

-35.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.11 PKR 3,628

$11.92 ¥79.7

9.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.78 PKR 6,029

$42.32 ¥283

-48.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.27 PKR 5,058

$13.88 ¥92.8

31.63%

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 PKR 1,179

$5.84 ¥39.05

-27.05%

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

$52.1 PKR 14.4K

$329 ¥2,198

-84.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,941 PKR 537.3K

$16.5K ¥110.5K

-88.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.53 PKR 4,852

$44.27 ¥296

-60.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.88 PKR 6,332

$30.48 ¥204

-24.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.1 PKR 18.8K

$71.5 ¥478

-4.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.55 PKR 11.5K

$70.7 ¥473

-41.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.5K

$283 ¥1,890

-58.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.2 PKR 20.3K

$193 ¥1,289

-62.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 PKR 99.6K

$598 ¥3,999

-39.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.1K

$363 ¥2,424

-48.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,082 PKR 299.4K

$3,069 ¥20.5K

-64.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$474 PKR 131.2K

$2,036 ¥13.6K

-76.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$182 PKR 50.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

3.89

239.59%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Datong: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.4%

Datong

$66 9.2% 50.1% $66

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$102 21.1%

Datong

$198 27.7% 93.8% $96

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$73 15.2%

Datong

$193 27% 163% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14%

Datong

$98 13.7% 44.6% $30

Eating Out

Karachi

$62 12.8%

Datong

$85 11.9% 37.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.3%

Datong

$54 7.6% 78.2% $24

Getting Around

Karachi

$15 3.2%

Datong

$21 2.9% 35.3% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $118 in Karachi and $283 in Datong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $14.00 in Karachi vs $21.00 in Datong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $102 vs $198 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇨🇳 Datong

🕒 Local time

04:25 4:25 AM

07:25 7:25 AM

3 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

3,318,057

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Karachi Datong 4,600 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Datong

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 Datong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Datong. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Karachi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $725 in Karachi and $1,072 in Datong to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $118 in Karachi versus $283 in Datong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $52.1 in Karachi versus $329 in Datong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 94% higher in Datong. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Karachi 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 Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Datong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.