Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Dongguan

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $813 in Dongguan, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Dongguan
Learn more

Dongguan Living Index

Jump to prices

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Dongguan

🇨🇳 China

$813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Dongguan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $482 in Karachi versus $813 in Dongguan.

Karachi $482
Dongguan $813

Estimated couple costs with rent: $750 in Karachi versus $1,291 in Dongguan.

Karachi $750
Dongguan $1,291

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,018 in Karachi versus $1,768 in Dongguan.

Karachi $1,018
Dongguan $1,768

Living in Karachi costs roughly 41% less than in Dongguan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Dongguan 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$2.57 ¥17.17

-17.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,678

$22.04 ¥147

-39.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,507

$5.26 ¥35.13

3.61%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 607

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 PKR 2,004

Cappuccino

$2.09 PKR 579

$2.56 ¥17.12

-18.36%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.47 ¥3.15

-14.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

$0.29 ¥1.93

-10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 ¥6.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.78

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$1.60 ¥10.68

-42.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$1.56 ¥10.42

-64.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$1.03 ¥6.90

21.36%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.66 ¥11.11

-25.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,569

$20.79 ¥139

-72.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 875

$3.44 ¥22.97

-8.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,736

$14.23 ¥95.1

-55.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$2.27 ¥15.16

-44.49%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 147

$1.57 ¥10.50

-66.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$1.94 ¥12.94

-48.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$1.42 ¥9.46

-60.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.3

$1.08 ¥7.18

-69.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$1.24 ¥8.32

-72.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$0.56 ¥3.72

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.55 ¥3.67

-20.00%

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

$4.49 ¥30.01

-59.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.89 ¥79.4

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥5.75

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.67

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

$0.35 ¥2.35

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,763

$22.79 ¥152

-56.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$1.18 ¥7.90

-22.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$0.39 ¥2.59

79.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 596

$4.36 ¥29.12

-50.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$1.28 ¥8.52

7.81%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$19.5K ¥130.6K

-8.43%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$18.6K ¥124.4K

45.40%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$63.8 ¥426

77.93%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,647

$9.24 ¥61.8

-35.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,640

$13.08 ¥87.4

0.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,962

$51.1 ¥341

-57.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,041

$16.01 ¥107

13.87%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,164

$7.67 ¥51.3

-45.11%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$533 ¥3,562

-90.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 536.7K

$24.2K ¥161.5K

-91.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,855

$46.76 ¥312

-62.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,502

$40.41 ¥270

-41.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

$73.3 ¥490

-6.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$39.10 ¥261

3.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.6K

$372 ¥2,488

-68.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$218 ¥1,458

-66.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

$662 ¥4,423

-46.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

$431 ¥2,880

-56.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.2K

$5,714 ¥38.2K

-81.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.0K

$3,066 ¥20.5K

-84.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$858 ¥5,730

-78.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

3.35

294.33%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dongguan: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

Dongguan

$86 10.6% 35.1% $46

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

Dongguan

$246 30.3% 143% $145

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Dongguan

$218 26.8% 196% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

Dongguan

$90 11% 32.6% $22

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Dongguan

$79 9.7% 29.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

Dongguan

$66 8.2% 122% $36

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

Dongguan

$27 3.4% 76% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $118 in Karachi and $372 in Dongguan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dongguan pays 369% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $13.00 in Karachi vs $22.00 in Dongguan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $101 vs $246 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇨🇳 Dongguan

🕒 Local time

11:19 11:19 AM

14:19 2:19 PM

3 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

8,254,100

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karachi Dongguan 4,730 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Dongguan

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 Dongguan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 369% lower in Dongguan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $118 in Karachi versus $372 in Dongguan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 128% less than in Dongguan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $52.2 in Karachi versus $533 in Dongguan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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 69% less than in Dongguan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.