Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Faisalabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Faisalabad: $398 a month against $482 in Karachi, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Faisalabad
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Faisalabad Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Faisalabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$398

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Faisalabad

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

A single person spends $482 per month in Karachi vs $398 in Faisalabad, rent included.

Karachi $482
Faisalabad $398

A couple spends around $750 per month in Karachi vs $620 in Faisalabad, rent included.

Karachi $750
Faisalabad $620

A family of three spends $1,018 per month in Karachi vs $841 in Faisalabad, rent included.

Karachi $1,018
Faisalabad $841

Karachi costs about 21% more than Faisalabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Karachi and Faisalabad are more affordable than the global median – Karachi 64% lower, Faisalabad 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$1.85 PKR 511

15.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,680

$10.80 PKR 2,989

23.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,508

$5.29 PKR 1,465

3.02%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 607

$2.46 PKR 680

-10.98%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 PKR 2,005

$2.19 PKR 605

230.59%

Cappuccino

$2.09 PKR 579

$1.52 PKR 420

37.50%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.43 PKR 120

-6.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

$0.30 PKR 81.7

-13.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$0.81 PKR 225

13.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$0.65 PKR 179

-13.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$1.26 PKR 349

-0.79%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.25 PKR 346

-1.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,570

$8.53 PKR 2,362

-33.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 876

$2.59 PKR 716

22.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,737

$3.96 PKR 1,096

58.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$1.10 PKR 304

14.55%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 148

$0.65 PKR 181

-18.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$0.58 PKR 159

72.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$0.59 PKR 164

-5.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.4

$0.30 PKR 83.6

10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$0.47 PKR 130

-27.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$0.62 PKR 172

-32.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.44 PKR 122

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.25 PKR 346

$0.55 PKR 152

127.27%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 PKR 365

$0.52 PKR 143

153.85%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 PKR 670

$0.70 PKR 194

245.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 PKR 509

$1.40 PKR 389

31.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

$7.08 PKR 1,958

41.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$1.05 PKR 292

-12.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$1.06 PKR 295

-33.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 597

$2.84 PKR 785

-23.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$1.17 PKR 324

17.95%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$23.8K PKR 6.6M

-24.94%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$23.2K PKR 6.4M

16.57%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$68.6 PKR 19.0K

65.50%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,648

$7.88 PKR 2,181

-24.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,642

$11.57 PKR 3,203

13.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,965

$14.39 PKR 3,982

49.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,044

$17.78 PKR 4,920

2.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,165

$7.17 PKR 1,983

-41.28%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$26.99 PKR 7,470

93.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

$2,046 PKR 566.4K

-5.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,858

$19.01 PKR 5,263

-7.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,506

$26.58 PKR 7,358

-11.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

$53.6 PKR 14.8K

28.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$30.28 PKR 8,380

34.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.7K

$110 PKR 30.3K

7.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$58.8 PKR 16.3K

25.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

$217 PKR 60.0K

64.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

$121 PKR 33.5K

55.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

$543 PKR 150.4K

95.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.1K

$251 PKR 69.3K

91.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$166 PKR 46.0K

9.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

11.83

11.67%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Faisalabad: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

Faisalabad

$88 22.1% 33.6% $45

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

Faisalabad

$99 25% 1.8% $1.9

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Faisalabad

$59 14.8% 20.1% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

Faisalabad

$58 14.6% 14% $9.5

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Faisalabad

$52 13% 15.2% $9.3

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

Faisalabad

$29 7.2% 4.2% $1.3

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

Faisalabad

$13 * 3.4% 13.3% $2.1

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 $110 in Faisalabad. 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 10% higher in Karachi, 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 $11.00 in Faisalabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $101 vs $99.0 – making Faisalabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇵🇰 Faisalabad

🕒 Local time

00:26 12:26 AM

Same time as Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

3,203,846

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Karachi Faisalabad 940 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Faisalabad

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 Faisalabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi costs about 21% more than Faisalabad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 $598 in Faisalabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 2% more in Karachi, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Karachi and $11.00 in Faisalabad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $482 in Karachi and $398 in Faisalabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Faisalabad – 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 Faisalabad. 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.