Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and George Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $956 in George Town, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in George Town
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George Town Living Index

Jump to prices

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

George Town

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in George Town

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $482 in Karachi versus $956 in George Town.

Karachi $482
George Town $956

Estimated couple costs with rent: $750 in Karachi versus $1,599 in George Town.

Karachi $750
George Town $1,599

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,018 in Karachi versus $2,243 in George Town.

Karachi $1,018
George Town $2,243

Living in Karachi costs roughly 50% less than in George Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, George Town 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$3.41 MYR 13.92

-37.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,680

$15.33 MYR 62.5

-13.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,508

$4.55 MYR 18.58

19.78%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 607

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 PKR 2,005

Cappuccino

$2.09 PKR 579

$2.61 MYR 10.66

-19.92%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.78 MYR 3.16

-48.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

$0.35 MYR 1.43

-25.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 MYR 9.88

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MYR 18.21

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$1.85 MYR 7.56

-50.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$1.05 MYR 4.28

-46.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$1.68 MYR 6.85

-25.60%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$2.21 MYR 9.03

-44.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,570

$13.65 MYR 55.7

-58.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 876

$4.51 MYR 18.38

-29.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,737

$8.49 MYR 34.62

-26.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$2.43 MYR 9.89

-48.15%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 148

$1.43 MYR 5.84

-62.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$2.23 MYR 9.12

-55.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$1.19 MYR 4.86

-52.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.4

$0.93 MYR 3.77

-64.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$0.85 MYR 3.45

-60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$0.70 MYR 2.87

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.57 MYR 2.31

-22.81%

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

$4.42 MYR 18.03

-58.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.74 MYR 76.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 MYR 9.89

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MYR 14.65

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

$0.47 MYR 1.91

-40.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

$10.84 MYR 44.24

-7.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$1.24 MYR 5.08

-25.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$0.51 MYR 2.09

37.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 597

$6.87 MYR 28.03

-68.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$0.84 MYR 3.43

64.29%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$42.3K MYR 172.6K

-57.71%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$28.7K MYR 117.0K

-5.60%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$36.87 MYR 150

207.70%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,648

$8.21 MYR 33.51

-27.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,642

$28.51 MYR 116

-53.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,965

$40.21 MYR 164

-46.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,044

$5.04 MYR 20.55

261.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,165

$4.76 MYR 19.43

-11.55%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$173 MYR 705

-69.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

$4,848 MYR 19.8K

-59.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,858

$53.1 MYR 216

-66.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,506

$34.45 MYR 141

-31.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

$74.5 MYR 304

-7.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$69.8 MYR 285

-41.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.7K

$505 MYR 2,059

-76.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$374 MYR 1,524

-80.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

$932 MYR 3,804

-61.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

$992 MYR 4,046

-81.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$1,094 MYR 4,462

-83.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

4.04

226.98%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for George Town: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

George Town

$74 7.7% 44.5% $59

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

George Town

$240 25.1% 137% $139

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

George Town

$374 39.1% 408% $300

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

George Town

$104 10.9% 54% $37

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

George Town

$98 10.2% 60.2% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

George Town

$50 5.2% 65.9% $20

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

George Town

$17 1.7% 6.4% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $118 in Karachi and $505 in George Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 498% 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 $15.00 in George Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $101 vs $240 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇲🇾 George Town

🕒 Local time

02:12 2:12 AM

05:12 5:12 AM

3 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

794,313

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Karachi George Town 4,160 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
George Town

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 George Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 98% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 498% lower in George Town. 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 $505 in George Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 9% less than in George Town. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $52.2 in Karachi versus $173 in George Town. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $482 in Karachi versus $956 in George Town, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in George Town. The gap between the two cities makes Karachi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Karachi is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in George Town, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Karachi and George Town are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in George Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.