Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Gujranwala

For one person, living is cheaper in Gujranwala: $398 a month against $495 in Karachi, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Gujranwala
Learn more

Gujranwala Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$495

/mo nomad

Gujranwala

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$398

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Gujranwala

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

A single person spends $495 per month in Karachi vs $398 in Gujranwala, rent included.

Karachi $495
Gujranwala $398

A couple spends around $770 per month in Karachi vs $620 in Gujranwala, rent included.

Karachi $770
Gujranwala $620

A family of three spends $1,046 per month in Karachi vs $843 in Gujranwala, rent included.

Karachi $1,046
Gujranwala $843

Karachi costs about 24% more than Gujranwala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Karachi and Gujranwala are more affordable than the global median – Karachi 64% lower, Gujranwala 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.21 PKR 610

$3.57 PKR 987

-38.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.87 PKR 3,559

$12.88 PKR 3,560

-0.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 PKR 1,458

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-3.30%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 PKR 597

$0.92 PKR 254

134.78%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.36 PKR 2,034

$6.72 PKR 1,858

9.52%

Cappuccino

$2.16 PKR 598

$1.19 PKR 330

81.51%

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

$0.38 PKR 106

$0.23 PKR 63.8

65.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 PKR 69.2

$0.15 PKR 41.59

66.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 248

$0.81 PKR 224

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 PKR 143

$0.66 PKR 181

-21.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 331

$1.09 PKR 302

10.09%

Eggs

$1.25 PKR 345

$1.19 PKR 330

5.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.82 PKR 1,609

$6.01 PKR 1,660

-3.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.11 PKR 860

$2.37 PKR 656

31.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.53 PKR 1,805

$5.47 PKR 1,512

19.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 PKR 354

$1.32 PKR 366

-3.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 149

$0.83 PKR 229

-34.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 PKR 282

$1.07 PKR 295

-4.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 155

$0.53 PKR 146

5.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 94.8

$0.27 PKR 74.5

25.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 86.9

$0.39 PKR 107

-20.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 PKR 113

$0.22 PKR 60.5

86.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 120

$0.36 PKR 101

19.44%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.28 PKR 355

$1.99 PKR 551

-35.68%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PKR 367

$1.25 PKR 344

6.40%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 PKR 678

$2.72 PKR 753

-9.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.78 PKR 492

$2.06 PKR 568

-13.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.1

$0.17 PKR 45.74

64.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 PKR 3,234

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 254

$0.95 PKR 262

-3.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 PKR 203

$0.70 PKR 195

4.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 PKR 614

$1.46 PKR 405

52.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 PKR 369

$1.13 PKR 312

17.70%

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

$18.3K PKR 5.0M

$18.3K PKR 5.1M

-0.08%

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

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

$21.7K PKR 6.0M

21.85%

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

$112 PKR 31.0K

$102 PKR 28.3K

9.71%

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

$5.99 PKR 1,655

$5.74 PKR 1,587

4.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.18 PKR 3,645

$16.39 PKR 4,531

-19.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.67 PKR 6,819

$7.20 PKR 1,989

242.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.29 PKR 5,057

$6.08 PKR 1,681

200.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.34 PKR 1,200

$4.31 PKR 1,190

0.70%

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

$67.2 PKR 18.6K

$27.47 PKR 7,593

144.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,915 PKR 529.4K

$969 PKR 267.7K

97.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.61 PKR 4,869

$14.50 PKR 4,008

21.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.03 PKR 6,091

$25.33 PKR 7,003

-13.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.3 PKR 18.9K

$71.8 PKR 19.8K

-4.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.66 PKR 11.2K

$33.05 PKR 9,135

23.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$136 PKR 37.6K

$55.0 PKR 15.2K

147.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$82.2 PKR 22.7K

$31.39 PKR 8,678

161.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 PKR 108.4K

$164 PKR 45.3K

139.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 PKR 57.2K

$100 PKR 27.7K

106.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,046 PKR 289.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$482 PKR 133.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$184 PKR 51.0K

$238 PKR 65.8K

-22.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

11.5

14.87%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 26, 2026

Last update for Gujranwala: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$131 26.6%

Gujranwala

$124 31.3% 5.3% $7

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$102 20.5%

Gujranwala

$95 24% 6% $6.1

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$82 16.6%

Gujranwala

$31 7.9% 61.8% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$67 13.5%

Gujranwala

$65 16.4% 2.7% $1.8

Eating Out

Karachi

$62 12.5%

Gujranwala

$61 15.3% 1.9% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$33 6.7%

Gujranwala

$16 4% 52.6% $18

Getting Around

Karachi

$17 3.5%

Gujranwala

$5.1 * 1.3% 70.5% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $136 in Karachi versus $55 in Gujranwala. 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 29% higher in Gujranwala, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13 in Karachi versus $13 in Gujranwala. Groceries tell a different story – $102 in Karachi vs $95 in Gujranwala – so Gujranwala wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇵🇰 Gujranwala

🕒 Local time

11:09 11:09 AM

Same time as Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

2,027,001

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Karachi Gujranwala 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Gujranwala

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 Gujranwala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $495 in Karachi, $398 in Gujranwala – Gujranwala comes out roughly 20% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $742 per month in Karachi and $597 in Gujranwala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gujranwala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $55 there versus $136 in Karachi.

Kindergarten costs $67 per month in Karachi and $27 in Gujranwala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $495 in Karachi and $398 in Gujranwala. That makes Gujranwala about 20% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $495 in Karachi and $398 in Gujranwala, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Gujranwala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.