Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Handan

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $638 in Handan, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Handan
Learn more

Handan Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Handan

🇨🇳 China

$638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Handan

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

A single person spends $482 per month in Karachi vs $638 in Handan, rent included.

Karachi $482
Handan $638

A couple spends around $750 per month in Karachi vs $1,053 in Handan, rent included.

Karachi $750
Handan $1,053

A family of three spends $1,018 per month in Karachi vs $1,468 in Handan, rent included.

Karachi $1,018
Handan $1,468

Karachi is about 25% cheaper than Handan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Karachi and Handan are more affordable than the global median – Karachi 64% lower, Handan 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$1.92 ¥12.81

10.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,680

$18.14 ¥121

-26.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,508

$4.56 ¥30.51

19.52%

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

$2.56 ¥17.14

-18.36%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.39 ¥2.63

2.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

$0.21 ¥1.40

23.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.74 ¥4.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥9.89

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$1.45 ¥9.67

-36.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$0.78 ¥5.23

-28.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$0.73 ¥4.89

71.23%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$0.97 ¥6.49

26.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,570

$11.87 ¥79.3

-52.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 876

$2.92 ¥19.50

8.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,737

$11.03 ¥73.8

-43.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$1.44 ¥9.64

-12.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 148

$0.58 ¥3.90

-8.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$1.36 ¥9.08

-26.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$1.09 ¥7.32

-48.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.4

$0.29 ¥1.91

13.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$0.31 ¥2.08

9.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$0.53 ¥3.53

-20.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.36 ¥2.39

22.22%

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

$3.71 ¥24.81

-50.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 ¥66.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ¥4.54

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ¥9.12

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

$0.31 ¥2.08

-9.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

$17.97 ¥120

-44.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$0.86 ¥5.75

6.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$0.25 ¥1.67

180.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 597

$4.50 ¥30.08

-52.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$1.32 ¥8.80

4.55%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$19.2K ¥128.7K

-7.02%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$15.2K ¥101.7K

78.08%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$71.1 ¥475

59.56%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,648

$4.35 ¥29.10

36.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,642

$4.97 ¥33.26

164.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,965

$41.70 ¥279

-48.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,044

$13.39 ¥89.6

36.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,165

$4.37 ¥29.24

-3.66%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$215 ¥1,439

-75.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

$19.6K ¥131.3K

-90.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,858

$29.42 ¥197

-40.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,506

$43.23 ¥289

-45.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

$44.86 ¥300

53.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$69.3 ¥463

-41.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.7K

$337 ¥2,254

-65.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$165 ¥1,105

-55.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

$625 ¥4,181

-42.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

$427 ¥2,857

-56.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

$3,556 ¥23.8K

-70.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.1K

$1,875 ¥12.5K

-74.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$656 ¥4,389

-72.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

340.33%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Handan: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

Handan

$80 12.6% 39.3% $52

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

Handan

$168 26.3% 65.8% $67

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Handan

$165 25.9% 125% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

Handan

$84 13.2% 24.1% $16

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Handan

$69 10.8% 12.7% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

Handan

$50 7.9% 68.3% $20

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

Handan

$21 3.3% 37.4% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $118 in Karachi versus $337 in Handan. 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 259% higher in Handan, 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 $18.00 in Handan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $101 vs $168 – making Karachi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇨🇳 Handan

🕒 Local time

20:11 8:11 PM

23:11 11:11 PM

3 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

9,413,990

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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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Between locations

Karachi Handan 4,670 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Handan

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 Handan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Handan is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $723 per month in Karachi and $957 in Handan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Karachi and $18.00 in Handan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $482 in Karachi and $638 in Handan. That's a gap of about 32%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $482 in Karachi and $638 in Handan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Karachi – 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 Karachi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Handan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.