Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Huai'an

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $705 in Huai'an, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Huai'an
Learn more

Huai'an Living Index

Jump to prices

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Huai'an

🇨🇳 China

$705

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Huai'an

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

A single person spends $490 per month in Karachi vs $705 in Huai'an, rent included.

Karachi $490
Huai'an $705

A couple spends around $755 per month in Karachi vs $1,141 in Huai'an, rent included.

Karachi $755
Huai'an $1,141

A family of three spends $1,019 per month in Karachi vs $1,578 in Huai'an, rent included.

Karachi $1,019
Huai'an $1,578

Karachi is about 30% cheaper than Huai'an, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Karachi and Huai'an are more affordable than the global median – Karachi 63% lower, Huai'an 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.15 PKR 595

$2.73 ¥18.24

-21.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.37 PKR 3,699

$21.54 ¥144

-37.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.29 PKR 1,464

$4.74 ¥31.67

11.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 PKR 2,005

Cappuccino

$2.11 PKR 583

$3.04 ¥20.30

-30.59%

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

$0.37 PKR 103

$0.44 ¥2.93

-15.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 PKR 78.2

$0.29 ¥1.95

-3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.90 ¥5.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.30

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 PKR 238

$1.87 ¥12.47

-54.01%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 PKR 144

$1.59 ¥10.63

-67.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 344

$0.95 ¥6.37

30.53%

Eggs

$1.24 PKR 342

$1.54 ¥10.28

-19.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.86 PKR 1,621

$12.81 ¥85.6

-54.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 PKR 862

$3.15 ¥21.06

-0.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.25 PKR 1,730

$10.02 ¥67.0

-37.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 356

$1.89 ¥12.61

-31.75%

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 150

$1.26 ¥8.40

-57.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 PKR 273

$1.48 ¥9.89

-33.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 155

$1.09 ¥7.31

-48.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.6

$0.69 ¥4.60

-52.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 95.8

$0.91 ¥6.06

-61.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 PKR 124

$0.60 ¥3.98

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.54 ¥3.61

-18.52%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.23 PKR 341

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PKR 380

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 PKR 676

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.79 PKR 497

$3.20 ¥21.42

-44.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 ¥71.4

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.33

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.00

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 76.5

$0.29 ¥1.96

-3.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.68 PKR 2,679

$16.95 ¥113

-42.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 255

$1.42 ¥9.51

-35.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 PKR 196

$0.33 ¥2.17

115.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 PKR 615

$6.78 ¥45.30

-67.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PKR 372

$1.18 ¥7.86

14.41%

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

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

$19.3K ¥128.7K

-7.34%

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

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

$17.5K ¥117.1K

52.55%

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

$112 PKR 30.9K

$44.61 ¥298

150.62%

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

$6.05 PKR 1,673

$9.99 ¥66.7

-39.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.29 PKR 3,678

$11.58 ¥77.4

14.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.51 PKR 5,953

$41.56 ¥278

-48.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.80 PKR 4,926

$13.80 ¥92.2

28.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 PKR 1,222

$6.05 ¥40.42

-26.94%

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

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

$330 ¥2,207

-84.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,957 PKR 541.5K

$17.0K ¥113.9K

-88.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.57 PKR 4,861

$43.03 ¥288

-59.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.78 PKR 6,302

$30.71 ¥205

-25.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

$72.0 ¥481

-6.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

$71.4 ¥477

-42.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$117 PKR 32.4K

$283 ¥1,893

-58.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

$193 ¥1,290

-60.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$365 PKR 101.0K

$589 ¥3,937

-38.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 PKR 50.5K

$357 ¥2,389

-48.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,054 PKR 291.5K

$2,977 ¥19.9K

-64.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$491 PKR 135.8K

$2,044 ¥13.7K

-76.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 PKR 51.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

3.89

239.59%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Huai'an: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$131 27.3%

Huai'an

$66 9.3% 49.5% $65

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 20.9%

Huai'an

$199 27.8% 97% $98

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$76 15.7%

Huai'an

$193 27% 155% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$67 13.9%

Huai'an

$98 13.7% 45.9% $31

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Huai'an

$84 11.8% 38% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.3%

Huai'an

$54 7.5% 76.8% $23

Getting Around

Karachi

$15 3.2%

Huai'an

$21 3% 38.9% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $117 in Karachi versus $283 in Huai'an. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Karachi versus $22.00 in Huai'an. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $101 vs $199 – making Karachi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇨🇳 Huai'an

🕒 Local time

11:43 11:43 AM

14:43 2:43 PM

3 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

4,799,889

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 13, 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

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Between locations

Karachi Huai'an 5,100 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Huai'an

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 Huai'an: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Huai'an is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $735 per month in Karachi and $1,057 in Huai'an. 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.

Groceries cost about 97% more in Huai'an, 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 $22.00 in Huai'an. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $490 in Karachi and $705 in Huai'an, 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Karachi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Huai'an makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.