Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Hyderabad, Pakistan

For one person, living is cheaper in Hyderabad: $448 a month against $495 in Karachi, rent and utilities included – about $560 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Hyderabad
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Hyderabad Living Index

Jump to prices

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$495

/mo nomad

Hyderabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$448

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Hyderabad

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

A single person spends $495 per month in Karachi vs $448 in Hyderabad, rent included.

Karachi $495
Hyderabad $448

A couple spends around $770 per month in Karachi vs $687 in Hyderabad, rent included.

Karachi $770
Hyderabad $687

A family of three spends $1,046 per month in Karachi vs $927 in Hyderabad, rent included.

Karachi $1,046
Hyderabad $927

Karachi costs about 10% more than Hyderabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Karachi and Hyderabad are more affordable than the global median – Karachi 64% lower, Hyderabad 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.21 PKR 610

$1.73 PKR 479

27.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.87 PKR 3,559

$10.93 PKR 3,021

17.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 PKR 1,458

$4.31 PKR 1,192

22.27%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 PKR 597

$2.11 PKR 583

2.37%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.36 PKR 2,034

$5.64 PKR 1,558

30.50%

Cappuccino

$2.16 PKR 598

$1.03 PKR 284

109.71%

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

$0.38 PKR 106

$0.37 PKR 103

2.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 PKR 69.2

$0.22 PKR 60.7

13.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 248

$0.76 PKR 211

18.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 PKR 143

$0.52 PKR 145

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 331

$1.23 PKR 341

-2.44%

Eggs

$1.25 PKR 345

$1.27 PKR 352

-1.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.82 PKR 1,609

$4.38 PKR 1,210

32.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.11 PKR 860

$3.20 PKR 884

-2.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.53 PKR 1,805

$4.12 PKR 1,140

58.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 PKR 354

$1.07 PKR 296

19.63%

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 149

$0.40 PKR 112

35.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 PKR 282

$0.63 PKR 174

61.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 155

$0.47 PKR 130

19.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 94.8

$0.32 PKR 87.3

6.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 86.9

$0.32 PKR 87.2

-3.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 PKR 113

$0.44 PKR 120

-6.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 120

$0.40 PKR 112

7.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.28 PKR 355

$0.88 PKR 244

45.45%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PKR 367

$1.17 PKR 324

13.68%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 PKR 678

$0.71 PKR 195

245.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.78 PKR 492

$1.79 PKR 495

-0.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.1

$0.20 PKR 55.6

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 PKR 3,234

$9.68 PKR 2,675

20.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 254

$0.64 PKR 178

43.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 PKR 203

$0.19 PKR 52.4

284.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 PKR 614

$0.69 PKR 191

221.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 PKR 369

$1.26 PKR 348

5.56%

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

$18.3K PKR 5.0M

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

2.77%

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

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

$25.8K PKR 7.1M

2.44%

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

$112 PKR 31.0K

$115 PKR 31.7K

-2.15%

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

$5.99 PKR 1,655

$5.43 PKR 1,502

10.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.18 PKR 3,645

$13.33 PKR 3,684

-1.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.67 PKR 6,819

$22.90 PKR 6,329

7.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.29 PKR 5,057

$3.69 PKR 1,021

395.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.34 PKR 1,200

$3.71 PKR 1,026

16.98%

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

$67.2 PKR 18.6K

$60.4 PKR 16.7K

11.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,915 PKR 529.4K

$1,351 PKR 373.5K

41.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.61 PKR 4,869

$16.99 PKR 4,698

3.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.03 PKR 6,091

$22.70 PKR 6,275

-2.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.3 PKR 18.9K

$69.0 PKR 19.1K

-1.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.66 PKR 11.2K

$40.00 PKR 11.1K

1.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$136 PKR 37.6K

$136 PKR 37.5K

0.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$82.2 PKR 22.7K

$78.3 PKR 21.6K

5.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 PKR 108.4K

$304 PKR 84.0K

29.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 PKR 57.2K

$210 PKR 57.9K

-1.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,046 PKR 289.2K

$785 PKR 217.1K

33.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$482 PKR 133.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$184 PKR 51.0K

$158 PKR 43.6K

16.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

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

Last update for Karachi: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hyderabad: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$131 26.6%

Hyderabad

$133 29.8% 1.6% $2.1

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$102 20.5%

Hyderabad

$85 19% 16.1% $16

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$82 16.6%

Hyderabad

$78 17.5% 4.8% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$67 13.5%

Hyderabad

$67 15% 0.1% $0

Eating Out

Karachi

$62 12.5%

Hyderabad

$41 9.3% 33% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$33 6.7%

Hyderabad

$30 6.8% 9.1% $3

Getting Around

Karachi

$17 3.5%

Hyderabad

$12 2.7% 30.6% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $136 in Karachi versus $136 in Hyderabad. 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 17% higher in Karachi. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13 in Karachi versus $11 in Hyderabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $102 vs $85 – making Hyderabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇵🇰 Hyderabad

🕒 Local time

11:34 11:34 AM

Same time as Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

1,732,698

💱 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

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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 Hyderabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi costs about 10% more than Hyderabad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $742 per month in Karachi and $672 in Hyderabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $136 in Karachi and $136 in Hyderabad. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13 in Karachi and $11 in Hyderabad. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $495 in Karachi and $448 in Hyderabad. That makes Hyderabad about 9% cheaper.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $495 in Karachi and $448 in Hyderabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Karachi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $448 in Hyderabad to $495 in Karachi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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