Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Jhelum

For one person, living is cheaper in Jhelum: $382 a month against $482 in Karachi, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 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
19

Cost of Living Index in Jhelum
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Jhelum Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Jhelum

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$382

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Jhelum

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $482 in Karachi versus $382 in Jhelum.

Karachi $482
Jhelum $382

Estimated couple costs with rent: $750 in Karachi versus $584 in Jhelum.

Karachi $750
Jhelum $584

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,018 in Karachi versus $785 in Jhelum.

Karachi $1,018
Jhelum $785

Living in Karachi is roughly 26% more expensive than in Jhelum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Jhelum 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$1.79 PKR 496

18.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,680

$10.87 PKR 3,007

22.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,508

$5.30 PKR 1,468

2.83%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 607

$2.56 PKR 710

-14.45%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 PKR 2,005

$2.14 PKR 593

238.32%

Cappuccino

$2.09 PKR 579

$1.51 PKR 418

38.41%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.47 PKR 129

-14.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

$0.30 PKR 82.0

-13.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$0.68 PKR 187

35.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$0.62 PKR 170

-9.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$1.25 PKR 347

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.25 PKR 346

-1.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,570

$2.72 PKR 753

108.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 876

$2.38 PKR 659

32.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,737

$2.61 PKR 721

140.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$1.11 PKR 307

13.51%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 148

$0.35 PKR 96.8

51.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$0.62 PKR 171

61.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$0.59 PKR 162

-5.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.4

$0.30 PKR 83.3

10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$0.35 PKR 96.4

-2.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.43 PKR 120

2.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.87 PKR 517

-33.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 PKR 365

$0.52 PKR 143

153.85%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 PKR 670

$2.38 PKR 658

1.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 PKR 509

$1.42 PKR 392

29.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

$0.18 PKR 49.26

55.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

$9.15 PKR 2,534

9.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$1.05 PKR 291

-12.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$1.10 PKR 305

-36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 597

$2.82 PKR 781

-23.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$1.18 PKR 326

16.95%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

-22.58%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

17.30%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$66.5 PKR 18.4K

70.55%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,648

$5.75 PKR 1,592

3.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,642

$14.71 PKR 4,071

-10.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,965

$15.14 PKR 4,191

42.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,044

$8.50 PKR 2,354

114.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,165

$7.07 PKR 1,956

-40.45%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$26.62 PKR 7,367

95.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

$1,986 PKR 549.7K

-2.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,858

$18.84 PKR 5,214

-6.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,506

$26.91 PKR 7,449

-12.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

$54.4 PKR 15.1K

26.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$30.21 PKR 8,362

34.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.7K

$114 PKR 31.6K

3.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$66.7 PKR 18.5K

10.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

$263 PKR 72.9K

35.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

$135 PKR 37.4K

38.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

$956 PKR 264.7K

10.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.1K

$551 PKR 152.5K

-12.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

11.83

11.67%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Jhelum: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

Jhelum

$87 22.8% 34.4% $46

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

Jhelum

$72 18.9% 28.6% $29

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Jhelum

$67 17.5% 9.3% $6.9

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

Jhelum

$59 15.4% 13.4% $9.1

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Jhelum

$51 13.5% 15.8% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

Jhelum

$29 7.7% 2.3% $0.7

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

Jhelum

$16 4.3% 5.9% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $118 in Karachi and $114 in Jhelum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $13.00 in Karachi vs $11.00 in Jhelum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $101 vs $72.0 per month, with Jhelum cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇵🇰 Jhelum

🕒 Local time

03:50 3:50 AM

Same time as Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

190,425

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Karachi Jhelum 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Jhelum

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 Jhelum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jhelum is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $723 in Karachi and $573 in Jhelum to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $118 in Karachi versus $114 in Jhelum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Karachi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Jhelum – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $13.00 in Karachi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Jhelum gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Karachi and Jhelum 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 Jhelum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Karachi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.