Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Johor Bahru

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $1,056 in Johor Bahru, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Johor Bahru
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Johor Bahru Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Johor Bahru

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,056

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Johor Bahru

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $482 in Karachi versus $1,056 in Johor Bahru.

Karachi $482
Johor Bahru $1,056

Estimated couple costs with rent: $750 in Karachi versus $1,551 in Johor Bahru.

Karachi $750
Johor Bahru $1,551

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,018 in Karachi versus $2,046 in Johor Bahru.

Karachi $1,018
Johor Bahru $2,046

Living in Karachi costs roughly 54% less than in Johor Bahru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Johor Bahru 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$3.56 MYR 14.53

-40.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,680

$18.68 MYR 76.2

-28.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,508

$4.93 MYR 20.11

10.55%

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

$2.86 MYR 11.67

-26.92%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.84 MYR 3.45

-52.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

$0.55 MYR 2.25

-52.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.54 MYR 18.52

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 MYR 25.31

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$1.66 MYR 6.79

-44.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$1.11 MYR 4.52

-49.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$1.50 MYR 6.13

-16.67%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.72 MYR 7.00

-28.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,570

$17.86 MYR 72.9

-68.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 876

$4.56 MYR 18.58

-30.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,737

$10.49 MYR 42.80

-40.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$3.26 MYR 13.28

-61.35%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 148

$1.70 MYR 6.94

-68.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$3.91 MYR 15.96

-74.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$1.68 MYR 6.86

-66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.4

$1.47 MYR 6.00

-77.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$1.65 MYR 6.74

-79.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$1.32 MYR 5.37

-68.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.55 MYR 2.24

-20.00%

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

$4.17 MYR 17.01

-55.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.98 MYR 57.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 MYR 11.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MYR 12.68

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

$0.71 MYR 2.90

-60.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

$12.11 MYR 49.42

-17.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$0.96 MYR 3.90

-4.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$0.70 MYR 2.85

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 597

$9.50 MYR 38.75

-77.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$0.83 MYR 3.40

66.27%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$41.1K MYR 167.8K

-56.47%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$36.1K MYR 147.2K

-24.95%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$53.0 MYR 216

113.94%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,648

$10.99 MYR 44.84

-45.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,642

$28.42 MYR 116

-53.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,965

$39.45 MYR 161

-45.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,044

$5.63 MYR 22.97

223.80%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,165

$4.92 MYR 20.08

-14.43%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$161 MYR 658

-67.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

$4,478 MYR 18.3K

-56.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,858

$54.2 MYR 221

-67.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,506

$16.54 MYR 67.5

42.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

$81.5 MYR 332

-15.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$97.3 MYR 397

-58.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.7K

$517 MYR 2,109

-77.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$397 MYR 1,620

-81.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

$900 MYR 3,673

-60.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

$624 MYR 2,548

-69.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

$2,019 MYR 8,238

-47.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.1K

$1,167 MYR 4,759

-58.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$1,060 MYR 4,325

-82.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

4.06

225.37%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Johor Bahru: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

Johor Bahru

$92 8.8% 30.3% $40

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

Johor Bahru

$267 25.3% 164% $166

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Johor Bahru

$397 37.6% 440% $324

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

Johor Bahru

$112 10.6% 65.8% $45

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Johor Bahru

$118 11.2% 93.6% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

Johor Bahru

$49 4.7% 64.5% $19

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

Johor Bahru

$19 1.8% 25% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $118 in Karachi and $517 in Johor Bahru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Johor Bahru pays 480% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $13.00 in Karachi vs $19.00 in Johor Bahru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $101 vs $267 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇲🇾 Johor Bahru

🕒 Local time

12:10 12:10 PM

15:10 3:10 PM

3 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

858,118

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karachi Johor Bahru 4,720 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Johor Bahru

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 Johor Bahru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi and Johor Bahru differ by about 119% in total monthly costs ($482 vs $1,056 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 480% lower in Johor Bahru. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $118 in Karachi versus $517 in Johor Bahru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Karachi – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $19.00 in Johor Bahru. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $482 per month in Karachi versus $1,056 in Johor Bahru – a 119% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $482 in Karachi versus $1,056 in Johor Bahru, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Johor Bahru. The gap between the two cities makes Karachi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Johor Bahru 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 Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Johor Bahru. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.