Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Kedah

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $495 a month against $877 in Kedah, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Kedah
Learn more

Kedah Living Index

Jump to prices

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$495

/mo nomad

Kedah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$877

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Kedah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $495 in Karachi versus $877 in Kedah.

Karachi $495
Kedah $877

Estimated couple costs with rent: $770 in Karachi versus $1,399 in Kedah.

Karachi $770
Kedah $1,399

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,046 in Karachi versus $1,920 in Kedah.

Karachi $1,046
Kedah $1,920

Living in Karachi costs roughly 44% less than in Kedah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Kedah 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.21 PKR 610

$3.72 MYR 15.14

-40.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.87 PKR 3,562

$12.32 MYR 50.2

4.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 PKR 1,459

$4.56 MYR 18.59

15.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 PKR 598

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.36 PKR 2,036

Cappuccino

$2.16 PKR 598

$2.91 MYR 11.87

-25.77%

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

$0.38 PKR 106

$0.77 MYR 3.14

-50.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 PKR 69.3

$0.39 MYR 1.59

-35.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.24 MYR 17.26

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 MYR 17.75

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 248

$1.88 MYR 7.66

-52.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 PKR 143

$1.06 MYR 4.32

-50.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 331

$1.72 MYR 6.99

-30.23%

Eggs

$1.25 PKR 346

$2.19 MYR 8.91

-42.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.82 PKR 1,611

$13.55 MYR 55.2

-57.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.11 PKR 860

$4.34 MYR 17.69

-28.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.53 PKR 1,807

$8.84 MYR 36.02

-26.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 PKR 354

$2.94 MYR 11.98

-56.46%

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 149

$1.63 MYR 6.65

-66.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 PKR 283

$2.75 MYR 11.20

-62.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 155

$1.45 MYR 5.92

-61.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 94.9

$1.10 MYR 4.48

-69.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 87.0

$1.09 MYR 4.43

-71.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 PKR 113

$1.13 MYR 4.61

-63.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 120

$0.57 MYR 2.34

-24.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.28 PKR 355

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PKR 368

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 PKR 678

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.78 PKR 492

$4.62 MYR 18.83

-61.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.76 MYR 76.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 MYR 12.15

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 MYR 21.72

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.2

$0.76 MYR 3.10

-63.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 PKR 3,237

$12.85 MYR 52.4

-8.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 254

$1.66 MYR 6.76

-44.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 PKR 203

$0.38 MYR 1.54

92.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 PKR 615

$7.29 MYR 29.70

-69.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 PKR 369

$0.60 MYR 2.46

121.67%

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

$18.3K PKR 5.1M

$45.6K MYR 185.9K

-59.99%

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

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

$35.8K MYR 146.1K

-26.41%

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

$112 PKR 31.0K

$36.47 MYR 149

207.57%

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

$5.99 PKR 1,656

$9.66 MYR 39.35

-37.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.18 PKR 3,648

$29.48 MYR 120

-55.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.67 PKR 6,826

$34.63 MYR 141

-28.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.29 PKR 5,061

$6.85 MYR 27.92

167.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.34 PKR 1,201

$4.79 MYR 19.53

-9.39%

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

$67.2 PKR 18.6K

$388 MYR 1,579

-82.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,915 PKR 529.9K

$10.7K MYR 43.4K

-82.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.61 PKR 4,873

$58.9 MYR 240

-70.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.03 PKR 6,097

$34.76 MYR 142

-36.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.3 PKR 18.9K

$81.6 MYR 333

-16.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.66 PKR 11.3K

$70.7 MYR 288

-42.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$136 PKR 37.6K

$358 MYR 1,458

-61.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$82.2 PKR 22.7K

$258 MYR 1,051

-68.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 PKR 108.5K

$712 MYR 2,902

-44.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 PKR 57.2K

$607 MYR 2,472

-65.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,046 PKR 289.5K

$1,930 MYR 7,865

-45.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$482 PKR 133.2K

$1,258 MYR 5,124

-61.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$184 PKR 51.0K

$1,339 MYR 5,456

-86.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

4.04

226.98%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kedah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$131 26.6%

Kedah

$76 8.6% 42.4% $56

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$102 20.5%

Kedah

$257 29.3% 153% $155

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$82 16.6%

Kedah

$258 29.4% 214% $176

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$67 13.5%

Kedah

$111 12.6% 65.4% $44

Eating Out

Karachi

$62 12.5%

Kedah

$113 12.9% 82.2% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$33 6.7%

Kedah

$44 5% 32.6% $11

Getting Around

Karachi

$17 3.5%

Kedah

$19 2.2% 11.7% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $136 in Karachi and $358 in Kedah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays about 7.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $13 in Karachi vs $12 in Kedah. Groceries flip the comparison at $102 vs $257, with Karachi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇲🇾 Kedah

🕒 Local time

21:20 9:20 PM

00:20 12:20 AM

3 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

417,800

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 308 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Karachi Kedah 4,110 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Kedah

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 Kedah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi and Kedah differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($495 vs $877 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 86% lower in Karachi. 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: $136 in Karachi versus $358 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $495 per month in Karachi versus $877 in Kedah – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 9% less than in Kedah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Karachi 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.

It comes down to priorities – Karachi wins on affordability, Kedah on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.