Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Kuala Belait

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $1,699 in Kuala Belait, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 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
84

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Belait
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Kuala Belait Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Kuala Belait

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,699

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Kuala Belait

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $490 in Karachi versus $1,699 in Kuala Belait.

Karachi $490
Kuala Belait $1,699

Estimated couple costs with rent: $755 in Karachi versus $2,569 in Kuala Belait.

Karachi $755
Kuala Belait $2,569

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,019 in Karachi versus $3,438 in Kuala Belait.

Karachi $1,019
Kuala Belait $3,438

Living in Karachi costs roughly 71% less than in Kuala Belait, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Karachi is 63% below, Kuala Belait is 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.15 PKR 596

$7.91 BND 10.12

-72.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.37 PKR 3,700

$46.43 BND 59.4

-71.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.29 PKR 1,464

$7.85 BND 10.05

-32.61%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 606

$2.01 BND 2.57

8.96%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 PKR 2,005

$2.39 BND 3.06

203.35%

Cappuccino

$2.11 PKR 583

$4.41 BND 5.64

-52.15%

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

$0.37 PKR 103

$0.89 BND 1.15

-58.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 PKR 78.2

$0.50 BND 0.64

-44.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 PKR 238

$1.84 BND 2.36

-53.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 PKR 144

$2.43 BND 3.12

-78.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 344

$2.25 BND 2.88

-44.89%

Eggs

$1.24 PKR 342

$2.58 BND 3.31

-51.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.86 PKR 1,622

$18.59 BND 23.80

-68.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 PKR 862

$9.85 BND 12.61

-68.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.25 PKR 1,731

$24.88 BND 31.85

-74.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 356

$4.69 BND 6.00

-72.49%

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 150

$2.17 BND 2.78

-75.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 PKR 273

$4.83 BND 6.18

-79.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 155

$2.47 BND 3.17

-77.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.6

$1.71 BND 2.19

-80.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 95.9

$2.90 BND 3.71

-87.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 PKR 124

$5.54 BND 7.09

-91.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.93 BND 1.19

-52.69%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.23 PKR 341

$11.59 BND 14.84

-89.39%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PKR 381

$5.99 BND 7.67

-77.13%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 PKR 676

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.79 PKR 497

$7.86 BND 10.07

-77.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 76.5

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.68 PKR 2,679

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 255

$3.99 BND 5.11

-76.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 PKR 196

$3.43 BND 4.39

-79.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 PKR 615

$11.59 BND 14.84

-80.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PKR 372

$0.35 BND 0.45

285.71%

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

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

$30.7K BND 39.3K

-41.87%

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

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

$27.2K BND 34.9K

-1.86%

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

$112 PKR 30.9K

$38.45 BND 49.23

190.77%

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

$6.05 PKR 1,673

$21.58 BND 27.63

-71.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.29 PKR 3,679

$64.4 BND 82.4

-79.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.51 PKR 5,954

$95.9 BND 123

-77.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.80 PKR 4,927

$27.34 BND 35.00

-34.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 PKR 1,222

$5.51 BND 7.05

-19.78%

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

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

$217 BND 278

-76.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

$9,398 BND 12.0K

-79.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.57 PKR 4,862

$74.8 BND 95.8

-76.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.78 PKR 6,304

$101 BND 129

-77.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

$153 BND 196

-55.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

$71.4 BND 91.4

-42.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$117 PKR 32.5K

$753 BND 964

-84.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

$771 BND 987

-90.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$365 PKR 101.1K

$1,193 BND 1,527

-69.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 PKR 50.5K

$1,177 BND 1,506

-84.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$491 PKR 135.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 PKR 51.2K

$3,398 BND 4,350

-94.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

3.88

240.46%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Kuala Belait: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$131 27.3%

Kuala Belait

$124 7.3% 5.1% $6.7

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 20.9%

Kuala Belait

$354 20.8% 251% $253

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$76 15.7%

Kuala Belait

$771 45.3% 919% $695

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$67 13.9%

Kuala Belait

$180 10.6% 169% $113

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Kuala Belait

$145 8.5% 138% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.3%

Kuala Belait

$107 6.3% 252% $77

Getting Around

Karachi

$15 3.2%

Kuala Belait

$21 * 1.2% 38.6% $5.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $117 in Karachi and $753 in Kuala Belait. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuala Belait pays 1738% 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 $46.00 in Kuala Belait for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $101 vs $354 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇧🇳 Kuala Belait

🕒 Local time

16:27 4:27 PM

19:27 7:27 PM

3 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

31,178

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Brunei Dollar BND $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

1 BND = 0.781 USD

1 BND = 0.697 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BND, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

Brunei Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 BND (1 BND = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 BND (1 BND = 0.697 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Karachi Kuala Belait 5,510 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Kuala Belait

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 Kuala Belait: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi and Kuala Belait differ by about 247% in total monthly costs ($490 vs $1,699 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1738% lower in Kuala Belait. 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: $117 in Karachi versus $753 in Kuala Belait. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 251% higher in Kuala Belait. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $490 per month in Karachi versus $1,699 in Kuala Belait – a 247% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $490 in Karachi versus $1,699 in Kuala Belait, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Kuala Belait. 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 Kuala Belait 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 247% less than in Kuala Belait. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.