Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Kuantan

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $839 in Kuantan, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Kuantan
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Kuantan Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Kuantan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Kuantan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $482 in Karachi versus $839 in Kuantan.

Karachi $482
Kuantan $839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $750 in Karachi versus $1,219 in Kuantan.

Karachi $750
Kuantan $1,219

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,018 in Karachi versus $1,599 in Kuantan.

Karachi $1,018
Kuantan $1,599

Living in Karachi costs roughly 43% less than in Kuantan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Kuantan 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$2.49 MYR 10.18

-14.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,680

$12.00 MYR 48.96

10.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,508

$3.63 MYR 14.83

50.14%

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

$2.88 MYR 11.73

-27.43%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.71 MYR 2.89

-43.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

$0.45 MYR 1.82

-42.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.80 MYR 11.43

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 MYR 23.37

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$1.60 MYR 6.52

-42.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$0.82 MYR 3.35

-31.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$1.47 MYR 5.98

-14.97%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.31 MYR 5.34

-6.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,570

$9.51 MYR 38.79

-40.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 876

$3.28 MYR 13.36

-3.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,737

$4.42 MYR 18.04

42.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$3.03 MYR 12.35

-58.42%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 148

$1.93 MYR 7.87

-72.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$2.73 MYR 11.12

-63.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$1.75 MYR 7.14

-68.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.4

$1.72 MYR 7.03

-80.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$1.94 MYR 7.93

-82.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$0.76 MYR 3.12

-44.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.56 MYR 2.28

-21.43%

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

$4.38 MYR 17.85

-57.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.95 MYR 81.4

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 MYR 8.13

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 MYR 7.81

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

$0.51 MYR 2.07

-45.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

$12.15 MYR 49.55

-17.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$1.13 MYR 4.61

-18.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$0.35 MYR 1.45

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 597

$9.05 MYR 36.92

-76.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$0.52 MYR 2.13

165.38%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$34.1K MYR 139.1K

-47.51%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$33.1K MYR 134.9K

-18.13%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$49.82 MYR 203

127.72%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,648

$8.06 MYR 32.86

-26.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,642

$24.16 MYR 98.6

-45.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,965

$39.79 MYR 162

-45.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,044

$6.83 MYR 27.87

166.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,165

$4.65 MYR 18.98

-9.46%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$280 MYR 1,142

-81.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

$10.2K MYR 41.8K

-81.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,858

$52.4 MYR 214

-66.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,506

$30.29 MYR 124

-22.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

$49.62 MYR 202

38.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$48.89 MYR 199

-16.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.7K

$411 MYR 1,675

-71.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$302 MYR 1,232

-75.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

$692 MYR 2,822

-48.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

$476 MYR 1,943

-60.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

$2,015 MYR 8,220

-47.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.1K

$1,090 MYR 4,448

-55.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$975 MYR 3,976

-81.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

4.15

218.31%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kuantan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

Kuantan

$82 9.8% 38.1% $51

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

Kuantan

$212 25.3% 110% $111

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Kuantan

$302 36% 310% $228

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

Kuantan

$82 9.7% 20.4% $14

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Kuantan

$95 11.4% 56.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

Kuantan

$49 5.9% 63.8% $19

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

Kuantan

$17 2% 10% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $118 in Karachi and $411 in Kuantan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuantan pays 433% 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 $12.00 in Kuantan. Groceries flip the comparison at $101 vs $212, with Karachi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇲🇾 Kuantan

🕒 Local time

04:20 4:20 AM

07:20 7:20 AM

3 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

548,014

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Kuantan 4,530 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Kuantan

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 Kuantan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi and Kuantan differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($482 vs $839 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 433% lower in Kuantan. 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 $411 in Kuantan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $482 per month in Karachi versus $839 in Kuantan – a 74% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 22% less than in Kuantan. 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.

Safety-wise, Karachi and Kuantan 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 74% less than in Kuantan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.