Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Lucknow

For one person, living is cheaper in Lucknow: $396 a month against $495 in Karachi, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Lucknow
Learn more

Lucknow Living Index

Jump to prices

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$495

/mo nomad

Lucknow

🇮🇳 India

$396

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Lucknow

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $495 in Karachi versus $396 in Lucknow.

Karachi $495
Lucknow $396

Estimated couple costs with rent: $770 in Karachi versus $621 in Lucknow.

Karachi $770
Lucknow $621

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,046 in Karachi versus $846 in Lucknow.

Karachi $1,046
Lucknow $846

Living in Karachi is roughly 25% more expensive than in Lucknow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Lucknow 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.21 PKR 610

$1.86 ₹176

18.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.87 PKR 3,562

$10.62 ₹1,009

21.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 PKR 1,459

$3.23 ₹307

63.16%

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

$1.57 ₹149

37.58%

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

$0.38 PKR 106

$0.44 ₹41.97

-13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 PKR 69.3

$0.13 ₹12.29

92.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 ₹148

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₹214

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 248

$0.70 ₹66.6

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 PKR 143

$0.47 ₹44.92

10.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 331

$0.59 ₹55.9

103.39%

Eggs

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.02 ₹96.4

22.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.82 PKR 1,611

$3.32 ₹315

75.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.11 PKR 860

$2.51 ₹239

23.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.53 PKR 1,807

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 PKR 354

$1.79 ₹170

-28.49%

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 149

$0.66 ₹63.1

-18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 PKR 283

$0.96 ₹91.0

6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 155

$0.47 ₹44.75

19.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 94.9

$0.30 ₹28.11

13.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 87.0

$0.42 ₹39.45

-26.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 PKR 113

$0.42 ₹39.88

-2.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 120

$0.30 ₹28.36

43.33%

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

$4.90 ₹465

-63.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 ₹814

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₹158

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₹249

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.72 ₹543

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.1

$0.43 ₹41.10

-34.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 PKR 3,237

$9.07 ₹861

29.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 254

$0.98 ₹93.4

-6.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 PKR 203

$0.20 ₹18.95

265.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 PKR 615

$1.14 ₹108

94.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 PKR 369

$1.14 ₹108

16.67%

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

$18.3K PKR 5.1M

$11.1K ₹1.1M

64.36%

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

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

$22.0K ₹2.1M

20.01%

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

$112 PKR 31.0K

$54.2 ₹5,149

106.84%

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

$5.99 PKR 1,656

$3.74 ₹356

60.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.18 PKR 3,648

$8.66 ₹822

52.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.67 PKR 6,825

$15.88 ₹1,508

55.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.29 PKR 5,061

$6.69 ₹635

173.39%

Cinema Ticket

$4.34 PKR 1,201

$3.20 ₹304

35.62%

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

$67.2 PKR 18.6K

$38.90 ₹3,693

72.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,915 PKR 529.8K

$979 ₹92.9K

95.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.61 PKR 4,873

$23.41 ₹2,223

-24.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.03 PKR 6,096

$25.07 ₹2,381

-12.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.3 PKR 18.9K

$38.75 ₹3,679

76.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.66 PKR 11.3K

$25.60 ₹2,431

58.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$136 PKR 37.6K

$133 ₹12.6K

2.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$82.2 PKR 22.7K

$87.7 ₹8,324

-6.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 PKR 108.5K

$356 ₹33.8K

10.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 PKR 57.2K

$212 ₹20.1K

-2.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,046 PKR 289.5K

$1,124 ₹106.7K

-6.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$482 PKR 133.2K

$606 ₹57.5K

-20.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$184 PKR 51.0K

$331 ₹31.5K

-44.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

8.53

54.87%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lucknow: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$131 26.6%

Lucknow

$67 16.8% 49.3% $65

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$102 20.5%

Lucknow

$98 24.7% 4% $4

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$82 16.6%

Lucknow

$88 22.2% 6.7% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$67 13.5%

Lucknow

$51 12.8% 24.1% $16

Eating Out

Karachi

$62 12.5%

Lucknow

$58 14.7% 6.3% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$33 6.7%

Lucknow

$22 5.6% 33.2% $11

Getting Around

Karachi

$17 3.5%

Lucknow

$13 3.2% 26.6% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $136 in Karachi and $133 in Lucknow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lucknow pays 80% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $13 in Karachi vs $11 in Lucknow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $102 vs $98 per month, with Lucknow cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇮🇳 Lucknow

🕒 Local time

20:11 8:11 PM

20:41 8:41 PM

30 min ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

4,588,455

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 309 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Karachi Lucknow 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Lucknow

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 Lucknow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $495 in Karachi and $396 in Lucknow, so Lucknow is about 20% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 44% 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 $133 in Lucknow. 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 $396 in Lucknow – Lucknow is about 20% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Lucknow runs roughly 22% less than in Karachi. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Lucknow 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.