Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Macao

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $2,107 in Macao, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Macao
Learn more

Macao Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Macao

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Macao

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $490 in Karachi versus $2,107 in Macao.

Karachi $490
Macao $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $755 in Karachi versus $3,021 in Macao.

Karachi $755
Macao $3,021

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,019 in Karachi versus $3,935 in Macao.

Karachi $1,019
Macao $3,935

Living in Karachi costs roughly 77% less than in Macao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Karachi is 63% below, Macao is 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.15 PKR 596

$6.31 MOP 51.0

-65.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.37 PKR 3,700

$54.9 MOP 444

-75.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.29 PKR 1,464

$5.91 MOP 47.73

-10.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 PKR 2,005

Cappuccino

$2.11 PKR 583

$4.89 MOP 39.49

-56.85%

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

$0.37 PKR 103

$1.06 MOP 8.56

-65.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 PKR 78.2

$0.93 MOP 7.55

-69.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 MOP 45.49

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.23 MOP 58.4

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 PKR 238

$3.09 MOP 24.98

-72.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 PKR 144

$1.67 MOP 13.50

-68.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 344

$1.73 MOP 13.97

-28.32%

Eggs

$1.24 PKR 342

$3.40 MOP 27.46

-63.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.86 PKR 1,622

$16.05 MOP 130

-63.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 PKR 862

$19.07 MOP 154

-83.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.25 PKR 1,730

$29.25 MOP 236

-78.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 356

$2.71 MOP 21.87

-52.40%

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 150

$2.86 MOP 23.14

-81.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 PKR 273

$1.97 MOP 15.90

-49.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 155

$2.36 MOP 19.06

-76.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.6

$3.85 MOP 31.10

-91.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 95.8

$2.95 MOP 23.86

-88.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 PKR 124

$0.66 MOP 5.30

-31.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$1.20 MOP 9.74

-63.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.23 PKR 341

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PKR 380

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 PKR 676

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.79 PKR 497

$6.64 MOP 53.7

-73.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 MOP 98.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MOP 14.34

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 MOP 18.66

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 76.5

$0.76 MOP 6.13

-63.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.68 PKR 2,679

$22.62 MOP 183

-57.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 255

$2.57 MOP 20.78

-64.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 PKR 196

$1.24 MOP 9.99

-42.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 PKR 615

$15.00 MOP 121

-85.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PKR 372

$1.76 MOP 14.22

-23.30%

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

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

$31.1K MOP 251.3K

-42.62%

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

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

$31.8K MOP 256.7K

-15.80%

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

$112 PKR 30.9K

$124 MOP 1,002

-9.85%

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

$6.05 PKR 1,673

$23.44 MOP 189

-74.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.29 PKR 3,679

$36.46 MOP 295

-63.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.51 PKR 5,954

$63.3 MOP 511

-65.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.80 PKR 4,927

$3.78 MOP 30.57

370.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 PKR 1,222

$14.73 MOP 119

-69.99%

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

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

$1,193 MOP 9,642

-95.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

$19.3K MOP 156.2K

-89.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.57 PKR 4,862

$70.0 MOP 566

-74.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.78 PKR 6,304

$33.25 MOP 269

-31.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

$92.4 MOP 747

-26.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

$134 MOP 1,084

-69.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$117 PKR 32.4K

$1,130 MOP 9,136

-89.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

$1,070 MOP 8,651

-92.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$365 PKR 101.1K

$2,092 MOP 16.9K

-82.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 PKR 50.5K

$1,461 MOP 11.8K

-87.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

$8,347 MOP 67.5K

-87.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$491 PKR 135.8K

$5,538 MOP 44.8K

-91.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 PKR 51.2K

$2,053 MOP 16.6K

-90.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

340.33%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Macao: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$131 27.3%

Macao

$184 8.6% 40.3% $53

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 20.9%

Macao

$422 19.8% 319% $321

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$76 15.7%

Macao

$1.1K 50.3% 1314% $995

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$67 13.9%

Macao

$148 7% 121% $81

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Macao

$177 8.3% 191% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.3%

Macao

$93 4.4% 206% $62

Getting Around

Karachi

$15 3.2%

Macao

$34 1.6% 126% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $117 in Karachi and $1,130 in Macao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 1010% 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 $55.0 in Macao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $101 vs $422 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇲🇴 Macao

🕒 Local time

10:24 10:24 AM

13:24 1:24 PM

3 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

622,567 Capital

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Macanese Pataca MOP P

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MOP, 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).

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.07 MOP (1 MOP = 0.11 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karachi Macao 4,730 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Macao

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 Macao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi and Macao differ by about 330% in total monthly costs ($490 vs $2,107 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1010% lower in Macao. 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 $1,130 in Macao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $490 per month in Karachi versus $2,107 in Macao – a 330% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 134% less than in Macao. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $490 in Karachi versus $2,107 in Macao, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Macao. 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 Macao 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 330% less than in Macao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.