Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Mawlamyine

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $655 in Mawlamyine, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Mawlamyine
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Mawlamyine Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Mawlamyine

🇲🇲 Myanmar

$655

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Mawlamyine

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $482 in Karachi versus $655 in Mawlamyine.

Karachi $482
Mawlamyine $655

Estimated couple costs with rent: $750 in Karachi versus $956 in Mawlamyine.

Karachi $750
Mawlamyine $956

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,018 in Karachi versus $1,258 in Mawlamyine.

Karachi $1,018
Mawlamyine $1,258

Living in Karachi costs roughly 26% less than in Mawlamyine, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Mawlamyine 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$1.97 MMK 4,115

8.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,680

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,508

$4.89 MMK 10.2K

11.45%

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

$1.03 MMK 2,150

102.91%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.48 MMK 1,009

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 MMK 3,201

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$0.92 MMK 1,923

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$0.52 MMK 1,095

7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$2.97 MMK 6,228

-58.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,570

$8.28 MMK 17.3K

-31.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 876

$2.16 MMK 4,519

46.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,737

$3.88 MMK 8,124

61.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$1.62 MMK 3,400

-22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 148

$0.91 MMK 1,900

-41.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$1.70 MMK 3,554

-41.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$2.84 MMK 5,943

-80.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.4

$1.52 MMK 3,177

-78.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$0.34 MMK 702

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$1.54 MMK 3,217

-72.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.19 MMK 389

131.58%

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

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 MMK 2,577

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 MMK 3,875

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

$1.46 MMK 3,054

-80.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$1.99 MMK 4,163

-53.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$2.49 MMK 5,208

-71.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 597

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$1.76 MMK 3,686

-21.59%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$49.7K MMK 104.1M

-64.01%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$35.0K MMK 73.4M

-22.71%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$75.4 MMK 157.9K

50.44%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,648

$25.31 MMK 53.0K

-76.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,642

$50.5 MMK 105.7K

-73.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,965

$120 MMK 251.1K

-82.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,044

$4.94 MMK 10.3K

269.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,165

$10.03 MMK 21.0K

-58.03%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$507 MMK 1.1M

-89.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

$9,090 MMK 19.0M

-78.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,858

$38.71 MMK 81.0K

-54.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,506

$36.32 MMK 76.1K

-35.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$23.72 MMK 49.7K

71.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.7K

$247 MMK 517.3K

-52.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$119 MMK 250.1K

-38.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

$601 MMK 1.3M

-40.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

$246 MMK 515.9K

-23.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

$797 MMK 1.7M

33.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.1K

$506 MMK 1.1M

-4.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

164.20%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mawlamyine: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

Mawlamyine

$151 23.1% 14.1% $19

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

Mawlamyine

$132 * 20.1% 30% $30

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Mawlamyine

$119 18.2% 62.3% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

Mawlamyine

$44 * 6.8% 34.4% $23

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Mawlamyine

$48 * 7.3% 21.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

Mawlamyine

$140 21.4% 367% $110

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

Mawlamyine

$20 * 3.1% 30.5% $4.7

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 $118 in Karachi and $247 in Mawlamyine. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇲🇲 Mawlamyine

🕒 Local time

06:32 6:32 AM

08:02 8:02 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

300,000

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Myanmar Kyat MMK K

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD

10,000 MMK = 4.25 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MMK, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

Myanmar Kyat exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 2,094 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD). 1 EUR = 2,354 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.25 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Karachi Mawlamyine 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Mawlamyine

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 Mawlamyine: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi and Mawlamyine differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($482 vs $655 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $723 in Karachi and $982 in Mawlamyine to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $118 in Karachi versus $247 in Mawlamyine. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $52.2 in Karachi versus $507 in Mawlamyine. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you'll spend $482 per month in Karachi versus $655 in Mawlamyine – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.

Expats usually find Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Mawlamyine. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.