Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Multan

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $495 a month against $560 in Multan, rent and utilities included – about $780 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Multan outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

24

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Multan
Learn more

Multan Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$495

/mo nomad

Multan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Multan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $495 in Karachi versus $560 in Multan.

Karachi $495
Multan $560

Estimated couple costs with rent: $770 in Karachi versus $771 in Multan.

Karachi $770
Multan $771

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,046 in Karachi versus $982 in Multan.

Karachi $1,046
Multan $982

Living in Karachi costs roughly 12% less than in Multan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Multan 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.21 PKR 610

$2.47 PKR 683

-10.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.87 PKR 3,562

$10.64 PKR 2,943

20.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 PKR 1,459

$5.50 PKR 1,520

-4.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 PKR 598

$2.75 PKR 761

-21.45%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.36 PKR 2,036

$5.10 PKR 1,412

44.31%

Cappuccino

$2.16 PKR 598

$1.85 PKR 512

16.76%

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

$0.38 PKR 106

$0.30 PKR 83.2

26.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 PKR 69.3

$0.19 PKR 53.5

31.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 248

$0.73 PKR 201

23.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 PKR 143

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 331

$1.08 PKR 298

11.11%

Eggs

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.09 PKR 301

14.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.82 PKR 1,611

$6.59 PKR 1,822

-11.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.11 PKR 860

$2.52 PKR 698

23.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.53 PKR 1,807

$4.47 PKR 1,238

46.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 PKR 354

$0.91 PKR 252

40.66%

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 149

$0.47 PKR 129

14.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 PKR 283

$0.67 PKR 186

52.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 155

$0.57 PKR 159

-1.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 94.9

$0.39 PKR 108

-12.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 87.0

$0.42 PKR 117

-26.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 PKR 113

$0.47 PKR 129

-12.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 120

$0.37 PKR 103

16.22%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.28 PKR 355

$1.80 PKR 499

-28.89%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PKR 368

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 PKR 678

$2.86 PKR 790

-14.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.78 PKR 492

$2.18 PKR 603

-18.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.1

$0.17 PKR 46.73

64.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 PKR 3,237

$8.46 PKR 2,341

38.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 254

$1.43 PKR 395

-35.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 PKR 203

$0.38 PKR 104

92.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 PKR 615

$0.86 PKR 237

158.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 PKR 369

$1.18 PKR 328

12.71%

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

$18.3K PKR 5.1M

$25.2K PKR 7.0M

-27.66%

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

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

$23.3K PKR 6.4M

13.42%

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

$112 PKR 31.0K

$146 PKR 40.3K

-22.93%

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

$5.99 PKR 1,656

$4.82 PKR 1,334

24.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.18 PKR 3,648

$18.97 PKR 5,248

-30.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.67 PKR 6,825

$23.97 PKR 6,633

2.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.29 PKR 5,061

$3.57 PKR 987

412.32%

Cinema Ticket

$4.34 PKR 1,201

$4.27 PKR 1,182

1.64%

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

$67.2 PKR 18.6K

$41.98 PKR 11.6K

60.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,915 PKR 529.8K

$993 PKR 274.6K

92.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.61 PKR 4,873

$18.39 PKR 5,089

-4.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.03 PKR 6,096

$18.81 PKR 5,204

17.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.3 PKR 18.9K

$94.0 PKR 26.0K

-27.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.66 PKR 11.3K

$25.44 PKR 7,040

59.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$136 PKR 37.6K

$190 PKR 52.6K

-28.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$82.2 PKR 22.7K

$127 PKR 35.0K

-35.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 PKR 108.5K

$236 PKR 65.4K

65.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 PKR 57.2K

$173 PKR 47.8K

19.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,046 PKR 289.5K

$763 PKR 211.1K

37.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$482 PKR 133.2K

$522 PKR 144.4K

-7.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$184 PKR 51.0K

$185 PKR 51.2K

-0.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

1.62%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 26, 2026

Last update for Multan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$131 26.6%

Multan

$169 30.3% 28.9% $38

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$102 20.5%

Multan

$88 15.7% 13.2% $13

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$82 16.6%

Multan

$127 22.6% 54.1% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$67 13.5%

Multan

$71 12.6% 5.4% $3.6

Eating Out

Karachi

$62 12.5%

Multan

$60 10.8% 2.5% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$33 6.7%

Multan

$33 5.8% 2.5% $0.8

Getting Around

Karachi

$17 3.5%

Multan

$12 2.2% 28.4% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $136 in Karachi and $190 in Multan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $13 in Karachi vs $11 in Multan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $102 vs $88 per month, with Multan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇵🇰 Multan

🕒 Local time

02:02 2:02 AM

Same time as Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

1,871,843

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Karachi Multan 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Multan

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 Multan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $495 in Karachi and $560 in Multan, so Karachi is about 12% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $742 in Karachi and $840 in Multan 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: $136 in Karachi versus $190 in Multan. 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 $560 in Multan – Karachi is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Multan runs roughly 28% less than in Karachi. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch 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.