Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Peshawar

For one person, living is cheaper in Peshawar: $437 a month against $482 in Karachi, rent and utilities included – about $540 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
21

Cost of Living Index in Peshawar
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Peshawar Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Peshawar

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$437

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Peshawar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $482 in Karachi versus $437 in Peshawar.

Karachi $482
Peshawar $437

Estimated couple costs with rent: $750 in Karachi versus $629 in Peshawar.

Karachi $750
Peshawar $629

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,018 in Karachi versus $821 in Peshawar.

Karachi $1,018
Peshawar $821

Living in Karachi is roughly 10% more expensive than in Peshawar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Peshawar 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$2.40 PKR 663

-11.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,680

$8.79 PKR 2,432

51.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,508

$5.28 PKR 1,460

3.22%

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

$2.94 PKR 814

146.26%

Cappuccino

$2.09 PKR 579

$2.61 PKR 722

-19.92%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.36 PKR 98.8

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

$0.20 PKR 55.2

30.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$0.98 PKR 270

-6.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$0.76 PKR 212

-26.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$1.05 PKR 292

19.05%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.06 PKR 294

16.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,570

$3.51 PKR 972

61.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 876

$3.04 PKR 840

3.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,737

$3.80 PKR 1,051

65.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$1.18 PKR 327

6.78%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 148

$0.55 PKR 153

-3.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$0.58 PKR 161

72.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$0.56 PKR 155

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.4

$0.29 PKR 80.3

13.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$0.33 PKR 92.4

3.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$0.28 PKR 77.1

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.27 PKR 75.1

62.96%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.25 PKR 346

$2.02 PKR 558

-38.12%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 PKR 365

$0.71 PKR 196

85.92%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 PKR 670

$0.74 PKR 205

227.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 PKR 509

$1.78 PKR 492

3.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

$0.23 PKR 63.8

21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

$12.53 PKR 3,467

-20.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$1.06 PKR 295

-13.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$0.69 PKR 190

1.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 597

$1.46 PKR 405

47.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$1.21 PKR 336

14.05%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$22.2K PKR 6.1M

-19.25%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$24.0K PKR 6.6M

12.94%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$100 PKR 27.8K

13.05%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,648

$6.11 PKR 1,691

-2.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,642

$14.22 PKR 3,935

-7.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,965

$15.46 PKR 4,280

39.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,044

$6.15 PKR 1,701

196.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,165

$2.01 PKR 557

109.45%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$46.31 PKR 12.8K

12.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

$5,106 PKR 1.4M

-62.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,858

$7.09 PKR 1,962

147.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,506

$16.28 PKR 4,507

44.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

$49.87 PKR 13.8K

38.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$40.01 PKR 11.1K

1.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.7K

$127 PKR 35.2K

-7.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$76.2 PKR 21.1K

-3.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

$202 PKR 55.8K

77.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

$118 PKR 32.7K

58.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$147 PKR 40.6K

24.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

20.09%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Peshawar: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

Peshawar

$121 27.6% 9% $12

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

Peshawar

$83 19.1% 17.8% $18

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Peshawar

$76 17.4% 3.5% $2.5

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

Peshawar

$51 11.7% 24.8% $17

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Peshawar

$69 15.7% 12.1% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

Peshawar

$19 4.5% 35% $10

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

Peshawar

$18 4.1% 15.7% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $118 in Karachi and $127 in Peshawar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karachi pays 25% 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 $9.00 in Peshawar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $101 vs $83.0 per month, with Peshawar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇵🇰 Peshawar

🕒 Local time

19:28 7:28 PM

Same time as Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

1,970,042

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Karachi Peshawar 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Peshawar

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 Peshawar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi and Peshawar differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($482 vs $437 including rent). Peshawar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 25% higher in Karachi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $118 in Karachi versus $127 in Peshawar. 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 $437 in Peshawar – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Peshawar runs roughly 25% less than in Karachi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Peshawar 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 Peshawar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Karachi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.