Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Selangor

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $1,020 in Selangor, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Selangor
Learn more

Selangor Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Selangor

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Selangor

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $482 in Karachi versus $1,020 in Selangor.

Karachi $482
Selangor $1,020

Estimated couple costs with rent: $750 in Karachi versus $1,469 in Selangor.

Karachi $750
Selangor $1,469

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,018 in Karachi versus $1,918 in Selangor.

Karachi $1,018
Selangor $1,918

Living in Karachi costs roughly 53% less than in Selangor, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Selangor 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$4.33 MYR 17.67

-50.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,680

$19.20 MYR 78.3

-30.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,508

$4.04 MYR 16.46

34.90%

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

$2.26 MYR 9.23

-7.52%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.78 MYR 3.18

-48.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

$0.47 MYR 1.93

-44.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 MYR 18.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 MYR 20.24

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$1.93 MYR 7.87

-52.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$1.05 MYR 4.30

-46.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$1.53 MYR 6.25

-18.30%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.92 MYR 7.82

-35.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,570

$14.26 MYR 58.2

-60.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 876

$4.36 MYR 17.78

-27.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,737

$9.60 MYR 39.16

-34.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$3.44 MYR 14.04

-63.37%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 148

$1.84 MYR 7.52

-71.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$2.34 MYR 9.55

-57.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$1.59 MYR 6.49

-64.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.4

$1.34 MYR 5.45

-75.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$1.03 MYR 4.21

-66.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$1.11 MYR 4.52

-62.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.54 MYR 2.19

-18.52%

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

$4.50 MYR 18.35

-59.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.53 MYR 79.7

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.59 MYR 14.64

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MYR 19.81

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

$1.19 MYR 4.87

-76.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

$12.26 MYR 50.0

-18.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$1.24 MYR 5.06

-25.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$1.25 MYR 5.10

-44.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 597

$4.34 MYR 17.72

-50.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$0.73 MYR 2.99

89.04%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$41.9K MYR 171.0K

-57.29%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$35.3K MYR 143.8K

-23.17%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$63.4 MYR 258

79.06%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,648

$8.50 MYR 34.69

-30.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,642

$25.97 MYR 106

-49.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,965

$41.09 MYR 168

-47.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,044

$6.87 MYR 28.04

165.36%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,165

$5.05 MYR 20.59

-16.63%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$122 MYR 499

-57.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

$7,175 MYR 29.3K

-72.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,858

$70.8 MYR 289

-75.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,506

$41.40 MYR 169

-43.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

$77.1 MYR 315

-10.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$83.0 MYR 339

-51.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.7K

$511 MYR 2,083

-76.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$346 MYR 1,413

-78.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

$880 MYR 3,589

-59.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

$481 MYR 1,963

-60.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

$1,578 MYR 6,438

-32.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.1K

$705 MYR 2,875

-31.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$1,019 MYR 4,157

-82.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

3.96

233.59%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Selangor: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

Selangor

$98 9.6% 26.2% $35

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

Selangor

$266 26.1% 163% $165

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Selangor

$346 34% 370% $273

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

Selangor

$123 12% 80.9% $55

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Selangor

$111 10.9% 81.7% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

Selangor

$51 5% 70.8% $21

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

Selangor

$25 2.4% 58% $9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $118 in Karachi and $511 in Selangor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Selangor pays 457% 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 $19.00 in Selangor for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $101 vs $266 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇲🇾 Selangor

🕒 Local time

09:09 9:09 AM

12:09 12:09 PM

3 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

281,717

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karachi Selangor 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Selangor

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 Selangor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi and Selangor differ by about 112% in total monthly costs ($482 vs $1,020 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 457% lower in Selangor. 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: $118 in Karachi versus $511 in Selangor. 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 $1,020 in Selangor – a 112% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 23% less than in Selangor. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $482 in Karachi versus $1,020 in Selangor, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Selangor. 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 Selangor 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 112% less than in Selangor. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.