Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $1,250 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index

Jump to prices

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Shanghai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $490 in Karachi versus $1,250 in Shanghai.

Karachi $490
Shanghai $1,250

Estimated couple costs with rent: $755 in Karachi versus $2,019 in Shanghai.

Karachi $755
Shanghai $2,019

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,019 in Karachi versus $2,789 in Shanghai.

Karachi $1,019
Shanghai $2,789

Living in Karachi costs roughly 61% less than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 63% lower, Shanghai 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.15 PKR 596

$4.55 ¥30.45

-52.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.37 PKR 3,700

$29.52 ¥198

-54.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.29 PKR 1,464

$5.10 ¥34.13

3.73%

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

$3.42 ¥22.92

-38.30%

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

$0.37 PKR 103

$0.61 ¥4.12

-39.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 PKR 78.2

$0.36 ¥2.41

-22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥15.33

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 PKR 238

$1.86 ¥12.48

-53.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 PKR 144

$2.01 ¥13.47

-74.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 344

$1.02 ¥6.84

21.57%

Eggs

$1.24 PKR 342

$1.72 ¥11.48

-27.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.86 PKR 1,622

$17.19 ¥115

-65.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 PKR 862

$3.35 ¥22.43

-6.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.25 PKR 1,730

$12.80 ¥85.7

-51.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 356

$2.17 ¥14.54

-40.55%

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 150

$1.74 ¥11.67

-68.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 PKR 273

$1.94 ¥12.99

-48.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 155

$1.68 ¥11.25

-66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.6

$0.77 ¥5.18

-57.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 95.8

$0.93 ¥6.22

-62.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 PKR 124

$0.62 ¥4.17

-27.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.58 ¥3.88

-24.14%

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

$3.83 ¥25.64

-53.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 ¥73.2

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.60

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.73

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 76.5

$0.59 ¥3.92

-52.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.68 PKR 2,679

$30.27 ¥203

-68.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 255

$2.06 ¥13.79

-55.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 PKR 196

$0.47 ¥3.13

51.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 PKR 615

$8.80 ¥58.9

-74.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PKR 372

$1.27 ¥8.53

6.30%

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

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

$19.6K ¥131.2K

-8.96%

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

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

$18.6K ¥124.4K

43.93%

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

$112 PKR 30.9K

$57.2 ¥383

95.35%

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

$6.05 PKR 1,673

$8.06 ¥53.9

-24.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.29 PKR 3,679

$10.52 ¥70.4

26.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.51 PKR 5,954

$64.6 ¥433

-66.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.80 PKR 4,927

$17.63 ¥118

0.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 PKR 1,222

$8.84 ¥59.1

-50.00%

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

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

$1,437 ¥9,620

-96.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

$28.1K ¥187.9K

-93.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.57 PKR 4,862

$54.7 ¥366

-67.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.78 PKR 6,304

$36.43 ¥244

-37.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

$75.4 ¥504

-10.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

$104 ¥696

-60.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$117 PKR 32.4K

$1,039 ¥6,956

-88.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

$589 ¥3,940

-87.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$365 PKR 101.1K

$2,487 ¥16.6K

-85.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 PKR 50.5K

$1,237 ¥8,282

-85.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

$13.6K ¥90.9K

-92.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$491 PKR 135.8K

$6,191 ¥41.4K

-92.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 PKR 51.2K

$1,715 ¥11.5K

-89.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

3.36

293.15%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$131 27.3%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 42.2% $55

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 20.9%

Shanghai

$237 19% 135% $136

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$76 15.7%

Shanghai

$589 47.1% 677% $513

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$67 13.9%

Shanghai

$122 9.7% 81.6% $55

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Shanghai

$107 8.6% 75.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.3%

Shanghai

$82 6.6% 171% $52

Getting Around

Karachi

$15 3.2%

Shanghai

$37 3% 143% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $117 in Karachi and $1,039 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 828% 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 $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $101 vs $237 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

11:22 11:22 AM

14:22 2:22 PM

3 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

1 CNY = 0.149 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, 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).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karachi Shanghai 5,340 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Shanghai

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 Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi and Shanghai differ by about 155% in total monthly costs ($490 vs $1,250 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 828% lower in Shanghai. 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 $1,039 in Shanghai. 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 $1,250 in Shanghai – a 155% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 213% less than in Shanghai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $490 in Karachi versus $1,250 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. 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.

Expats usually find Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 155% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.