Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Skardu

For one person, living is cheaper in Skardu: $426 a month against $483 in Karachi, rent and utilities included – about $680 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
22

Cost of Living Index in Skardu
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Skardu Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Skardu

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Skardu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $483 in Karachi versus $426 in Skardu.

Karachi $483
Skardu $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $754 in Karachi versus $636 in Skardu.

Karachi $754
Skardu $636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,025 in Karachi versus $847 in Skardu.

Karachi $1,025
Skardu $847

Living in Karachi is roughly 14% more expensive than in Skardu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Skardu 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 PKR 585

$1.84 PKR 509

14.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.73 PKR 3,801

$11.31 PKR 3,132

21.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 PKR 1,531

$4.65 PKR 1,286

18.92%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 PKR 609

$2.72 PKR 753

-19.12%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 PKR 2,040

$5.11 PKR 1,415

44.23%

Cappuccino

$2.14 PKR 593

$1.68 PKR 464

27.38%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.31 PKR 84.5

29.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 PKR 77.7

$0.18 PKR 50.3

55.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 250

$0.86 PKR 238

4.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 PKR 153

$0.59 PKR 164

-6.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 333

$1.16 PKR 320

3.45%

Eggs

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.20 PKR 333

4.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.96 PKR 1,650

$5.40 PKR 1,494

10.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 PKR 883

$2.50 PKR 691

27.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.48 PKR 1,793

$5.02 PKR 1,389

29.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 344

$1.10 PKR 305

12.73%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 147

$0.54 PKR 149

-1.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 PKR 284

$0.79 PKR 220

30.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 PKR 142

$0.55 PKR 153

-7.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 85.1

$0.28 PKR 76.3

10.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 87.1

$0.35 PKR 97.5

-11.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 PKR 113

$0.46 PKR 127

-10.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 120

$0.38 PKR 104

15.79%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.31 PKR 362

$1.59 PKR 441

-17.61%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PKR 369

$1.07 PKR 295

24.30%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 PKR 670

$2.04 PKR 563

18.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.83 PKR 508

$2.10 PKR 580

-12.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 76.8

$0.16 PKR 45.37

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.81 PKR 2,716

$9.06 PKR 2,509

8.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 PKR 240

$1.24 PKR 343

-29.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 204

$0.71 PKR 196

4.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 PKR 617

$1.83 PKR 506

21.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 383

$1.18 PKR 327

16.95%

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

$18.4K PKR 5.1M

$19.1K PKR 5.3M

-3.71%

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

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

$26.2K PKR 7.3M

0.85%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$87.8 PKR 24.3K

28.99%

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

$6.12 PKR 1,694

$3.60 PKR 996

70.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.11 PKR 3,628

$13.36 PKR 3,697

-1.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.78 PKR 6,029

$15.33 PKR 4,243

42.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.27 PKR 5,058

$7.98 PKR 2,208

128.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 PKR 1,179

$4.88 PKR 1,351

-12.70%

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

$52.1 PKR 14.4K

$47.71 PKR 13.2K

9.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,941 PKR 537.3K

$1,082 PKR 299.5K

79.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.53 PKR 4,852

$19.16 PKR 5,304

-8.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.88 PKR 6,332

$24.54 PKR 6,793

-6.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.1 PKR 18.8K

$59.7 PKR 16.5K

14.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.55 PKR 11.5K

$34.15 PKR 9,451

21.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.5K

$128 PKR 35.4K

-7.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.2 PKR 20.3K

$78.3 PKR 21.7K

-6.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 PKR 99.6K

$250 PKR 69.3K

43.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.1K

$139 PKR 38.4K

35.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,082 PKR 299.4K

$1,070 PKR 296.0K

1.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$474 PKR 131.2K

$494 PKR 136.8K

-4.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$182 PKR 50.4K

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 17, 2026

Last update for Skardu: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.4%

Skardu

$105 24.6% 20.9% $28

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$102 21.1%

Skardu

$90 21.2% 11.6% $12

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$73 15.2%

Skardu

$78 18.4% 7% $5.1

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14%

Skardu

$62 14.5% 8.4% $5.6

Eating Out

Karachi

$62 12.8%

Skardu

$51 11.9% 18.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.3%

Skardu

$25 5.9% 17.2% $5.2

Getting Around

Karachi

$15 3.2%

Skardu

$15 3.4% 6.3% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $118 in Karachi and $128 in Skardu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $14.00 in Karachi vs $11.00 in Skardu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $102 vs $90.0 per month, with Skardu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇵🇰 Skardu

🕒 Local time

18:56 6:56 PM

Same time as Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

260,000

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Karachi Skardu 1,420 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Skardu

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 Skardu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi and Skardu differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($483 vs $426 including rent). Skardu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $725 in Karachi and $638 in Skardu 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 $128 in Skardu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $483 per month in Karachi versus $426 in Skardu – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Skardu runs roughly 8% less than in Karachi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Skardu 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.

Safety-wise, Karachi and Skardu 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 Skardu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Karachi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.