Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Subang Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $951 in Subang Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Subang Jaya
Learn more

Subang Jaya Living Index

Jump to prices

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Subang Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Subang Jaya

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $482 in Karachi versus $951 in Subang Jaya.

Karachi $482
Subang Jaya $951

Estimated couple costs with rent: $750 in Karachi versus $1,448 in Subang Jaya.

Karachi $750
Subang Jaya $1,448

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,018 in Karachi versus $1,945 in Subang Jaya.

Karachi $1,018
Subang Jaya $1,945

Living in Karachi costs roughly 49% less than in Subang Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Subang Jaya 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$3.58 MYR 14.61

-40.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,680

$19.71 MYR 80.4

-32.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,508

$4.56 MYR 18.60

19.52%

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

$3.03 MYR 12.37

-31.02%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.77 MYR 3.14

-48.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

$0.40 MYR 1.63

-35.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.11 MYR 16.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 MYR 18.47

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$1.85 MYR 7.55

-50.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$1.04 MYR 4.26

-46.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$1.68 MYR 6.85

-25.60%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$2.24 MYR 9.15

-45.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,570

$13.42 MYR 54.7

-57.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 876

$4.54 MYR 18.53

-30.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,737

$8.45 MYR 34.46

-25.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$3.06 MYR 12.48

-58.82%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 148

$1.78 MYR 7.28

-70.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$2.27 MYR 9.24

-55.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$1.40 MYR 5.70

-60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.4

$1.11 MYR 4.52

-70.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$1.12 MYR 4.58

-69.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$1.09 MYR 4.46

-61.47%

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

$4.42 MYR 18.05

-58.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 MYR 76.4

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 MYR 12.28

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MYR 20.00

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

$0.84 MYR 3.42

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

$12.39 MYR 50.6

-19.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$1.21 MYR 4.92

-23.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$0.40 MYR 1.64

75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 597

$4.77 MYR 19.44

-54.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$0.88 MYR 3.57

56.82%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$42.4K MYR 172.8K

-57.75%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$34.9K MYR 142.3K

-22.36%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$36.42 MYR 149

211.50%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,648

$9.61 MYR 39.20

-38.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,642

$29.25 MYR 119

-55.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,965

$24.81 MYR 101

-13.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,044

$2.41 MYR 9.85

656.43%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,165

$5.04 MYR 20.56

-16.47%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$296 MYR 1,209

-82.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

$10.7K MYR 43.7K

-81.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,858

$59.5 MYR 243

-70.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,506

$34.85 MYR 142

-32.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

$86.0 MYR 351

-19.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$70.6 MYR 288

-42.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.7K

$566 MYR 2,308

-79.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$342 MYR 1,394

-78.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

$714 MYR 2,914

-49.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

$620 MYR 2,529

-69.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

$2,360 MYR 9,629

-55.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.1K

$1,857 MYR 7,574

-74.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$918 MYR 3,747

-80.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

4.04

226.98%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Subang Jaya: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

Subang Jaya

$75 7.9% 43.2% $57

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

Subang Jaya

$254 26.7% 151% $152

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Subang Jaya

$342 36% 364% $268

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

Subang Jaya

$113 11.9% 66.8% $45

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Subang Jaya

$113 11.9% 84.9% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

Subang Jaya

$35 3.7% 16.4% $4.9

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

Subang Jaya

$19 2% 22.2% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $118 in Karachi and $566 in Subang Jaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Subang Jaya pays 402% 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 $20.00 in Subang Jaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $101 vs $254 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇲🇾 Subang Jaya

🕒 Local time

16:05 4:05 PM

19:05 7:05 PM

3 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

902,086

💱 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 Subang Jaya 4,420 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Subang Jaya

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 Subang Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi and Subang Jaya differ by about 97% in total monthly costs ($482 vs $951 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 402% lower in Subang Jaya. 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 $566 in Subang Jaya. 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 $951 in Subang Jaya – a 97% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 24% less than in Subang Jaya. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $482 in Karachi versus $951 in Subang Jaya, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Subang Jaya. 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 Subang Jaya 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 97% less than in Subang Jaya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.