Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Swat

For one person, living costs are similar in Karachi and in Swat: $483 and $473 a month, rent and utilities included.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Swat
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Swat Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Swat

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$473

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Swat

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $483 in Karachi versus $473 in Swat.

Karachi $483
Swat $473

Estimated couple costs with rent: $754 in Karachi versus $748 in Swat.

Karachi $754
Swat $748

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,025 in Karachi versus $1,023 in Swat.

Karachi $1,025
Swat $1,023

Living in Karachi is roughly 2% more expensive than in Swat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Swat 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 PKR 585

$3.69 PKR 1,021

-42.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.73 PKR 3,801

$23.41 PKR 6,478

-41.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 PKR 1,531

$3.67 PKR 1,015

50.68%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 PKR 609

$3.71 PKR 1,028

-40.70%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 PKR 2,040

$6.82 PKR 1,887

8.06%

Cappuccino

$2.14 PKR 593

$2.65 PKR 732

-19.25%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.35 PKR 97.0

14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 PKR 77.7

$0.23 PKR 63.7

21.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 250

$0.93 PKR 258

-3.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 PKR 153

$0.41 PKR 113

34.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 333

$1.24 PKR 342

-3.23%

Eggs

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.21 PKR 336

3.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.96 PKR 1,650

$6.27 PKR 1,737

-4.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 PKR 883

$3.03 PKR 839

5.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.48 PKR 1,793

$5.50 PKR 1,522

17.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 344

$1.30 PKR 359

-4.62%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 147

$0.86 PKR 239

-38.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 PKR 284

$1.08 PKR 299

-4.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 PKR 142

$0.52 PKR 143

-1.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 85.1

$0.29 PKR 80.5

6.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 87.1

$0.35 PKR 98.0

-11.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 PKR 113

$0.28 PKR 76.8

46.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 120

$0.43 PKR 119

2.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.31 PKR 362

$1.86 PKR 514

-29.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PKR 369

$1.20 PKR 333

10.83%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 PKR 670

$2.38 PKR 657

1.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.83 PKR 508

$2.24 PKR 621

-18.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 76.8

$0.16 PKR 42.93

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.81 PKR 2,716

$9.56 PKR 2,645

2.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 PKR 240

$1.28 PKR 355

-32.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 204

$0.76 PKR 209

-2.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 PKR 617

$1.61 PKR 444

38.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 383

$1.31 PKR 364

5.34%

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

$18.4K PKR 5.1M

$21.6K PKR 6.0M

-15.20%

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

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

12.50%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$103 PKR 28.4K

10.50%

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

$6.12 PKR 1,694

$5.50 PKR 1,522

11.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.11 PKR 3,628

$17.00 PKR 4,704

-22.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.78 PKR 6,029

$15.14 PKR 4,189

43.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.27 PKR 5,058

$8.10 PKR 2,242

125.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 PKR 1,179

$4.36 PKR 1,207

-2.29%

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

$52.1 PKR 14.4K

$42.55 PKR 11.8K

22.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,941 PKR 537.3K

$1,034 PKR 286.3K

87.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.53 PKR 4,852

$25.97 PKR 7,189

-32.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.88 PKR 6,332

$35.11 PKR 9,718

-34.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.1 PKR 18.8K

$25.47 PKR 7,048

167.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.55 PKR 11.5K

$40.04 PKR 11.1K

3.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.5K

$128 PKR 35.3K

-7.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.2 PKR 20.3K

$77.5 PKR 21.5K

-5.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 PKR 99.6K

$290 PKR 80.2K

24.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.1K

$168 PKR 46.4K

12.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,082 PKR 299.4K

$867 PKR 240.1K

24.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$474 PKR 131.2K

$477 PKR 132.1K

-0.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$182 PKR 50.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

13.08

0.99%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Swat: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.4%

Swat

$125 26.4% 5.7% $7.5

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$102 21.1%

Swat

$100 21.2% 2% $2

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$73 15.2%

Swat

$78 16.4% 6% $4.4

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14%

Swat

$57 12% 15.6% $11

Eating Out

Karachi

$62 12.8%

Swat

$75 15.8% 20.4% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.3%

Swat

$24 5% 21.3% $6.5

Getting Around

Karachi

$15 3.2%

Swat

$15 3.2% 1.6% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $14.00 in Karachi vs $23.00 in Swat. Groceries flip the comparison at $102 vs $100, with Swat cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇵🇰 Swat

🕒 Local time

18:19 6:19 PM

Same time as Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

💱 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 Swat 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Swat

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 Swat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi and Swat differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($483 vs $473 including rent). Swat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $725 in Karachi and $710 in Swat 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 Swat. 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 $473 in Swat – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Swat runs roughly 3% 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 Swat 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 Swat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Karachi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.