Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Tawau

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $483 a month against $888 in Tawau, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Tawau
Learn more

Tawau Living Index

Jump to prices

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Tawau

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$888

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Tawau

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $483 in Karachi versus $888 in Tawau.

Karachi $483
Tawau $888

Estimated couple costs with rent: $754 in Karachi versus $1,354 in Tawau.

Karachi $754
Tawau $1,354

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,025 in Karachi versus $1,820 in Tawau.

Karachi $1,025
Tawau $1,820

Living in Karachi costs roughly 46% less than in Tawau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Tawau 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 PKR 585

$3.14 MYR 12.80

-32.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.73 PKR 3,801

$19.22 MYR 78.4

-28.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 PKR 1,531

$4.21 MYR 17.19

31.35%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 PKR 609

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 PKR 2,040

Cappuccino

$2.14 PKR 593

$3.15 MYR 12.86

-32.06%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.95 MYR 3.86

-57.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 PKR 77.7

$0.36 MYR 1.46

-22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 MYR 10.83

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 MYR 18.45

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 250

$1.74 MYR 7.10

-48.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 PKR 153

$1.00 MYR 4.09

-45.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 333

$1.49 MYR 6.06

-19.46%

Eggs

$1.25 PKR 346

$2.16 MYR 8.80

-42.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.96 PKR 1,650

$14.36 MYR 58.6

-58.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 PKR 883

$4.35 MYR 17.75

-26.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.48 PKR 1,793

$9.83 MYR 40.10

-34.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 344

$3.04 MYR 12.41

-59.21%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 147

$1.67 MYR 6.83

-68.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 PKR 284

$2.48 MYR 10.13

-58.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 PKR 142

$1.49 MYR 6.10

-65.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 85.1

$1.31 MYR 5.32

-76.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 87.1

$1.21 MYR 4.94

-74.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 PKR 113

$1.07 MYR 4.37

-61.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 120

$0.57 MYR 2.31

-22.81%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.31 PKR 362

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PKR 369

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 PKR 670

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.83 PKR 508

$4.48 MYR 18.30

-59.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.05 MYR 77.7

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 MYR 12.32

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 MYR 20.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 76.8

$0.70 MYR 2.84

-60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.81 PKR 2,716

$12.41 MYR 50.6

-20.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 PKR 240

$1.25 MYR 5.11

-30.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 204

$0.48 MYR 1.97

54.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 PKR 617

$6.98 MYR 28.49

-68.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 383

$0.87 MYR 3.57

58.62%

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

$18.4K PKR 5.1M

$50.2K MYR 204.8K

-63.44%

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

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

$36.0K MYR 146.9K

-26.57%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$49.37 MYR 201

129.45%

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

$6.12 PKR 1,694

$10.55 MYR 43.02

-41.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.11 PKR 3,628

$28.74 MYR 117

-54.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.78 PKR 6,029

$43.34 MYR 177

-49.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.27 PKR 5,058

$6.82 MYR 27.83

167.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 PKR 1,179

$3.77 MYR 15.39

13.00%

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

$52.1 PKR 14.4K

$183 MYR 746

-71.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,941 PKR 537.3K

$7,623 MYR 31.1K

-74.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.53 PKR 4,852

$58.9 MYR 240

-70.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.88 PKR 6,332

$33.06 MYR 135

-30.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.1 PKR 18.8K

$74.3 MYR 303

-8.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.55 PKR 11.5K

$88.2 MYR 360

-52.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.5K

$387 MYR 1,578

-69.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.2 PKR 20.3K

$253 MYR 1,030

-71.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 PKR 99.6K

$596 MYR 2,433

-39.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.1K

$447 MYR 1,823

-57.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,082 PKR 299.4K

$1,936 MYR 7,900

-44.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$474 PKR 131.2K

$1,216 MYR 4,962

-61.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$182 PKR 50.4K

$418 MYR 1,707

-56.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

4.06

225.37%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Tawau: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.4%

Tawau

$89 10% 33.1% $44

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$102 21.1%

Tawau

$260 29.2% 154% $157

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$73 15.2%

Tawau

$253 28.4% 245% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14%

Tawau

$114 12.9% 69.5% $47

Eating Out

Karachi

$62 12.8%

Tawau

$103 11.6% 66.5% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.3%

Tawau

$51 5.7% 67.9% $21

Getting Around

Karachi

$15 3.2%

Tawau

$19 2.1% 21.8% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $118 in Karachi and $387 in Tawau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tawau pays 130% 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: $14.00 in Karachi vs $19.00 in Tawau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $102 vs $260 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇲🇾 Tawau

🕒 Local time

05:08 5:08 AM

08:08 8:08 AM

3 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

420,806

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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 Tawau 5,890 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Tawau

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 Tawau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi and Tawau differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($483 vs $888 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 130% lower in Tawau. 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 $387 in Tawau. 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 $888 in Tawau – a 84% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 27% less than in Tawau. 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 Karachi 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 Tawau 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 84% less than in Tawau. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.