Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Yiwu

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $550 in Yiwu, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. The total is higher in Yiwu despite lower rent and utilities.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Yiwu
Learn more

Yiwu Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Yiwu

🇨🇳 China

$550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Yiwu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $482 in Karachi versus $550 in Yiwu.

Karachi $482
Yiwu $550

Estimated couple costs with rent: $750 in Karachi versus $1,286 in Yiwu.

Karachi $750
Yiwu $1,286

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,018 in Karachi versus $2,022 in Yiwu.

Karachi $1,018
Yiwu $2,022

Living in Karachi costs roughly 12% less than in Yiwu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Yiwu 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$2.92 ¥19.54

-27.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,679

$29.38 ¥196

-54.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,507

$5.13 ¥34.31

6.24%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 607

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 PKR 2,004

Cappuccino

$2.09 PKR 579

$3.29 ¥22.01

-36.47%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.62 ¥4.15

-35.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

$0.38 ¥2.55

-31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.22

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$1.85 ¥12.40

-50.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$1.96 ¥13.09

-71.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$0.98 ¥6.58

27.55%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.68 ¥11.26

-26.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,570

$17.54 ¥117

-67.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 875

$3.35 ¥22.38

-5.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,737

$13.14 ¥87.9

-52.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$2.14 ¥14.29

-41.12%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 147

$1.75 ¥11.68

-69.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$1.95 ¥13.05

-48.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$1.66 ¥11.08

-66.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.4

$0.82 ¥5.51

-59.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$0.94 ¥6.28

-63.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$0.62 ¥4.17

-32.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.59 ¥3.96

-25.42%

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

$3.75 ¥25.10

-50.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.78 ¥72.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.56

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.67

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

$0.43 ¥2.90

-34.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$1.30 ¥8.73

-29.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$0.43 ¥2.89

62.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 597

$8.89 ¥59.4

-75.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$1.27 ¥8.49

8.66%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$19.6K ¥130.9K

-8.53%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$18.6K ¥124.3K

45.73%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$57.4 ¥384

97.58%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,647

$8.10 ¥54.2

-26.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,641

$10.41 ¥69.6

26.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,963

$14.73 ¥98.5

46.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,043

$11.34 ¥75.8

60.76%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,165

$7.22 ¥48.25

-41.69%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$1,430 ¥9,566

-96.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 536.9K

$27.3K ¥182.5K

-92.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,857

$53.9 ¥361

-67.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,504

$37.73 ¥252

-37.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

$76.8 ¥514

-10.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$73.5 ¥491

-44.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.6K

$446 ¥2,985

-73.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

$1,053 ¥7,041

-66.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

$733 ¥4,901

-74.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.3K

$11.8K ¥78.7K

-90.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.0K

$2,921 ¥19.5K

-83.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$748 ¥5,000

-75.53%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Yiwu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

Yiwu

$76 13.8% 42.7% $57

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

Yiwu

$238 43.2% 135% $136

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Yiwu

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

Yiwu

$109 19.8% 60.7% $41

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Yiwu

$93 16.9% 52.1% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

Yiwu

$29 5.3% 2.7% $0.8

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

Yiwu

$5.2 * 1% 66.5% $10

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $118 in Karachi and $446 in Yiwu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yiwu pays 309% 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 $29.00 in Yiwu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $101 vs $238 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇨🇳 Yiwu

🕒 Local time

13:51 1:51 PM

16:51 4:51 PM

3 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

1,234,015

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.23 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.23 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Karachi Yiwu 5,230 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Yiwu

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 Yiwu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi and Yiwu differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($482 vs $550 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 309% lower in Yiwu. 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 $446 in Yiwu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 135% higher in Yiwu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $482 per month in Karachi versus $550 in Yiwu – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.

Expats usually find Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Yiwu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.