Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Zaqatala

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaqatala: $350 a month against $495 in Karachi, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$495

/mo nomad

Zaqatala

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan

$350

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Zaqatala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $495 in Karachi versus $350 in Zaqatala.

Karachi $495
Zaqatala $350

Estimated couple costs with rent: $770 in Karachi versus $584 in Zaqatala.

Karachi $770
Zaqatala $584

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,046 in Karachi versus $819 in Zaqatala.

Karachi $1,046
Zaqatala $819

Living in Karachi is roughly 41% more expensive than in Zaqatala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Zaqatala 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.21 PKR 610

$4.69 ₼7.98

-52.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.87 PKR 3,562

$20.90 ₼35.52

-38.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 PKR 1,459

$5.34 ₼9.07

-1.31%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 PKR 598

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.36 PKR 2,036

Cappuccino

$2.16 PKR 598

$2.28 ₼3.88

-5.26%

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

$0.38 PKR 106

$0.61 ₼1.04

-37.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 PKR 69.3

$0.51 ₼0.87

-50.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₼3.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 ₼5.11

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 248

$0.99 ₼1.68

-9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 PKR 143

$0.42 ₼0.72

23.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 331

$2.27 ₼3.86

-47.14%

Eggs

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.39 ₼2.36

-10.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.82 PKR 1,611

$3.62 ₼6.16

60.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.11 PKR 860

$2.31 ₼3.93

34.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.53 PKR 1,807

$8.13 ₼13.82

-19.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 PKR 354

$0.79 ₼1.35

62.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 149

$1.20 ₼2.04

-55.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 PKR 283

$0.61 ₼1.04

67.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 155

$0.74 ₼1.25

-24.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 94.9

$0.28 ₼0.47

21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 87.0

$0.40 ₼0.68

-22.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 PKR 113

$0.96 ₼1.63

-57.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 120

$0.57 ₼0.97

-24.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.28 PKR 355

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PKR 368

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 PKR 678

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.78 PKR 492

$1.72 ₼2.92

3.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.92 ₼15.15

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₼2.04

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ₼3.56

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.2

$0.16 ₼0.27

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 PKR 3,237

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 254

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 PKR 203

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 PKR 615

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 PKR 369

$0.66 ₼1.12

101.52%

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

$18.3K PKR 5.1M

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

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

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

$112 PKR 31.0K

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

$5.99 PKR 1,656

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.18 PKR 3,648

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.67 PKR 6,826

$34.17 ₼58.1

-27.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.29 PKR 5,061

Cinema Ticket

$4.34 PKR 1,201

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

$67.2 PKR 18.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,915 PKR 529.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.61 PKR 4,873

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.03 PKR 6,097

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.3 PKR 18.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.66 PKR 11.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$136 PKR 37.6K

$118 ₼200

15.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$82.2 PKR 22.7K

$81.8 ₼139

0.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 PKR 108.5K

$232 ₼395

68.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 PKR 57.2K

$150 ₼255

37.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,046 PKR 289.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$482 PKR 133.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$184 PKR 51.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

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

Last update for Karachi: October 26, 2026

Last update for Zaqatala: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$131 26.6%

Zaqatala

–

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$102 20.5%

Zaqatala

–

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$82 16.6%

Zaqatala

–

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$67 13.5%

Zaqatala

–

Eating Out

Karachi

$62 12.5%

Zaqatala

–

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$33 6.7%

Zaqatala

–

Getting Around

Karachi

$17 3.5%

Zaqatala

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $136 in Karachi and $118 in Zaqatala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $13 in Karachi vs $21 in Zaqatala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $102 vs $133 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇦🇿 Zaqatala

🕒 Local time

03:08 3:08 AM

02:08 2:08 AM

1 h behind Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

21,800

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Azerbaijani Manat AZN ₼

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR

1 AZN = 0.588 USD

1 AZN = 0.529 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AZN, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 308 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR).

Azerbaijani Manat exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.7 AZN (1 AZN = 0.588 USD). 1 EUR = 1.89 AZN (1 AZN = 0.529 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Karachi Zaqatala 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Zaqatala

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 Zaqatala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $495 in Karachi and $350 in Zaqatala, so Zaqatala is about 29% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $742 in Karachi and $525 in Zaqatala 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: $136 in Karachi versus $118 in Zaqatala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Karachi – a meal for two runs $13 versus $21 in Zaqatala. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $495 per month in Karachi versus $350 in Zaqatala – Zaqatala is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Zaqatala 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.