Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Zhongshan

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $700 in Zhongshan, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. The total is higher in Zhongshan despite lower rent and utilities.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Zhongshan
Learn more

Zhongshan Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Zhongshan

🇨🇳 China

$700

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Zhongshan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $482 in Karachi versus $700 in Zhongshan.

Karachi $482
Zhongshan $700

Estimated couple costs with rent: $750 in Karachi versus $1,110 in Zhongshan.

Karachi $750
Zhongshan $1,110

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,018 in Karachi versus $1,521 in Zhongshan.

Karachi $1,018
Zhongshan $1,521

Living in Karachi costs roughly 31% less than in Zhongshan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Zhongshan 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$2.91 ¥19.47

-26.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,679

$24.18 ¥162

-45.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,507

$4.47 ¥29.86

21.92%

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

$2.81 ¥18.80

-25.62%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.47 ¥3.15

-14.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

$0.29 ¥1.93

-10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.78 ¥5.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.14

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$1.55 ¥10.38

-40.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$1.59 ¥10.61

-64.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$0.64 ¥4.31

95.31%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.20 ¥8.00

2.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,570

$20.77 ¥139

-72.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 875

$2.79 ¥18.63

13.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,737

$13.52 ¥90.4

-53.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$2.04 ¥13.65

-38.24%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 147

$1.03 ¥6.88

-48.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$0.69 ¥4.60

44.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$1.42 ¥9.50

-60.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.4

$0.53 ¥3.57

-37.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$0.78 ¥5.19

-56.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$0.43 ¥2.88

-2.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.54 ¥3.60

-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

$2.96 ¥19.79

-37.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.02 ¥80.4

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ¥4.63

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.01

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

$0.29 ¥1.92

-3.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

$15.18 ¥102

-34.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$1.48 ¥9.88

-37.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$0.42 ¥2.78

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 597

$7.11 ¥47.58

-69.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$1.29 ¥8.65

6.98%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$19.1K ¥128.0K

-6.51%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$18.0K ¥120.7K

50.06%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$41.21 ¥276

175.30%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,647

$9.85 ¥65.9

-39.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,641

$12.75 ¥85.3

3.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,963

$67.8 ¥454

-68.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,043

$7.33 ¥49.00

148.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,165

$6.04 ¥40.42

-30.30%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$324 ¥2,164

-83.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 536.9K

$13.6K ¥90.9K

-85.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,857

$49.30 ¥330

-64.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,504

$40.39 ¥270

-41.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

$59.9 ¥400

15.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$76.0 ¥508

-46.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.6K

$208 ¥1,391

-43.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$129 ¥864

-43.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

$371 ¥2,483

-3.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

$215 ¥1,437

-12.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.3K

$2,447 ¥16.4K

-56.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.0K

$1,515 ¥10.1K

-68.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$956 ¥6,396

-80.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

3.35

294.33%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Zhongshan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

Zhongshan

$64 9.1% 51.9% $69

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

Zhongshan

$224 32.1% 121% $123

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Zhongshan

$129 18.5% 75.6% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

Zhongshan

$101 14.5% 49.8% $34

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Zhongshan

$81 11.6% 32.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

Zhongshan

$80 11.4% 167% $50

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

Zhongshan

$20 2.8% 28.2% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $118 in Karachi and $208 in Zhongshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhongshan pays 423% 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 $24.00 in Zhongshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $101 vs $224 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇨🇳 Zhongshan

🕒 Local time

15:20 3:20 PM

18:20 6:20 PM

3 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

3,209,600

💱 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 →

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Karachi Zhongshan 4,710 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Zhongshan

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 Zhongshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi and Zhongshan differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($482 vs $700 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 423% lower in Zhongshan. 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 $208 in Zhongshan. 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 $700 in Zhongshan – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 52% less than in Zhongshan. 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.

Expats usually find Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Zhongshan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.