Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Bharu and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $692 in Kota Bharu, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. The total is higher in Kota Bharu despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Kota Bharu
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Kota Bharu Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Kota Bharu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$692

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kota Bharu and in Karachi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kota Bharu and in Karachi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $692 in Kota Bharu versus $482 in Karachi.

Kota Bharu $692
Karachi $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,072 in Kota Bharu versus $750 in Karachi.

Kota Bharu $1,072
Karachi $750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,452 in Kota Bharu versus $1,018 in Karachi.

Kota Bharu $1,452
Karachi $1,018

Living in Kota Bharu is roughly 44% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kota Bharu 49% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.18 MYR 8.90

$2.13 PKR 588

2.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.41 MYR 79.2

$13.30 PKR 3,680

45.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 MYR 18.70

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-15.96%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 607

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 PKR 2,005

Cappuccino

$2.18 MYR 8.89

$2.09 PKR 579

4.31%

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

$0.48 MYR 1.94

$0.40 PKR 111

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 MYR 1.05

$0.26 PKR 71.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.24 MYR 17.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 MYR 18.33

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MYR 6.62

$0.92 PKR 254

76.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 MYR 3.74

$0.56 PKR 156

64.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 MYR 3.39

$1.25 PKR 345

-33.60%

Eggs

$1.61 MYR 6.58

$1.23 PKR 341

30.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.74 MYR 56.1

$5.67 PKR 1,570

142.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.94 MYR 12.00

$3.16 PKR 876

-6.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 MYR 27.13

$6.28 PKR 1,737

5.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 MYR 11.88

$1.26 PKR 348

130.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.12

$0.53 PKR 148

183.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 MYR 11.15

$1.00 PKR 276

173.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.60

$0.56 PKR 154

101.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 MYR 3.94

$0.33 PKR 91.4

193.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.59

$0.34 PKR 95.1

229.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MYR 4.64

$0.42 PKR 116

171.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.84

$0.44 PKR 121

2.27%

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)

$3.34 MYR 13.61

$1.84 PKR 509

81.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.00 MYR 77.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 MYR 11.88

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.32 MYR 21.71

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MYR 3.12

$0.28 PKR 77.0

175.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.33 MYR 50.3

$9.99 PKR 2,764

23.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MYR 7.05

$0.92 PKR 256

88.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 MYR 1.53

$0.70 PKR 193

-47.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 MYR 15.04

$2.16 PKR 597

70.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 MYR 2.14

$1.38 PKR 382

-62.32%

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

$31.5K MYR 128.5K

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

75.92%

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

$29.0K MYR 118.2K

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

6.96%

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

$37.43 MYR 153

$113 PKR 31.4K

-67.01%

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

$8.65 MYR 35.27

$5.95 PKR 1,648

45.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.39 MYR 104

$13.16 PKR 3,642

92.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.63 MYR 202

$21.55 PKR 5,965

130.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,044

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 MYR 18.26

$4.21 PKR 1,165

6.41%

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

$125 MYR 508

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

138.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MYR 44.2K

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

457.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 MYR 222

$17.55 PKR 4,858

210.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.29 MYR 78.7

$23.51 PKR 6,506

-17.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 MYR 322

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

14.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.6 MYR 284

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

71.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 MYR 1,010

$118 PKR 32.7K

109.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$122 MYR 499

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

66.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 MYR 2,745

$357 PKR 98.9K

88.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 MYR 913

$188 PKR 52.0K

19.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$299 MYR 1,221

$183 PKR 50.6K

63.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

13.21

-69.42%

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

Last update for Kota Bharu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kota Bharu

$230 33.2%

Karachi

$101 21% 55.9% $128

Accommodation & Living

Kota Bharu

$122 17.7%

Karachi

$74 15.3% 39.9% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Kota Bharu

$100 14.5%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 32.3% $32

Eating Out

Kota Bharu

$90 13.1%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 32.4% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kota Bharu

$71 10.3%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 85.5% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Kota Bharu

$59 8.5%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 48.8% $29

Getting Around

Kota Bharu

$19 2.8%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 18.3% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $248 in Kota Bharu and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kota Bharu pays 64% 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: $19.00 in Kota Bharu vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kota Bharu

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

07:22 7:22 AM

04:22 4:22 AM

3 h behind Kota Bharu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

568,900

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kota Bharu Karachi 4,290 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Kota Bharu
Karachi

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

Kota Bharu vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kota Bharu and Karachi differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($692 vs $482 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 64% higher in Kota Bharu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $248 in Kota Bharu versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $692 per month in Kota Bharu versus $482 in Karachi – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 23% less than in Kota Bharu. 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, Kota Bharu and Karachi 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 44% less than in Kota Bharu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.