Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lipis and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $939 in Kuala Lipis, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lipis
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Kuala Lipis Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Kuala Lipis

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$939

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kuala Lipis 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 Kuala Lipis and in Karachi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $939 in Kuala Lipis versus $482 in Karachi.

Kuala Lipis $939
Karachi $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Kuala Lipis versus $750 in Karachi.

Kuala Lipis $1,395
Karachi $750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,852 in Kuala Lipis versus $1,018 in Karachi.

Kuala Lipis $1,852
Karachi $1,018

Living in Kuala Lipis is roughly 95% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kuala Lipis 30% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 MYR 15.17

$2.13 PKR 588

74.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.25 MYR 98.9

$13.30 PKR 3,680

82.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 MYR 20.26

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-8.81%

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

$3.12 MYR 12.74

$2.09 PKR 579

49.28%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.47

$0.40 PKR 111

112.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.83

$0.26 PKR 71.1

73.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 MYR 13.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 MYR 23.84

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 MYR 7.86

$0.92 PKR 254

109.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 MYR 4.36

$0.56 PKR 156

91.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.00

$1.25 PKR 345

17.60%

Eggs

$1.86 MYR 7.57

$1.23 PKR 341

51.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 MYR 39.28

$5.67 PKR 1,570

69.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 MYR 13.45

$3.16 PKR 876

4.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.46 MYR 38.59

$6.28 PKR 1,737

50.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 MYR 14.16

$1.26 PKR 348

175.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 MYR 7.64

$0.53 PKR 148

252.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 MYR 10.75

$1.00 PKR 276

163.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 MYR 7.09

$0.56 PKR 154

210.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 MYR 8.59

$0.33 PKR 91.4

536.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MYR 7.95

$0.34 PKR 95.1

473.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MYR 5.89

$0.42 PKR 116

242.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$0.44 PKR 121

15.91%

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)

$4.55 MYR 18.56

$1.84 PKR 509

147.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.95 MYR 81.4

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 MYR 11.28

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MYR 19.11

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.86

$0.28 PKR 77.0

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.01 MYR 57.1

$9.99 PKR 2,764

40.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MYR 4.93

$0.92 PKR 256

31.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.57

$0.70 PKR 193

-45.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.96 MYR 36.55

$2.16 PKR 597

314.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 MYR 3.52

$1.38 PKR 382

-37.68%

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

$42.4K MYR 172.9K

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

136.85%

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

$32.6K MYR 133.1K

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

20.47%

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

$50.1 MYR 205

$113 PKR 31.4K

-55.80%

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

$8.01 MYR 32.68

$5.95 PKR 1,648

34.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.76 MYR 109

$13.16 PKR 3,642

103.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.90 MYR 159

$21.55 PKR 5,965

80.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.94 MYR 28.30

$18.23 PKR 5,044

-61.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 MYR 20.05

$4.21 PKR 1,165

16.63%

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

$274 MYR 1,119

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

425.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MYR 42.6K

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

438.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 MYR 213

$17.55 PKR 4,858

197.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.64 MYR 121

$23.51 PKR 6,506

26.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 MYR 318

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

13.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.9 MYR 350

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

111.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 MYR 1,767

$118 PKR 32.7K

267.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 MYR 1,260

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

319.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 MYR 3,171

$357 PKR 98.9K

117.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 MYR 1,907

$188 PKR 52.0K

148.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,798 MYR 7,336

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

69.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,129 MYR 4,606

$481 PKR 133.1K

134.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

13.21

-65.86%

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

Last update for Kuala Lipis: October 11, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Lipis

$309 32.9%

Karachi

$74 15.3% 76.2% $235

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Lipis

$250 26.6%

Karachi

$101 21% 59.5% $149

Eating Out

Kuala Lipis

$116 12.3%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 47.3% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Lipis

$111 11.8%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 38.7% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Lipis

$85 9%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 56.1% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Lipis

$49 5.2%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 38.5% $19

Getting Around

Kuala Lipis

$20 2.1%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 22.2% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $433 in Kuala Lipis and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Kuala Lipis vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Lipis

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

13:08 1:08 PM

10:08 10:08 AM

3 h behind Kuala Lipis

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

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

Kuala Lipis Karachi 4,390 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuala Lipis
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

Kuala Lipis vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuala Lipis and Karachi differ by about 95% in total monthly costs ($939 vs $482 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,408 in Kuala Lipis and $723 in Karachi 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: $433 in Kuala Lipis versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $939 per month in Kuala Lipis versus $482 in Karachi – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 40% less than in Kuala Lipis. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $482 in Karachi versus $939 in Kuala Lipis, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Kuala Lipis. The gap between the two cities makes Karachi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Kuala Lipis 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 95% less than in Kuala Lipis. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.