Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lahore and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $495 a month against $520 in Lahore, rent and utilities included – about $300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lahore outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

25

Cost of Living Index in Lahore
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Lahore Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index

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Lahore

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$520

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$495

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $520 in Lahore versus $495 in Karachi.

Lahore $520
Karachi $495

Estimated couple costs with rent: $787 in Lahore versus $770 in Karachi.

Lahore $787
Karachi $770

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,053 in Lahore versus $1,046 in Karachi.

Lahore $1,053
Karachi $1,046

Living in Lahore is roughly 5% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lahore 62% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.59 PKR 716

$2.21 PKR 610

17.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.71 PKR 4,071

$12.87 PKR 3,562

14.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 PKR 1,604

$5.27 PKR 1,459

10.06%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 PKR 995

$2.16 PKR 598

66.67%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 PKR 1,463

$7.36 PKR 2,036

-28.13%

Cappuccino

$2.50 PKR 693

$2.16 PKR 598

15.74%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.38 PKR 106

5.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 72.2

$0.25 PKR 69.3

4.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 PKR 271

$0.90 PKR 248

8.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 PKR 206

$0.52 PKR 143

42.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 PKR 327

$1.20 PKR 331

-1.67%

Eggs

$1.20 PKR 333

$1.25 PKR 346

-4.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.14 PKR 1,699

$5.82 PKR 1,611

5.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.54 PKR 703

$3.11 PKR 861

-18.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.74 PKR 1,311

$6.53 PKR 1,807

-27.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 PKR 330

$1.28 PKR 354

-7.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.65 PKR 180

$0.54 PKR 149

20.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 PKR 230

$1.02 PKR 283

-18.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 PKR 176

$0.56 PKR 155

14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 78.9

$0.34 PKR 94.9

-14.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 98.9

$0.31 PKR 87.0

16.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 PKR 133

$0.41 PKR 113

17.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 PKR 96.9

$0.43 PKR 120

-18.60%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.05 PKR 291

$1.28 PKR 355

-17.97%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 PKR 180

$1.33 PKR 368

-51.13%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 PKR 458

$2.45 PKR 679

-32.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 PKR 594

$1.78 PKR 492

20.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 PKR 50.6

$0.28 PKR 77.2

-35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.42 PKR 1,777

$11.70 PKR 3,238

-45.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 PKR 256

$0.92 PKR 254

1.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

$0.73 PKR 203

-4.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.77 PKR 491

$2.22 PKR 615

-20.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 PKR 384

$1.33 PKR 369

4.51%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$18.3K PKR 5.1M

-1.71%

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

$24.3K PKR 6.7M

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

-7.78%

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

$126 PKR 35.0K

$112 PKR 31.0K

12.71%

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

$5.47 PKR 1,513

$5.99 PKR 1,657

-8.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.39 PKR 4,536

$13.18 PKR 3,648

24.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.48 PKR 5,666

$24.67 PKR 6,826

-16.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.32 PKR 3,132

$18.29 PKR 5,062

-38.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.35 PKR 1,203

$4.34 PKR 1,202

0.23%

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

$74.0 PKR 20.5K

$67.2 PKR 18.6K

10.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,052 PKR 567.7K

$1,915 PKR 529.9K

7.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.12 PKR 5,015

$17.61 PKR 4,874

2.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.03 PKR 7,758

$22.03 PKR 6,097

27.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 PKR 20.6K

$68.3 PKR 18.9K

8.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.44 PKR 9,253

$40.66 PKR 11.3K

-17.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$167 PKR 46.3K

$136 PKR 37.6K

22.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$95.1 PKR 26.3K

$82.2 PKR 22.7K

15.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$359 PKR 99.2K

$392 PKR 108.5K

-8.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$206 PKR 57.1K

$207 PKR 57.2K

-0.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$827 PKR 229.0K

$1,046 PKR 289.5K

-20.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$568 PKR 157.2K

$482 PKR 133.2K

17.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$198 PKR 54.9K

$184 PKR 51.0K

7.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.05

13.21

6.36%

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

Last update for Lahore: October 26, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lahore

$148 28.5%

Karachi

$131 26.6% 11.4% $17

Groceries & Markets

Lahore

$96 18.5%

Karachi

$102 20.5% 5.6% $5.4

Accommodation & Living

Lahore

$95 18.3%

Karachi

$82 16.6% 13.6% $13

Eating Out

Lahore

$71 13.6%

Karachi

$62 12.5% 12.5% $8.8

Clothing & Footwear

Lahore

$69 13.3%

Karachi

$67 13.5% 3.5% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Lahore

$29 5.6%

Karachi

$33 6.7% 14.3% $4.2

Getting Around

Lahore

$12 2.2%

Karachi

$17 3.5% 50.4% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $167 in Lahore and $136 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lahore pays 8% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $15 in Lahore vs $13 in Karachi. Groceries flip the comparison at $96 vs $102, with Lahore cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Lahore

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

02:06 2:06 AM

Same time as Lahore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,126,285

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lahore Karachi 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lahore
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

Lahore vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lahore and Karachi differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($520 vs $495 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Lahore, 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: $167 in Lahore versus $136 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $520 per month in Lahore versus $495 in Karachi – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lahore runs roughly 45% less than in Karachi. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Karachi wins on affordability, Lahore on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.