Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $2,107 in Macao, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Macao
Learn more

Macao Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index

Jump to prices

Macao

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,107

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in Macao versus $490 in Karachi.

Macao $2,107
Karachi $490

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,021 in Macao versus $755 in Karachi.

Macao $3,021
Karachi $755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,935 in Macao versus $1,019 in Karachi.

Macao $3,935
Karachi $1,019

Living in Macao is roughly 330% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Macao is 57% above, Karachi is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.31 MOP 51.0

$2.15 PKR 596

193.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 MOP 444

$13.37 PKR 3,700

310.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.91 MOP 47.73

$5.29 PKR 1,464

11.72%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 PKR 2,005

Cappuccino

$4.89 MOP 39.49

$2.11 PKR 583

131.75%

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

$1.06 MOP 8.56

$0.37 PKR 103

186.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 MOP 7.55

$0.28 PKR 78.2

232.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 MOP 45.48

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.23 MOP 58.4

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 MOP 24.98

$0.86 PKR 238

259.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 MOP 13.50

$0.52 PKR 144

221.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MOP 13.97

$1.24 PKR 344

39.52%

Eggs

$3.40 MOP 27.46

$1.24 PKR 342

174.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.05 MOP 130

$5.86 PKR 1,622

173.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.07 MOP 154

$3.12 PKR 862

511.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.25 MOP 236

$6.25 PKR 1,731

368.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MOP 21.87

$1.29 PKR 356

110.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 MOP 23.14

$0.54 PKR 150

429.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 MOP 15.90

$0.99 PKR 273

98.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MOP 19.06

$0.56 PKR 155

321.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 MOP 31.10

$0.33 PKR 91.6

1066.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 MOP 23.85

$0.35 PKR 95.9

742.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 MOP 5.30

$0.45 PKR 124

46.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MOP 9.74

$0.44 PKR 121

172.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.23 PKR 341

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PKR 381

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 PKR 676

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.64 MOP 53.7

$1.79 PKR 497

270.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 MOP 98.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MOP 14.34

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 MOP 18.66

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MOP 6.13

$0.28 PKR 76.5

171.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.62 MOP 183

$9.68 PKR 2,679

133.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 MOP 20.77

$0.92 PKR 255

179.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MOP 9.99

$0.71 PKR 196

74.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.00 MOP 121

$2.22 PKR 615

575.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 MOP 14.22

$1.35 PKR 372

30.37%

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

$31.1K MOP 251.3K

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

74.27%

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

$31.8K MOP 256.7K

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

18.77%

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

$124 MOP 1,002

$112 PKR 30.9K

10.92%

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

$23.44 MOP 189

$6.05 PKR 1,673

287.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.46 MOP 295

$13.29 PKR 3,679

174.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.3 MOP 511

$21.51 PKR 5,954

194.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 MOP 30.57

$17.80 PKR 4,927

-78.76%

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 MOP 119

$4.42 PKR 1,222

233.26%

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

$1,193 MOP 9,642

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

2251.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K MOP 156.2K

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

887.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MOP 566

$17.57 PKR 4,862

298.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.25 MOP 269

$22.78 PKR 6,304

45.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 MOP 747

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

36.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 MOP 1,084

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

227.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 MOP 9,135

$117 PKR 32.5K

863.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 MOP 8,650

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

1313.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,092 MOP 16.9K

$365 PKR 101.1K

472.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,461 MOP 11.8K

$182 PKR 50.5K

701.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,347 MOP 67.5K

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

692.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,538 MOP 44.8K

$491 PKR 135.8K

1028.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,053 MOP 16.6K

$185 PKR 51.2K

1010.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

-77.29%

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

Last update for Macao: October 3, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Macao

$1.1K 50.3%

Karachi

$76 15.7% 92.9% $995

Groceries & Markets

Macao

$422 19.8%

Karachi

$101 20.9% 76.1% $321

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Macao

$184 8.6%

Karachi

$131 27.3% 28.7% $53

Eating Out

Macao

$177 8.3%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 65.6% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Macao

$148 7%

Karachi

$67 13.9% 54.8% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Macao

$93 4.4%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 67.3% $62

Getting Around

Macao

$34 1.6%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 55.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,130 in Macao and $117 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 1010% 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: $55.0 in Macao vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $422 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇴 Macao

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

11:07 11:07 AM

08:07 8:07 AM

3 h behind Macao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

622,567 Capital

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Macanese Pataca MOP P

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to MOP – Macanese Pataca Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇴 Macanese Pataca (P)

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.06 MOP (1 MOP = 0.11 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

USD to MOP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Macao Karachi 4,730 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Macao
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

Macao vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Macao and Karachi differ by about 330% in total monthly costs ($2,107 vs $490 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1010% higher in Macao, 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: $1,130 in Macao versus $117 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,107 per month in Macao versus $490 in Karachi – a 330% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 134% less than in Macao. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $490 in Karachi versus $2,107 in Macao, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Macao. 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, Macao 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 330% less than in Macao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.