Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mardan and Karachi

For one person, living costs are similar in Mardan and in Karachi: $502 and $495 a month, rent and utilities included.

24

Cost of Living Index in Mardan
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Mardan Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Mardan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$502

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$495

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $502 in Mardan versus $495 in Karachi.

Mardan $502
Karachi $495

Estimated couple costs with rent: $788 in Mardan versus $770 in Karachi.

Mardan $788
Karachi $770

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,074 in Mardan versus $1,046 in Karachi.

Mardan $1,074
Karachi $1,046

Monthly costs are close between Mardan and Karachi; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mardan 63% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 PKR 978

$2.21 PKR 610

59.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.47 PKR 6,495

$12.87 PKR 3,562

82.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 PKR 1,504

$5.27 PKR 1,459

3.23%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 PKR 1,013

$2.16 PKR 598

69.44%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 PKR 1,872

$7.36 PKR 2,036

-8.02%

Cappuccino

$2.55 PKR 705

$2.16 PKR 598

18.06%

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

$0.34 PKR 94.7

$0.38 PKR 106

-10.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.9

$0.25 PKR 69.3

-8.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 250

$0.90 PKR 248

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 PKR 216

$0.52 PKR 143

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

$1.20 PKR 331

7.50%

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 337

$1.25 PKR 346

-2.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.93 PKR 811

$5.82 PKR 1,611

-49.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 PKR 878

$3.11 PKR 860

1.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.72 PKR 1,029

$6.53 PKR 1,807

-43.03%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 240

$1.28 PKR 354

-32.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 PKR 203

$0.54 PKR 149

35.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 PKR 286

$1.02 PKR 283

0.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 96.5

$0.56 PKR 155

-37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 74.2

$0.34 PKR 94.9

-20.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 106

$0.31 PKR 87.0

22.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 77.2

$0.41 PKR 113

-31.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 PKR 96.0

$0.43 PKR 120

-18.60%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.79 PKR 496

$1.28 PKR 355

39.84%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 333

$1.33 PKR 368

-9.77%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 PKR 642

$2.45 PKR 678

-5.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 PKR 508

$1.78 PKR 492

3.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 54.5

$0.28 PKR 77.1

-28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.72 PKR 2,966

$11.70 PKR 3,237

-8.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 PKR 352

$0.92 PKR 254

38.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 PKR 190

$0.73 PKR 203

-5.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 PKR 442

$2.22 PKR 615

-27.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 PKR 292

$1.33 PKR 369

-21.05%

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

$21.8K PKR 6.0M

$18.3K PKR 5.1M

19.25%

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

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

-10.65%

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

$104 PKR 28.7K

$112 PKR 31.0K

-7.64%

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

$6.02 PKR 1,666

$5.99 PKR 1,656

0.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.99 PKR 4,701

$13.18 PKR 3,648

28.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.89 PKR 3,566

$24.67 PKR 6,825

-47.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.04 PKR 2,223

$18.29 PKR 5,061

-56.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 PKR 1,353

$4.34 PKR 1,201

12.67%

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

$42.07 PKR 11.6K

$67.2 PKR 18.6K

-37.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,058 PKR 292.8K

$1,915 PKR 529.8K

-44.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.98 PKR 7,188

$17.61 PKR 4,873

47.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.63 PKR 9,583

$22.03 PKR 6,096

57.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 PKR 26.7K

$68.3 PKR 18.9K

40.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.12 PKR 11.1K

$40.66 PKR 11.3K

-1.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$134 PKR 37.1K

$136 PKR 37.6K

-1.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.0 PKR 23.8K

$82.2 PKR 22.7K

4.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 PKR 73.1K

$392 PKR 108.5K

-32.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 PKR 50.3K

$207 PKR 57.2K

-12.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$865 PKR 239.3K

$1,046 PKR 289.5K

-17.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$578 PKR 159.9K

$482 PKR 133.2K

19.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$184 PKR 51.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

13.21

-0.98%

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

Last update for Mardan: October 25, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mardan

$127 25.2%

Karachi

$131 26.6% 3.7% $4.7

Clothing & Footwear

Mardan

$89 17.7%

Karachi

$67 13.5% 24.6% $22

Accommodation & Living

Mardan

$86 17.1%

Karachi

$82 16.6% 4.4% $3.8

Groceries & Markets

Mardan

$84 16.8%

Karachi

$102 20.5% 20.7% $17

Eating Out

Mardan

$77 15.4%

Karachi

$62 12.5% 20% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Mardan

$23 4.5%

Karachi

$33 6.7% 47.1% $11

Getting Around

Mardan

$16 3.2%

Karachi

$17 3.5% 7.3% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $134 in Mardan and $136 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Mardan vs $13 in Karachi. Groceries flip the comparison at $84 vs $102, with Mardan cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Mardan

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

00:45 12:45 AM

Same time as Mardan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

358,604

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

Mardan Karachi 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mardan
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

Mardan vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $753 in Mardan and $742 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: $134 in Mardan versus $136 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mardan runs roughly 8% less than in Karachi. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Shoppers in Mardan pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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.