Measurement units Temperature, distance and clock format
Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Mehar and Karachi
For one person, living is cheaper in Mehar: $447 a month against $483 in Karachi, rent and utilities included – about $430 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mehar and in Karachi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $447 in Mehar versus $483 in Karachi.
Mehar $447
Karachi $483
Estimated couple costs with rent: $667 in Mehar versus $754 in Karachi.
Mehar $667
Karachi $754
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $887 in Mehar versus $1,025 in Karachi.
Mehar $887
Karachi $1,025
🌍
Living in Mehar costs roughly 7% less than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Mehar67% lower, Karachi64% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Mehar
Karachi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.12PKR 586
$2.11PKR 585
0.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$10.76PKR 2,977
$13.73PKR 3,801
-21.63%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$5.37PKR 1,487
$5.53PKR 1,531
-2.89%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.46PKR 682
$2.20PKR 609
11.82%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.36PKR 1,482
$7.37PKR 2,040
-27.27%
Cappuccino
$1.58PKR 437
$2.14PKR 593
-26.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.35PKR 97.0
$0.40PKR 111
-12.50%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.17PKR 48.28
$0.28PKR 77.7
-39.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mehar
Karachi
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.84PKR 231
$0.90PKR 250
-6.67%
White Bread(500g)
$0.62PKR 172
$0.55PKR 153
12.73%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.12PKR 311
$1.20PKR 333
-6.67%
Eggs
$1.20PKR 332
$1.25PKR 346
-4.00%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$5.71PKR 1,580
$5.96PKR 1,650
-4.19%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$2.57PKR 712
$3.19PKR 883
-19.44%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$5.03PKR 1,391
$6.48PKR 1,793
-22.38%
Apples(1kg)
$1.16PKR 320
$1.24PKR 344
-6.45%
Banana(1kg)
$0.55PKR 151
$0.53PKR 147
3.77%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.79PKR 218
$1.03PKR 284
-23.30%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.56PKR 156
$0.51PKR 142
9.80%
Potato(1kg)
$0.30PKR 83.5
$0.31PKR 85.1
-3.23%
Onion(1kg)
$0.38PKR 106
$0.31PKR 87.1
22.58%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.42PKR 115
$0.41PKR 113
2.44%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.35PKR 95.7
$0.44PKR 120
-20.45%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
$1.81PKR 502
$1.31PKR 362
38.17%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.06PKR 293
$1.33PKR 369
-20.30%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37PKR 657
$2.42PKR 670
-2.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.02PKR 559
$1.83PKR 508
10.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Mehar
Karachi
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.20PKR 54.3
$0.28PKR 76.8
-28.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$9.77PKR 2,703
$9.81PKR 2,716
-0.41%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.10PKR 304
$0.87PKR 240
26.44%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.71PKR 196
$0.74PKR 204
-4.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.64PKR 453
$2.23PKR 617
-26.46%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.24PKR 342
$1.38PKR 383
-10.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.1KPKR 6.1M
$18.4KPKR 5.1M
20.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.3KPKR 6.7M
$26.4KPKR 7.3M
-7.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mehar
Karachi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$101PKR 28.0K
$113PKR 31.4K
-10.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.71PKR 1,581
$6.12PKR 1,694
-6.70%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.30PKR 3,958
$13.11PKR 3,628
9.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mehar
Karachi
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$15.17PKR 4,199
$21.78PKR 6,029
-30.35%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.92PKR 2,191
$18.27PKR 5,058
-56.65%
Cinema Ticket
$4.39PKR 1,215
$4.26PKR 1,179
3.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mehar
Karachi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$42.99PKR 11.9K
$52.1PKR 14.4K
-17.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$1,021PKR 282.7K
$1,941PKR 537.3K
-47.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mehar
Karachi
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$16.60PKR 4,595
$17.53PKR 4,852
-5.31%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.60PKR 6,531
$22.88PKR 6,332
3.15%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$67.9PKR 18.8K
$68.1PKR 18.8K
-0.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$33.37PKR 9,235
$41.55PKR 11.5K
-19.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mehar
Karachi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$128PKR 35.5K
$118PKR 32.5K
8.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$77.4PKR 21.4K
$73.2PKR 20.3K
5.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$249PKR 69.0K
$360PKR 99.6K
-30.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$151PKR 41.8K
$188PKR 52.1K
-19.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$949PKR 262.6K
$1,082PKR 299.4K
-12.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$483PKR 133.8K
$474PKR 131.2K
1.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mehar
Karachi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$109PKR 30.0K
$182PKR 50.4K
-40.40%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
13
13.21
-1.59%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Mehar: October 17, 2026
Last update for Karachi: October 17, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mehar
$121 27.1%
Karachi
$133 27.4% ↑ 9.2%$11
🛒Groceries & Markets
Mehar
$91 20.5%
Karachi
$102 21.1% ↑ 11.7%$11
🏠Accommodation & Living
Mehar
$77 17.3%
Karachi
$73 15.2% ↓ 5.5%$4.2
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Mehar
$64 14.2%
Karachi
$68 14% ↑ 6%$3.8
🍽Eating Out
Mehar
$54 12.1%
Karachi
$62 12.8% ↑ 14.4%$7.8
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Mehar
$24 5.4%
Karachi
$30 6.3% ↑ 26.6%$6.4
🚌Getting Around
Mehar
$15 3.4%
Karachi
$15 3.2% ↑ 1.8%$0.3
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mehar
$127 14.3%
Karachi
$139 13.5% ↑ 9.1%$12
🛒Groceries & Markets
Mehar
$222 25%
Karachi
$248 24.2% ↑ 11.9%$26
🏠Accommodation & Living
Mehar
$151 17%
Karachi
$188 18.4% ↑ 24.9%$38
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Mehar
$141 15.9%
Karachi
$150 14.6% ↑ 6.1%$8.6
🍽Eating Out
Mehar
$160 18%
Karachi
$190 18.5% ↑ 18.8%$30
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Mehar
$56 6.3%
Karachi
$79 7.7% ↑ 41.3%$23
🚌Getting Around
Mehar
$31 3.5%
Karachi
$32 3.1% ↑ 2.3%$0.7
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $128 in Mehar and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Karachi pays 68% 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: $11.00 in Mehar vs $14.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $91.0 vs $102 per month, with Mehar cheaper across the board.
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
Mehar vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Mehar and in Karachi?
Mehar and Karachi differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($447 vs $483 including rent). Mehar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 68% lower in Karachi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Mehar and in Karachi?
Rent for a central apartment: $128 in Mehar versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Mehar or Karachi?
All in, you'll spend $447 per month in Mehar versus $483 in Karachi – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Mehar and in Karachi?
A monthly transit pass in Mehar runs roughly 0% less than in Karachi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
How far does $800 go in Mehar compared to Karachi?
Either city works on $800 a month, though Mehar gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Mehar and Karachi?
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.
Where should expats move: Mehar or Karachi?
Expats usually find Mehar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Karachi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.