Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Northam and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $483 a month against $2,498 in Northam, rent and utilities included – about $24,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Northam
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Northam Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Northam

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,498

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,498 in Northam versus $483 in Karachi.

Northam $2,498
Karachi $483

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,618 in Northam versus $754 in Karachi.

Northam $3,618
Karachi $754

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,737 in Northam versus $1,025 in Karachi.

Northam $4,737
Karachi $1,025

Living in Northam is roughly 417% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Northam is 84% above, Karachi is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.97 A$28.37

$2.11 PKR 585

846.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 A$121

$13.73 PKR 3,801

519.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 A$15.00

$5.53 PKR 1,531

90.78%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 PKR 609

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 PKR 2,039

Cappuccino

$4.48 A$6.36

$2.14 PKR 593

109.35%

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

$2.84 A$4.03

$0.40 PKR 111

610.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 A$3.25

$0.28 PKR 77.7

717.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.30 A$11.79

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 A$11.51

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.48

$0.90 PKR 249

93.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 A$3.66

$0.55 PKR 153

369.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 A$2.82

$1.20 PKR 333

65.00%

Eggs

$4.48 A$6.36

$1.25 PKR 346

258.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.37 A$9.05

$5.96 PKR 1,650

6.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.96

$3.19 PKR 883

185.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.08 A$20.01

$6.48 PKR 1,792

117.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 A$3.88

$1.24 PKR 344

120.16%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.62

$0.53 PKR 147

513.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.89

$1.03 PKR 284

233.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 A$6.99

$0.51 PKR 142

864.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.11

$0.31 PKR 85.0

832.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 A$2.81

$0.31 PKR 87.1

535.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 A$3.20

$0.41 PKR 113

448.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 A$1.04

$0.44 PKR 120

65.91%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.31 PKR 362

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PKR 369

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 PKR 670

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.37 A$58.8

$1.83 PKR 508

2160.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.49 A$4.96

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.40 A$6.25

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 A$4.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 A$4.15

$0.28 PKR 76.8

942.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.6 A$114

$9.81 PKR 2,716

721.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 A$5.02

$0.87 PKR 239

305.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.07

$0.74 PKR 204

97.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.14 A$58.5

$2.23 PKR 616

1744.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.91

$1.38 PKR 383

-2.17%

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

$26.9K A$38.2K

$18.4K PKR 5.1M

46.31%

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

$29.5K A$41.9K

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

11.41%

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

$196 A$278

$113 PKR 31.4K

72.88%

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

$24.09 A$34.24

$6.12 PKR 1,694

293.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.3 A$91.4

$13.11 PKR 3,628

390.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 A$80.2

$21.78 PKR 6,029

159.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.81 A$25.31

$18.27 PKR 5,057

-2.52%

Cinema Ticket

$17.30 A$24.59

$4.26 PKR 1,179

306.10%

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

$2,328 A$3,307

$52.1 PKR 14.4K

4368.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K A$33.0K

$1,941 PKR 537.2K

1095.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.3 A$110

$17.53 PKR 4,852

340.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.3 A$94.2

$22.88 PKR 6,331

189.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 A$174

$68.1 PKR 18.8K

79.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 A$229

$41.55 PKR 11.5K

287.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 A$1,976

$118 PKR 32.5K

1082.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 A$1,691

$73.2 PKR 20.3K

1526.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,173 A$3,088

$360 PKR 99.6K

504.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,783 A$2,533

$188 PKR 52.1K

846.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,780 A$8,213

$1,082 PKR 299.4K

434.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,889 A$6,947

$474 PKR 131.2K

931.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$182 PKR 50.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

13.21

-55.26%

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

Last update for Northam: October 19, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Northam

$1.2K 47.6%

Karachi

$73 15.2% 93.9% $1.1K

Eating Out

Northam

$323 12.9%

Karachi

$62 12.8% 80.8% $261

Groceries & Markets

Northam

$314 12.6%

Karachi

$102 21.1% 67.5% $212

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Northam

$284 11.4%

Karachi

$133 27.4% 53.4% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Northam

$192 7.7%

Karachi

$68 14% 64.9% $125

Getting Around

Northam

$103 4.1%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 85% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Northam

$91 3.7%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 66.7% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,391 in Northam and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Northam vs $14 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $102 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Northam

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

07:53 7:53 AM

04:53 4:53 AM

3 h behind Northam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,000

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.628 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Northam Karachi 8,200 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Northam
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

Northam vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Northam and Karachi differ by about 417% in total monthly costs ($2,498 vs $483 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,747 in Northam and $725 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: $1,391 in Northam versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,498 per month in Northam versus $483 in Karachi – a 417% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 88% less than in Northam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $483 in Karachi versus $2,498 in Northam, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Northam. 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.

Expats usually find Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Northam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.