Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nowshera and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $483 a month against $509 in Nowshera, rent and utilities included – about $310 less a year. The total is higher in Nowshera despite lower rent and utilities.

25

Cost of Living Index in Nowshera
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Nowshera Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Nowshera

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$509

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $509 in Nowshera versus $483 in Karachi.

Nowshera $509
Karachi $483

Estimated couple costs with rent: $798 in Nowshera versus $754 in Karachi.

Nowshera $798
Karachi $754

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,087 in Nowshera versus $1,025 in Karachi.

Nowshera $1,087
Karachi $1,025

Living in Nowshera is roughly 5% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 PKR 976

$2.11 PKR 585

67.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.17 PKR 6,413

$13.73 PKR 3,801

68.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 PKR 1,515

$5.53 PKR 1,531

-1.08%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 PKR 986

$2.20 PKR 609

61.82%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 PKR 1,904

$7.37 PKR 2,040

-6.65%

Cappuccino

$2.60 PKR 720

$2.14 PKR 593

21.50%

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

$0.33 PKR 90.0

$0.40 PKR 111

-17.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.1

$0.28 PKR 77.7

-25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 PKR 278

$0.90 PKR 250

12.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 PKR 215

$0.55 PKR 153

41.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.20 PKR 333

4.17%

Eggs

$1.20 PKR 333

$1.25 PKR 346

-4.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.07 PKR 1,680

$5.96 PKR 1,650

1.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.04 PKR 843

$3.19 PKR 883

-4.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.42 PKR 1,499

$6.48 PKR 1,793

-16.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 PKR 354

$1.24 PKR 344

3.23%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 241

$0.53 PKR 147

64.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 297

$1.03 PKR 284

3.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$0.51 PKR 142

9.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 80.5

$0.31 PKR 85.1

-6.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 99.1

$0.31 PKR 87.1

16.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 PKR 83.0

$0.41 PKR 113

-26.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.44 PKR 120

-9.09%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.82 PKR 503

$1.31 PKR 362

38.93%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 331

$1.33 PKR 369

-9.77%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 PKR 676

$2.42 PKR 670

0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 PKR 654

$1.83 PKR 508

28.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 44.97

$0.28 PKR 76.8

-42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.83 PKR 2,721

$9.81 PKR 2,716

0.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 PKR 345

$0.87 PKR 240

43.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

$0.74 PKR 204

-5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 PKR 437

$2.23 PKR 617

-29.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 PKR 365

$1.38 PKR 383

-4.35%

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

$22.0K PKR 6.1M

$18.4K PKR 5.1M

19.96%

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

$24.0K PKR 6.6M

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

-9.21%

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

$101 PKR 27.9K

$113 PKR 31.4K

-11.13%

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

$5.90 PKR 1,632

$6.12 PKR 1,694

-3.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.15 PKR 4,747

$13.11 PKR 3,628

30.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.69 PKR 4,066

$21.78 PKR 6,029

-32.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.99 PKR 2,210

$18.27 PKR 5,058

-56.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 PKR 1,234

$4.26 PKR 1,179

4.69%

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

$74.5 PKR 20.6K

$52.1 PKR 14.4K

43.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,043 PKR 288.6K

$1,941 PKR 537.3K

-46.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.20 PKR 7,252

$17.53 PKR 4,852

49.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.27 PKR 9,761

$22.88 PKR 6,332

54.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 PKR 26.6K

$68.1 PKR 18.8K

41.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.04 PKR 11.1K

$41.55 PKR 11.5K

-3.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$125 PKR 34.5K

$118 PKR 32.5K

5.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.9 PKR 21.0K

$73.2 PKR 20.3K

3.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$257 PKR 71.1K

$360 PKR 99.6K

-28.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 PKR 41.6K

$188 PKR 52.1K

-20.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$948 PKR 262.4K

$1,082 PKR 299.4K

-12.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$486 PKR 134.6K

$474 PKR 131.2K

2.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$182 PKR 50.4K

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 Nowshera: October 19, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nowshera

$124 24.3%

Karachi

$133 27.4% 7.1% $8.8

Groceries & Markets

Nowshera

$104 20.4%

Karachi

$102 21.1% 1.4% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Nowshera

$89 17.5%

Karachi

$68 14% 24.1% $21

Eating Out

Nowshera

$78 15.3%

Karachi

$62 12.8% 20.6% $16

Accommodation & Living

Nowshera

$76 14.9%

Karachi

$73 15.2% 3.6% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Nowshera

$24 4.6%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 28.4% $6.7

Getting Around

Nowshera

$15 3%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 1.6% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $125 in Nowshera and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Nowshera vs $14.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $104 vs $102 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Nowshera

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

16:36 4:36 PM

Same time as Nowshera

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,131

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Nowshera Karachi 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Nowshera
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

Nowshera vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nowshera and Karachi differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($509 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 $764 in Nowshera 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: $125 in Nowshera versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $509 per month in Nowshera versus $483 in Karachi – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 0% less than in Nowshera. 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.

Expats usually find Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Nowshera. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.