Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pakistan and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in Pakistan: $483 a month against $791 in China, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Pakistan
Learn more

Pakistan Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pakistan and in China

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pakistan and in China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $483 in Pakistan versus $791 in China.

Pakistan $483
China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $736 in Pakistan versus $1,251 in China.

Pakistan $736
China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $988 in Pakistan versus $1,711 in China.

Pakistan $988
China $1,711

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $465 to $1,222, compared to $291–$607 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in Pakistan costs about 39% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Pakistan 65% lower, China 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 PKR 582

$2.98 ¥19.84

-29.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.97 PKR 3,863

$22.09 ¥147

-36.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.50 PKR 1,522

$5.20 ¥34.66

5.77%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 PKR 615

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 PKR 1,192

Cappuccino

$1.97 PKR 545

$2.97 ¥19.77

-33.67%

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

$0.38 PKR 105

$0.48 ¥3.19

-20.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.6

$0.30 ¥2.01

-23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.18

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 PKR 239

$1.80 ¥11.98

-51.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 PKR 165

$1.68 ¥11.17

-64.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 PKR 334

$0.92 ¥6.14

31.52%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 333

$1.61 ¥10.75

-24.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.42 PKR 1,499

$13.38 ¥89.2

-59.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.83 PKR 782

$3.35 ¥22.31

-15.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.06 PKR 1,399

$11.35 ¥75.7

-55.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 331

$1.82 ¥12.14

-34.07%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 PKR 176

$1.31 ¥8.71

-51.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 241

$1.49 ¥9.91

-41.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 148

$1.27 ¥8.49

-57.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.8

$0.71 ¥4.74

-53.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 108

$0.93 ¥6.22

-58.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.37 PKR 104

$0.62 ¥4.12

-40.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 PKR 113

$0.56 ¥3.75

-26.79%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.08 PKR 574

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 PKR 296

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 PKR 652

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 PKR 593

$3.78 ¥25.19

-43.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.9

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.55

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.23

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 55.0

$0.29 ¥1.92

-31.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.01 PKR 2,767

$17.83 ¥119

-43.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 PKR 243

$1.49 ¥9.91

-40.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 PKR 155

$0.37 ¥2.50

51.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 PKR 613

$7.10 ¥47.31

-68.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 PKR 357

$1.26 ¥8.39

2.38%

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

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

$19.4K ¥129.6K

-8.60%

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

$24.3K PKR 6.7M

$17.5K ¥116.9K

38.81%

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

$110 PKR 30.5K

$54.6 ¥364

102.14%

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

$5.41 PKR 1,495

$8.73 ¥58.2

-38.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.79 PKR 4,366

$11.07 ¥73.8

42.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.50 PKR 5,115

$40.77 ¥272

-54.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.09 PKR 3,065

$14.48 ¥96.5

-23.41%

Cinema Ticket

$4.32 PKR 1,194

$6.78 ¥45.19

-36.28%

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

$56.4 PKR 15.6K

$517 ¥3,443

-89.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,511 PKR 417.9K

$19.8K ¥132.0K

-92.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.56 PKR 4,856

$46.53 ¥310

-62.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.58 PKR 6,518

$35.66 ¥238

-33.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.7 PKR 21.2K

$77.0 ¥513

-0.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.08 PKR 9,699

$80.3 ¥535

-56.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$150 PKR 41.5K

$386 ¥2,572

-61.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$87.4 PKR 24.2K

$235 ¥1,563

-62.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$320 PKR 88.6K

$822 ¥5,478

-61.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 PKR 52.5K

$453 ¥3,020

-58.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$970 PKR 268.3K

$4,697 ¥31.3K

-79.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$520 PKR 143.9K

$2,372 ¥15.8K

-78.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$192 PKR 53.1K

$1,093 ¥7,286

-82.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.1

3.46

307.51%

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

Last update for Pakistan: October 25, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pakistan

$131 27.2%

China

$74 9.4% 43.4% $57

Groceries & Markets

Pakistan

$94 19.5%

China

$210 26.5% 124% $116

Accommodation & Living

Pakistan

$87 18.1%

China

$235 29.6% 168% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Pakistan

$69 14.3%

China

$108 13.6% 56.6% $39

Eating Out

Pakistan

$59 12.3%

China

$88 11.1% 48.1% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Pakistan

$27 5.6%

China

$54 6.9% 100% $27

Getting Around

Pakistan

$14 3%

China

$22 2.8% 54.3% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $137 in Pakistan, $298 in China. Capital cities: $261 in Islamabad vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $185 in Pakistan, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 118% higher in China.

Dining out costs 69% more in China.

Public transport is 80% more expensive in China.

Salaries are about 4.7 times higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Pakistan

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

05:22 5:22 AM

08:22 8:22 AM

3 h ahead of Pakistan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

223,773,700

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 276 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 308 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Pakistan China 3,880 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Pakistan
China

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

Pakistan vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $483 in Pakistan, there’s a 64% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in Pakistan: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $298 in China and $137 in Pakistan. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Pakistan, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in China it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you’re after: Pakistan wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.