Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $839 in Penang, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$839

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $839 in Penang versus $490 in Karachi.

Penang $839
Karachi $490

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,314 in Penang versus $755 in Karachi.

Penang $1,314
Karachi $755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,790 in Penang versus $1,019 in Karachi.

Penang $1,790
Karachi $1,019

Living in Penang is roughly 71% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Penang 37% lower, Karachi 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.63

$2.15 PKR 596

66.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.84 MYR 81.0

$13.37 PKR 3,700

48.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 MYR 18.69

$5.29 PKR 1,464

-13.42%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 PKR 2,005

Cappuccino

$3.04 MYR 12.40

$2.11 PKR 583

44.08%

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

$0.73 MYR 2.98

$0.37 PKR 103

97.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.59

$0.28 PKR 78.2

39.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.18 MYR 17.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MYR 17.63

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MYR 7.71

$0.86 PKR 238

119.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.42

$0.52 PKR 144

107.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.23

$1.24 PKR 344

42.74%

Eggs

$2.23 MYR 9.10

$1.24 PKR 342

79.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.69 MYR 55.9

$5.86 PKR 1,622

133.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 MYR 17.51

$3.12 PKR 862

37.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.60 MYR 35.12

$6.25 PKR 1,731

37.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MYR 12.42

$1.29 PKR 356

135.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MYR 6.96

$0.54 PKR 150

216.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 MYR 10.90

$0.99 PKR 273

169.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.00

$0.56 PKR 155

162.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 MYR 4.47

$0.33 PKR 91.6

230.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 MYR 4.39

$0.35 PKR 95.9

205.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MYR 4.67

$0.45 PKR 124

153.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.31

$0.44 PKR 121

29.55%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.23 PKR 341

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PKR 381

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 PKR 676

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 MYR 18.87

$1.79 PKR 497

158.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.29 MYR 78.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 MYR 11.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 MYR 21.92

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MYR 2.08

$0.28 PKR 76.5

82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.30 MYR 50.2

$9.68 PKR 2,679

27.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 MYR 7.17

$0.92 PKR 255

90.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 MYR 1.51

$0.71 PKR 196

-47.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 MYR 29.68

$2.22 PKR 615

227.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 MYR 3.85

$1.35 PKR 372

-30.37%

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

$41.0K MYR 167.2K

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

129.58%

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

$34.9K MYR 142.4K

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

30.41%

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

$36.55 MYR 149

$112 PKR 30.9K

-67.31%

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

$9.97 MYR 40.70

$6.05 PKR 1,673

64.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.32 MYR 120

$13.29 PKR 3,679

120.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.81 MYR 158

$21.51 PKR 5,954

80.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.98 MYR 20.33

$17.80 PKR 4,927

-72.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 MYR 19.89

$4.42 PKR 1,222

10.18%

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

$430 MYR 1,755

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

747.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MYR 44.1K

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

452.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 MYR 246

$17.57 PKR 4,862

242.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.26 MYR 144

$22.78 PKR 6,304

54.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 MYR 341

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

23.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 MYR 285

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

70.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 MYR 1,641

$117 PKR 32.5K

242.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 MYR 949

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

206.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 MYR 2,534

$365 PKR 101.1K

69.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 MYR 1,676

$182 PKR 50.5K

125.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,212 MYR 9,034

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

109.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,057 MYR 4,317

$491 PKR 135.8K

115.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$943 MYR 3,851

$185 PKR 51.2K

410.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

13.21

-69.42%

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

Last update for Penang: October 5, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$258 30.1%

Karachi

$101 20.9% 61% $157

Accommodation & Living

Penang

$232 27.1%

Karachi

$76 15.7% 67.4% $157

Eating Out

Penang

$113 13.2%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 45.9% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$112 13.1%

Karachi

$67 13.9% 40.2% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$76 8.8%

Karachi

$131 27.3% 72.9% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$49 5.7%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 37.5% $18

Getting Around

Penang

$18 2.1%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 15.1% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $402 in Penang and $117 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Penang pays 410% 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: $20.00 in Penang vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

11:43 11:43 AM

08:43 8:43 AM

3 h behind Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Penang Karachi 4,150 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Penang
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

Penang vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penang and Karachi differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($839 vs $490 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 410% higher in Penang, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $402 in Penang versus $117 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $839 per month in Penang versus $490 in Karachi – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 27% less than in Penang. 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.

Safety-wise, Penang and Karachi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Penang. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.