Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puning and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $483 a month against $715 in Puning, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Puning
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Puning Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Puning

🇨🇳 China

$715

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $715 in Puning versus $483 in Karachi.

Puning $715
Karachi $483

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,127 in Puning versus $754 in Karachi.

Puning $1,127
Karachi $754

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,539 in Puning versus $1,025 in Karachi.

Puning $1,539
Karachi $1,025

Living in Puning is roughly 48% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Puning 47% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.82 ¥18.89

$2.11 PKR 585

33.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.21 ¥142

$13.73 PKR 3,801

54.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ¥31.82

$5.53 PKR 1,531

-13.92%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 PKR 609

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 PKR 2,040

Cappuccino

$2.99 ¥19.97

$2.14 PKR 593

39.72%

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

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.40 PKR 111

7.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.95

$0.28 PKR 77.7

3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 ¥6.16

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.68

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ¥11.92

$0.90 PKR 250

97.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.39

$0.55 PKR 153

181.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.01

$1.20 PKR 333

-25.00%

Eggs

$1.53 ¥10.20

$1.25 PKR 346

22.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.69 ¥84.9

$5.96 PKR 1,650

112.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 ¥21.88

$3.19 PKR 883

2.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.26 ¥68.6

$6.48 PKR 1,793

58.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.07

$1.24 PKR 344

45.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.43

$0.53 PKR 147

137.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.28

$1.03 PKR 284

49.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.33

$0.51 PKR 142

115.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.74

$0.31 PKR 85.1

129.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.97

$0.31 PKR 87.1

187.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.79

$0.41 PKR 113

39.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.70

$0.44 PKR 120

25.00%

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)

$3.17 ¥21.21

$1.83 PKR 508

73.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.75 ¥71.9

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.16

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$0.28 PKR 76.8

-3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.43 ¥110

$9.81 PKR 2,716

67.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 ¥9.39

$0.87 PKR 240

60.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.18

$0.74 PKR 204

-55.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.66 ¥44.55

$2.23 PKR 617

198.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.54

$1.38 PKR 383

-18.12%

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

$19.4K ¥129.6K

$18.4K PKR 5.1M

5.62%

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

$17.3K ¥115.7K

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

-34.58%

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

$44.25 ¥296

$113 PKR 31.4K

-60.94%

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

$9.64 ¥64.5

$6.12 PKR 1,694

57.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.50 ¥76.9

$13.11 PKR 3,628

-12.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.38 ¥283

$21.78 PKR 6,029

94.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.80 ¥92.3

$18.27 PKR 5,058

-24.47%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 ¥39.20

$4.26 PKR 1,179

37.56%

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

$337 ¥2,257

$52.1 PKR 14.4K

547.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ¥110.9K

$1,941 PKR 537.3K

754.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.71 ¥292

$17.53 PKR 4,852

149.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.58 ¥204

$22.88 PKR 6,332

33.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ¥484

$68.1 PKR 18.8K

6.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ¥471

$41.55 PKR 11.5K

69.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 ¥1,830

$118 PKR 32.5K

132.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 ¥1,302

$73.2 PKR 20.3K

166.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 ¥4,011

$360 PKR 99.6K

66.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 ¥2,365

$188 PKR 52.1K

87.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,990 ¥20.0K

$1,082 PKR 299.4K

176.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,066 ¥13.8K

$474 PKR 131.2K

335.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$182 PKR 50.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

13.21

-70.55%

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

Last update for Puning: October 18, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Puning

$198 27.7%

Karachi

$102 21.1% 48.5% $96

Accommodation & Living

Puning

$195 27.2%

Karachi

$73 15.2% 62.4% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Puning

$98 13.7%

Karachi

$68 14% 30.9% $30

Eating Out

Puning

$84 11.8%

Karachi

$62 12.8% 26.5% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puning

$65 9.2%

Karachi

$133 27.4% 103% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Puning

$54 7.6%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 44% $24

Getting Around

Puning

$21 2.9%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 24.6% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $274 in Puning and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Puning vs $14.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $102 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Puning

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

05:24 5:24 AM

02:24 2:24 AM

3 h behind Puning

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,508,900

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Puning Karachi 4,960 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Puning
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

Puning vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puning and Karachi differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($715 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 $1,072 in Puning 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: $274 in Puning versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $715 per month in Puning versus $483 in Karachi – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 67% less than in Puning. 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, Puning 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 48% less than in Puning. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.