Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Putian and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $483 a month against $518 in Putian, rent and utilities included – about $420 less a year. The total is higher in Putian despite lower rent and utilities.

25

Cost of Living Index in Putian
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Putian Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Putian

🇨🇳 China

$518

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $518 in Putian versus $483 in Karachi.

Putian $518
Karachi $483

Estimated couple costs with rent: $854 in Putian versus $754 in Karachi.

Putian $854
Karachi $754

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,190 in Putian versus $1,025 in Karachi.

Putian $1,190
Karachi $1,025

Living in Putian is roughly 7% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.21 ¥14.79

$2.11 PKR 585

4.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.26 ¥156

$13.73 PKR 3,801

69.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 ¥34.57

$5.53 PKR 1,531

-6.51%

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

$2.44 ¥16.32

$2.14 PKR 593

14.02%

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

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.40 PKR 111

7.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.28 PKR 77.7

3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ¥5.16

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ¥19.58

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$0.90 PKR 250

63.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 ¥15.07

$0.55 PKR 153

309.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.19

$1.20 PKR 333

-22.50%

Eggs

$1.58 ¥10.58

$1.25 PKR 346

26.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$5.96 PKR 1,650

96.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.43 ¥16.22

$3.19 PKR 883

-23.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 ¥81.4

$6.48 PKR 1,793

87.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 ¥17.03

$1.24 PKR 344

105.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.49

$0.53 PKR 147

167.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ¥11.34

$1.03 PKR 284

65.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ¥13.25

$0.51 PKR 142

288.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.79

$0.31 PKR 85.1

229.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 ¥11.86

$0.31 PKR 87.1

470.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 ¥6.19

$0.41 PKR 113

126.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.36

$0.44 PKR 120

13.64%

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)

$3.04 ¥20.31

$1.83 PKR 508

66.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 ¥74.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.58

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.44

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 ¥4.92

$0.28 PKR 76.8

164.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.38 ¥150

$9.81 PKR 2,716

128.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.16

$0.87 PKR 240

74.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.74 PKR 204

-60.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.94

$2.23 PKR 617

214.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$1.38 PKR 383

-5.07%

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

$19.4K ¥129.8K

$18.4K PKR 5.1M

5.78%

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

$17.8K ¥118.8K

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

-32.81%

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

$44.03 ¥294

$113 PKR 31.4K

-61.13%

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

$8.87 ¥59.3

$6.12 PKR 1,694

44.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.55 ¥70.6

$13.11 PKR 3,628

-19.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.78 PKR 6,029

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.27 PKR 5,058

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 ¥67.4

$4.26 PKR 1,179

136.62%

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

$492 ¥3,286

$52.1 PKR 14.4K

843.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.6K

$1,941 PKR 537.3K

1160.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.10 ¥261

$17.53 PKR 4,852

123.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.11 ¥195

$22.88 PKR 6,332

27.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ¥691

$68.1 PKR 18.8K

51.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.7 ¥573

$41.55 PKR 11.5K

106.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.2 PKR 20.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 PKR 99.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,637 ¥17.6K

$1,082 PKR 299.4K

143.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,115 ¥7,452

$474 PKR 131.2K

135.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$480 ¥3,211

$182 PKR 50.4K

163.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

13.21

-73.81%

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

Last update for Putian: October 20, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Putian

$215 41.6%

Karachi

$102 21.1% 52.6% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Putian

$116 22.4%

Karachi

$68 14% 41.7% $48

Eating Out

Putian

$75 14.5%

Karachi

$62 12.8% 17.5% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Putian

$63 12.3%

Karachi

$133 27.4% 109% $69

Getting Around

Putian

$28 5.5%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 45.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Putian

$20 * 3.9%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 50.3% $10

Accommodation & Living

Putian

- * 0%

Karachi

$73 15.2%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Putian pays 164% 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: $23.00 in Putian vs $14.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $102 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Putian

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

05:44 5:44 AM

02:44 2:44 AM

3 h behind Putian

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,954,000

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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Between locations

Putian Karachi 5,200 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Putian
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

Putian vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Putian and Karachi differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($518 vs $483 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 164% higher in Putian, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you'll spend $518 per month in Putian versus $483 in Karachi – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 128% less than in Putian. 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 7% less than in Putian. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.