Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qingdao, Shandong and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $756 in Qingdao, Shandong, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Qingdao, Shandong
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Qingdao, Shandong Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Qingdao, Shandong

🇨🇳 China

$756

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $756 in Qingdao, Shandong versus $490 in Karachi.

Qingdao, Shandong $756
Karachi $490

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,233 in Qingdao, Shandong versus $755 in Karachi.

Qingdao, Shandong $1,233
Karachi $755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,709 in Qingdao, Shandong versus $1,019 in Karachi.

Qingdao, Shandong $1,709
Karachi $1,019

Living in Qingdao, Shandong is roughly 54% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Qingdao, Shandong 44% lower, Karachi 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.91 ¥19.43

$2.15 PKR 596

35.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.98 ¥120

$13.37 PKR 3,700

34.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.46 ¥29.79

$5.29 PKR 1,464

-15.69%

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

$2.66 ¥17.78

$2.11 PKR 583

26.07%

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

$0.54 ¥3.64

$0.37 PKR 103

45.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ¥2.15

$0.28 PKR 78.2

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.11 ¥7.42

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 ¥17.82

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ¥12.73

$0.86 PKR 238

122.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 ¥9.05

$0.52 PKR 144

159.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.50

$1.24 PKR 344

-21.77%

Eggs

$1.29 ¥8.63

$1.24 PKR 342

4.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.27 ¥109

$5.86 PKR 1,622

177.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 ¥29.12

$3.12 PKR 862

39.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 ¥64.6

$6.25 PKR 1,731

54.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.43

$1.29 PKR 356

9.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 ¥7.99

$0.54 PKR 150

122.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.55

$0.99 PKR 273

74.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.39

$0.56 PKR 155

125.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.53

$0.33 PKR 91.6

106.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.44

$0.35 PKR 95.9

174.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 ¥6.26

$0.45 PKR 124

108.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.09

$0.44 PKR 121

38.64%

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)

$3.79 ¥25.34

$1.79 PKR 497

111.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.69 ¥98.2

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥6.75

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.50

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.28 PKR 76.5

10.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.25 ¥122

$9.68 PKR 2,679

88.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ¥10.03

$0.92 PKR 255

63.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.74

$0.71 PKR 196

-42.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.5

$2.22 PKR 615

308.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.74

$1.35 PKR 372

-2.96%

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

$19.1K ¥127.4K

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

6.82%

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

$16.6K ¥110.7K

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

-38.06%

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

$69.2 ¥463

$112 PKR 30.9K

-38.08%

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

$6.73 ¥44.95

$6.05 PKR 1,673

11.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.73 ¥51.7

$13.29 PKR 3,679

-41.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.95 ¥140

$21.51 PKR 5,954

-2.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 ¥122

$17.80 PKR 4,927

2.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.25 ¥41.79

$4.42 PKR 1,222

41.40%

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

$365 ¥2,439

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

619.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K ¥117.4K

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

797.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 ¥351

$17.57 PKR 4,862

198.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.25 ¥329

$22.78 PKR 6,304

116.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 ¥628

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

38.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.2 ¥609

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

122.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$353 ¥2,362

$117 PKR 32.5K

201.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 ¥1,328

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

162.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$757 ¥5,056

$365 PKR 101.1K

107.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 ¥2,796

$182 PKR 50.5K

129.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,573 ¥23.9K

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

239.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,172 ¥14.5K

$491 PKR 135.8K

342.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,196 ¥7,995

$185 PKR 51.2K

547.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.37

13.21

-74.49%

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

Last update for Qingdao, Shandong: October 6, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Qingdao, Shandong

$221 28.7%

Karachi

$101 20.9% 54.5% $121

Accommodation & Living

Qingdao, Shandong

$199 25.7%

Karachi

$76 15.7% 61.9% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Qingdao, Shandong

$129 16.7%

Karachi

$67 13.9% 48.1% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Qingdao, Shandong

$84 10.8%

Karachi

$131 27.3% 56.7% $47

Eating Out

Qingdao, Shandong

$83 10.7%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 26.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Qingdao, Shandong

$33 4.3%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 9.3% $3.1

Getting Around

Qingdao, Shandong

$23 3%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 33.9% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $353 in Qingdao, Shandong and $117 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qingdao, Shandong pays 547% 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: $18.00 in Qingdao, Shandong vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Qingdao, Shandong

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

14:49 2:49 PM

11:49 11:49 AM

3 h behind Qingdao, Shandong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,071,722

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 = 3.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 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 CNY in detail →

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Qingdao, Shandong Karachi 5,200 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Qingdao, Shandong
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

Qingdao, Shandong vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qingdao, Shandong and Karachi differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($756 vs $490 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 547% higher in Qingdao, Shandong, 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: $353 in Qingdao, Shandong versus $117 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $756 per month in Qingdao, Shandong versus $490 in Karachi – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 89% less than in Qingdao, Shandong. 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 54% less than in Qingdao, Shandong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.