Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qinhuangdao and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $483 a month against $714 in Qinhuangdao, 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 Qinhuangdao
Learn more

Qinhuangdao Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index

Jump to prices

Qinhuangdao

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $714 in Qinhuangdao versus $483 in Karachi.

Qinhuangdao $714
Karachi $483

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,135 in Qinhuangdao versus $754 in Karachi.

Qinhuangdao $1,135
Karachi $754

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,556 in Qinhuangdao versus $1,025 in Karachi.

Qinhuangdao $1,556
Karachi $1,025

Living in Qinhuangdao 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: Qinhuangdao 47% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.76 ¥18.44

$2.11 PKR 585

30.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.79 ¥146

$13.73 PKR 3,801

58.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 ¥32.64

$5.53 PKR 1,531

-11.75%

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

$3.04 ¥20.33

$2.14 PKR 593

42.06%

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

$0.47 ¥3.13

$0.40 PKR 111

17.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$0.28 PKR 77.7

-3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 ¥6.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥14.24

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.37

$0.90 PKR 250

105.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.38

$0.55 PKR 153

181.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.94

$1.20 PKR 333

-25.83%

Eggs

$1.53 ¥10.25

$1.25 PKR 346

22.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.05 ¥87.3

$5.96 PKR 1,650

118.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.11 ¥20.80

$3.19 PKR 883

-2.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.33 ¥69.1

$6.48 PKR 1,793

59.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ¥12.52

$1.24 PKR 344

50.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.36

$0.53 PKR 147

135.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$1.03 PKR 284

42.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.66

$0.51 PKR 142

125.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.90

$0.31 PKR 85.1

135.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.36

$0.31 PKR 87.1

206.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.01

$0.41 PKR 113

46.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.42

$0.44 PKR 120

15.91%

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)

$3.05 ¥20.41

$1.83 PKR 508

66.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 ¥71.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.28

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥10.94

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$0.28 PKR 76.8

-3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.97 ¥113

$9.81 PKR 2,716

72.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 ¥9.52

$0.87 PKR 240

63.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.74 PKR 204

-55.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.62 ¥44.23

$2.23 PKR 617

196.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.61

$1.38 PKR 383

-17.39%

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

$19.2K ¥128.4K

$18.4K PKR 5.1M

4.64%

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

$17.1K ¥114.3K

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

-35.34%

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

$44.64 ¥298

$113 PKR 31.4K

-60.59%

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

$9.87 ¥66.0

$6.12 PKR 1,694

61.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.90 ¥79.5

$13.11 PKR 3,628

-9.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.14 ¥282

$21.78 PKR 6,029

93.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.09 ¥94.2

$18.27 PKR 5,058

-22.88%

Cinema Ticket

$5.79 ¥38.72

$4.26 PKR 1,179

35.92%

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

$337 ¥2,254

$52.1 PKR 14.4K

547.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ¥114.7K

$1,941 PKR 537.3K

783.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.18 ¥295

$17.53 PKR 4,852

152.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.35 ¥203

$22.88 PKR 6,332

32.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 ¥480

$68.1 PKR 18.8K

5.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ¥472

$41.55 PKR 11.5K

70.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 ¥1,843

$118 PKR 32.5K

134.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 ¥1,277

$73.2 PKR 20.3K

161.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$601 ¥4,016

$360 PKR 99.6K

66.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 ¥2,423

$188 PKR 52.1K

92.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,063 ¥20.5K

$1,082 PKR 299.4K

183.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 ¥13.8K

$474 PKR 131.2K

336.30%

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 Qinhuangdao: 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

Qinhuangdao

$199 27.9%

Karachi

$102 21.1% 48.7% $97

Accommodation & Living

Qinhuangdao

$191 26.8%

Karachi

$73 15.2% 61.7% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Qinhuangdao

$98 13.7%

Karachi

$68 14% 30.9% $30

Eating Out

Qinhuangdao

$85 11.9%

Karachi

$62 12.8% 27.2% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Qinhuangdao

$66 9.3%

Karachi

$133 27.4% 99.5% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Qinhuangdao

$54 7.5%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 43.6% $23

Getting Around

Qinhuangdao

$21 3%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 26.6% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $276 in Qinhuangdao and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22.00 in Qinhuangdao vs $14.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $102 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Qinhuangdao

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

16:06 4:06 PM

13:06 1:06 PM

3 h behind Qinhuangdao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,987,605

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 25, 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 25, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Qinhuangdao Karachi 5,130 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Qinhuangdao
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

Qinhuangdao vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qinhuangdao and Karachi differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($714 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 $1,071 in Qinhuangdao 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: $276 in Qinhuangdao versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $714 per month in Qinhuangdao 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 73% less than in Qinhuangdao. 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 48% less than in Qinhuangdao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.