Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shah Alam and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $933 in Shah Alam, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Shah Alam
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Shah Alam Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

Jump to prices

Shah Alam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$933

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $933 in Shah Alam versus $482 in Karachi.

Shah Alam $933
Karachi $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,429 in Shah Alam versus $750 in Karachi.

Shah Alam $1,429
Karachi $750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,925 in Shah Alam versus $1,018 in Karachi.

Shah Alam $1,925
Karachi $1,018

Living in Shah Alam is roughly 94% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shah Alam 31% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 MYR 15.19

$2.13 PKR 588

74.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.34 MYR 78.9

$13.30 PKR 3,680

45.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.21 MYR 17.16

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-22.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 607

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 PKR 2,005

Cappuccino

$2.87 MYR 11.70

$2.09 PKR 579

37.32%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.17

$0.40 PKR 111

95.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.58

$0.26 PKR 71.1

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 MYR 13.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 MYR 17.65

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MYR 7.29

$0.92 PKR 254

94.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 MYR 4.31

$0.56 PKR 156

89.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.01

$1.25 PKR 345

17.60%

Eggs

$2.17 MYR 8.85

$1.23 PKR 341

76.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.59 MYR 55.4

$5.67 PKR 1,570

139.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 MYR 17.78

$3.16 PKR 876

37.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.51 MYR 38.79

$6.28 PKR 1,737

51.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 MYR 14.38

$1.26 PKR 348

180.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 MYR 6.61

$0.53 PKR 148

205.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MYR 10.67

$1.00 PKR 276

162.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 MYR 7.05

$0.56 PKR 154

208.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 5.08

$0.33 PKR 91.4

278.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 MYR 8.33

$0.34 PKR 95.1

500.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 MYR 5.82

$0.42 PKR 116

240.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.19

$0.44 PKR 121

22.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.25 PKR 346

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 PKR 365

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 PKR 670

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 MYR 17.66

$1.84 PKR 509

135.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.85 MYR 76.9

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 MYR 11.26

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 MYR 18.94

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MYR 3.05

$0.28 PKR 77.0

167.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.11 MYR 65.7

$9.99 PKR 2,764

61.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.90

$0.92 PKR 256

30.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 MYR 1.67

$0.70 PKR 193

-41.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.48 MYR 30.52

$2.16 PKR 597

246.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 MYR 3.32

$1.38 PKR 382

-41.30%

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

$42.1K MYR 171.7K

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

135.11%

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

$34.9K MYR 142.5K

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

28.96%

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

$36.85 MYR 150

$113 PKR 31.4K

-67.52%

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

$9.64 MYR 39.32

$5.95 PKR 1,648

62.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.94 MYR 118

$13.16 PKR 3,642

119.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.19 MYR 164

$21.55 PKR 5,965

86.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.88 MYR 19.92

$18.23 PKR 5,044

-73.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 MYR 26.86

$4.21 PKR 1,165

56.29%

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

$199 MYR 812

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

281.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,548 MYR 18.6K

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

134.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 MYR 235

$17.55 PKR 4,858

227.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.52 MYR 161

$23.51 PKR 6,506

68.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.8 MYR 277

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

-1.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.0 MYR 285

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

72.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 MYR 1,386

$118 PKR 32.7K

187.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 MYR 1,255

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

318.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$564 MYR 2,301

$357 PKR 98.9K

57.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 MYR 2,283

$188 PKR 52.0K

197.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,502 MYR 6,128

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

41.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 MYR 4,753

$481 PKR 133.1K

142.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,264 MYR 5,156

$183 PKR 50.6K

590.95%

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 Shah Alam: October 13, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shah Alam

$308 33%

Karachi

$74 15.3% 76.1% $234

Groceries & Markets

Shah Alam

$261 28%

Karachi

$101 21% 61.2% $160

Eating Out

Shah Alam

$107 11.5%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 43% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Shah Alam

$106 11.3%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 35.9% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shah Alam

$75 8.1%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 75.7% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Shah Alam

$53 5.7%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 43.8% $23

Getting Around

Shah Alam

$22 2.4%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 30.5% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $340 in Shah Alam and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shah Alam pays 591% 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: $19.00 in Shah Alam vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $261 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Shah Alam

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

14:49 2:49 PM

11:49 11:49 AM

3 h behind Shah Alam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

812,327

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 = 3.21 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Shah Alam Karachi 4,420 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Shah Alam
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

Shah Alam vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shah Alam and Karachi differ by about 94% in total monthly costs ($933 vs $482 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 591% higher in Shah Alam, 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: $340 in Shah Alam versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $933 per month in Shah Alam versus $482 in Karachi – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 61% less than in Shah Alam. 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, Shah Alam 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 94% less than in Shah Alam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.