Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yichang and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $714 in Yichang, 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 Yichang
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Yichang Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

Jump to prices

Yichang

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $714 in Yichang versus $482 in Karachi.

Yichang $714
Karachi $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in Yichang versus $750 in Karachi.

Yichang $1,132
Karachi $750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in Yichang versus $1,018 in Karachi.

Yichang $1,551
Karachi $1,018

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 ¥18.33

$2.13 PKR 588

28.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.74 ¥145

$13.30 PKR 3,680

63.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 ¥32.63

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-10.46%

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

$2.96 ¥19.77

$2.09 PKR 579

41.63%

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

$0.47 ¥3.11

$0.40 PKR 111

17.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$0.26 PKR 71.1

3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 ¥5.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ¥14.12

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.41

$0.92 PKR 254

102.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ¥10.73

$0.56 PKR 156

185.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.34

$1.25 PKR 345

-24.00%

Eggs

$1.53 ¥10.24

$1.23 PKR 341

24.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 ¥86.8

$5.67 PKR 1,570

128.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 ¥21.81

$3.16 PKR 876

3.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.11 ¥67.6

$6.28 PKR 1,737

60.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.94

$1.26 PKR 348

42.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ¥8.09

$0.53 PKR 148

128.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.25

$1.00 PKR 276

53.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.66

$0.56 PKR 154

105.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.00

$0.33 PKR 91.4

127.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$0.34 PKR 95.1

176.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 ¥3.70

$0.42 PKR 116

30.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.70

$0.44 PKR 121

25.00%

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)

$3.16 ¥21.10

$1.84 PKR 509

71.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 ¥71.6

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥5.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ¥10.63

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$0.28 PKR 77.0

-3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.48 ¥110

$9.99 PKR 2,764

64.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.09

$0.92 PKR 256

47.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.35

$0.70 PKR 193

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.55 ¥43.81

$2.16 PKR 597

203.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.50

$1.38 PKR 382

-18.84%

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

$19.3K ¥128.8K

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

7.61%

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

$17.3K ¥115.4K

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

-36.29%

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

$45.21 ¥302

$113 PKR 31.4K

-60.15%

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

$9.71 ¥64.9

$5.95 PKR 1,648

63.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.62 ¥77.7

$13.16 PKR 3,642

-11.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.47 ¥284

$21.55 PKR 5,965

97.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.74 ¥91.9

$18.23 PKR 5,044

-24.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.95 ¥39.81

$4.21 PKR 1,165

41.33%

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

$329 ¥2,202

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

531.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K ¥111.8K

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

761.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.70 ¥292

$17.55 PKR 4,858

149.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.05 ¥201

$23.51 PKR 6,506

27.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.1 ¥476

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

3.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.8 ¥473

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

74.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$273 ¥1,825

$118 PKR 32.7K

131.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ¥1,287

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

161.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$599 ¥4,006

$357 PKR 98.9K

67.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ¥2,413

$188 PKR 52.0K

92.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,972 ¥19.9K

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

180.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 ¥13.8K

$481 PKR 133.1K

330.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

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 Yichang: October 11, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Yichang

$200 27.9%

Karachi

$101 21% 49.3% $98

Accommodation & Living

Yichang

$192 26.9%

Karachi

$74 15.3% 61.7% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Yichang

$97 13.6%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 30.2% $29

Eating Out

Yichang

$84 11.7%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 26.9% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yichang

$67 9.3%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 99.2% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Yichang

$54 7.6%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 44.9% $24

Getting Around

Yichang

$21 2.9%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 24.9% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $273 in Yichang and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22.00 in Yichang vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Yichang

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

15:36 3:36 PM

12:36 12:36 PM

3 h behind Yichang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,059,686

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

Yichang Karachi 4,380 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Yichang
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

Yichang vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yichang and Karachi differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($714 vs $482 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 Yichang and $723 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: $273 in Yichang 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 Yichang versus $482 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 65% less than in Yichang. 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, Yichang 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 Yichang. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.