Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhangjiagang and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $740 in Zhangjiagang, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Zhangjiagang
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Zhangjiagang Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Zhangjiagang

🇨🇳 China

$740

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $740 in Zhangjiagang versus $482 in Karachi.

Zhangjiagang $740
Karachi $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,149 in Zhangjiagang versus $750 in Karachi.

Zhangjiagang $1,149
Karachi $750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,558 in Zhangjiagang versus $1,018 in Karachi.

Zhangjiagang $1,558
Karachi $1,018

Living in Zhangjiagang 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: Zhangjiagang 45% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.80 ¥25.43

$2.13 PKR 588

78.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.20 ¥148

$13.30 PKR 3,679

66.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 ¥33.31

$5.45 PKR 1,507

-8.62%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 607

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 PKR 2,004

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.32

$2.09 PKR 579

45.45%

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

$0.49 ¥3.29

$0.40 PKR 111

22.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$0.26 PKR 71.1

3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 ¥10.09

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ¥14.84

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ¥13.90

$0.92 PKR 254

126.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 ¥13.95

$0.56 PKR 156

273.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 ¥5.64

$1.25 PKR 345

-32.80%

Eggs

$1.36 ¥9.09

$1.23 PKR 341

10.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.64 ¥71.1

$5.67 PKR 1,570

87.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.93 ¥19.60

$3.16 PKR 875

-7.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.12 ¥61.0

$6.28 PKR 1,737

45.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 ¥13.66

$1.26 PKR 348

61.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.64

$0.53 PKR 147

143.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.04

$1.00 PKR 276

80.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.39

$0.56 PKR 154

98.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 ¥5.99

$0.33 PKR 91.4

172.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.03

$0.34 PKR 95.1

164.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 ¥5.80

$0.42 PKR 116

107.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.51

$0.44 PKR 121

20.45%

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)

$3.64 ¥24.37

$1.84 PKR 509

97.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.44 ¥89.9

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥6.27

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ¥10.44

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ¥1.99

$0.28 PKR 77.0

7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.58 ¥118

$9.99 PKR 2,764

75.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 ¥11.78

$0.92 PKR 256

91.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$0.70 PKR 193

-44.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ¥58.6

$2.16 PKR 597

305.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥9.14

$1.38 PKR 382

-0.72%

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

$19.2K ¥128.2K

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

7.13%

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

$16.9K ¥112.7K

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

-37.77%

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

$55.8 ¥373

$113 PKR 31.4K

-50.86%

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

$7.76 ¥51.9

$5.95 PKR 1,647

30.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.32 ¥48.98

$13.16 PKR 3,641

-44.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.15 ¥242

$21.55 PKR 5,963

67.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.01 ¥107

$18.23 PKR 5,043

-12.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.07 ¥40.61

$4.21 PKR 1,165

44.18%

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

$418 ¥2,794

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

701.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ¥149.4K

$1,940 PKR 536.9K

1051.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.99 ¥288

$17.55 PKR 4,857

144.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.04 ¥228

$23.51 PKR 6,504

44.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 ¥439

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

-4.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ¥592

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

117.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 ¥1,869

$118 PKR 32.6K

136.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 ¥1,295

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

163.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 ¥4,809

$357 PKR 98.9K

101.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 ¥2,168

$188 PKR 52.0K

72.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,266 ¥21.8K

$1,060 PKR 293.3K

208.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,685 ¥11.3K

$481 PKR 133.0K

250.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.42

13.21

-74.11%

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

Last update for Zhangjiagang: October 10, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhangjiagang

$204 27.6%

Karachi

$101 21% 50.4% $103

Accommodation & Living

Zhangjiagang

$194 26.2%

Karachi

$74 15.3% 62% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Zhangjiagang

$104 14.1%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 34.9% $36

Eating Out

Zhangjiagang

$97 13.1%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 36.9% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhangjiagang

$71 9.6%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 87.1% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Zhangjiagang

$48 6.5%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 37.9% $18

Getting Around

Zhangjiagang

$22 3%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 31% $7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $280 in Zhangjiagang and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22.00 in Zhangjiagang vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhangjiagang

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

17:01 5:01 PM

14:01 2:01 PM

3 h behind Zhangjiagang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,432,044

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.23 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.23 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Zhangjiagang Karachi 5,240 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Zhangjiagang
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

Zhangjiagang vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhangjiagang and Karachi differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($740 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 $1,110 in Zhangjiagang 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: $280 in Zhangjiagang versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $740 per month in Zhangjiagang versus $482 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 76% less than in Zhangjiagang. 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 Zhangjiagang. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.