Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhoushan and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $620 in Zhoushan, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Zhoushan despite lower rent and utilities.

30

Cost of Living Index in Zhoushan
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Zhoushan Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Zhoushan

🇨🇳 China

$620

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $620 in Zhoushan versus $482 in Karachi.

Zhoushan $620
Karachi $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,005 in Zhoushan versus $750 in Karachi.

Zhoushan $1,005
Karachi $750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,390 in Zhoushan versus $1,018 in Karachi.

Zhoushan $1,390
Karachi $1,018

Living in Zhoushan is roughly 29% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zhoushan 54% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.39 ¥22.63

$2.13 PKR 588

59.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.03 ¥127

$13.30 PKR 3,680

43.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.07 ¥27.24

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-25.32%

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

$2.95 ¥19.74

$2.09 PKR 579

41.15%

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

$0.46 ¥3.10

$0.40 PKR 111

15.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ¥1.66

$0.26 PKR 71.1

-3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ¥5.15

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ¥12.32

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ¥12.26

$0.92 PKR 254

98.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 ¥13.87

$0.56 PKR 156

269.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.95

$1.25 PKR 345

-28.80%

Eggs

$1.06 ¥7.07

$1.23 PKR 341

-13.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.35 ¥89.2

$5.67 PKR 1,570

135.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.51 ¥23.45

$3.16 PKR 876

11.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.96 ¥73.3

$6.28 PKR 1,737

74.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.26

$1.26 PKR 348

21.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.17

$0.53 PKR 148

130.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$1.00 PKR 276

45.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.13

$0.56 PKR 154

117.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$0.33 PKR 91.4

75.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.42

$0.34 PKR 95.1

138.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.23

$0.42 PKR 116

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.90

$0.44 PKR 121

31.82%

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)

$5.30 ¥35.45

$1.84 PKR 509

188.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 ¥78.9

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥5.89

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.34

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.28 PKR 77.0

10.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.13 ¥101

$9.99 PKR 2,764

51.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$0.92 PKR 256

57.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 ¥2.81

$0.70 PKR 193

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.91 ¥59.6

$2.16 PKR 597

312.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.13

$1.38 PKR 382

-11.59%

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

$19.4K ¥129.8K

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

8.42%

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

$16.4K ¥109.7K

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

-39.42%

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

$36.17 ¥242

$113 PKR 31.4K

-68.12%

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

$11.52 ¥77.0

$5.95 PKR 1,648

93.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.25 ¥182

$13.16 PKR 3,642

107.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 ¥169

$21.55 PKR 5,965

17.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.45 ¥49.79

$18.23 PKR 5,044

-59.13%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ¥39.10

$4.21 PKR 1,165

38.95%

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

$440 ¥2,942

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

743.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K ¥108.7K

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

737.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.64 ¥232

$17.55 PKR 4,858

97.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.10 ¥141

$23.51 PKR 6,506

-10.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 ¥437

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

-5.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.10 ¥295

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

8.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 ¥2,197

$118 PKR 32.7K

178.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$119 ¥797

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

61.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$745 ¥4,979

$357 PKR 98.9K

108.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ¥1,827

$188 PKR 52.0K

45.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,953 ¥19.7K

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

178.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,009 ¥13.4K

$481 PKR 133.1K

317.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$589 ¥3,935

$183 PKR 50.6K

221.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

13.21

-76.31%

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

Last update for Zhoushan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhoushan

$209 33.8%

Karachi

$101 21% 51.6% $108

Accommodation & Living

Zhoushan

$119 19.2%

Karachi

$74 15.3% 38.3% $46

Eating Out

Zhoushan

$85 13.7%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 28.2% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhoushan

$75 12.1%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 76.9% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Zhoushan

$74 12%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 8.9% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Zhoushan

$37 6%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 19% $7

Getting Around

Zhoushan

$20 3.2%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 22.2% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $329 in Zhoushan and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhoushan pays 222% 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 Zhoushan vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhoushan

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

12:42 12:42 PM

09:42 9:42 AM

3 h behind Zhoushan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,157,817

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 19, 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 19, 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 →

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Between locations

Zhoushan Karachi 5,430 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Zhoushan
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

Zhoushan vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhoushan and Karachi differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($620 vs $482 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 222% higher in Zhoushan, 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: $329 in Zhoushan versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $620 per month in Zhoushan versus $482 in Karachi – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 51% less than in Zhoushan. 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 29% less than in Zhoushan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.