Cost of Living in Karachi
Summary of cost of living in Karachi, Pakistan:
- A family of four estimated monthly costs are 1,159.1$ (322,480.4Rs.) without rent (using our estimator).
- A single person estimated monthly costs are 363.0$ (101,003.9Rs.) without rent.
- Karachi is 71.9% less expensive than Columbus (without rent, see our cost of living index).
- Rent in Karachi is, on average, 92.1% lower than in Columbus.
Restaurants |  Edit |
Range |
|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 2.16 $ | |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 12.58 $ | |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 4.31 $ | |
| Domestic Non-Alcoholic Beer (1 pint draught) | 1.80 $ | |
| Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 5.39 $ | |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 1.84 $ | |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 0.35 $ | |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 0.25 $ | |
Markets | Edit |
|
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 3.13 $ | |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 0.48 $ | |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 0.55 $ | |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 1.18 $ | |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 2.43 $ | |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 1.38 $ | |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 2.05 $ | |
| Apples (1 lb) | 0.50 $ | |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.27 $ | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 0.36 $ | |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 0.26 $ | |
| Potato (1 lb) | 0.16 $ | |
| Onion (1 lb) | 0.27 $ | |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 0.35 $ | |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 0.41 $ | |
| Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range) | 1.26 $ | |
| Domestic Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 1.23 $ | |
| Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 1.98 $ | |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 2.16 $ | |
Transportation | Edit |
|
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 0.22 $ | |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 5.93 $ | |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 0.72 $ | |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 0.87 $ | |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 1.80 $ | |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 3.71 $ | |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 14,376.77 $ | |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 23,573.67 $ | |
Utilities (Monthly) | Edit |
|
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 116.21 $ | |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 4.97 $ | |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 12.34 $ | |
Sports And Leisure | Edit |
|
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 13.87 $ | |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 12.69 $ | |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 4.31 $ | |
Childcare | Edit |
|
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 52.58 $ | |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 1,312.04 $ | |
Clothing And Shoes | Edit |
|
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 16.22 $ | |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 25.64 $ | |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 54.35 $ | |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 32.99 $ | |
Rent Per Month | Edit |
|
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 115.73 $ | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 76.68 $ | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 270.59 $ | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 156.56 $ | |
Buy Apartment Price | Edit |
|
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 49.90 $ | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 31.37 $ | |
Salaries And Financing | Edit |
|
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 177.70 $ | |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 20.70 |
Prices in Karachi
This city had 2774 entries in the past 12 months by 305 different contributors.
Last update: November 2024
Last update: November 2024
Sources and References
Moving to Karachi? Explore:
Distribution of Expenses Using Our Statistical Model:
Sign Up for Our Newsletter:
Nearby cities:| Cost of Living in Hyderabad | 125.23 miles |
| Cost of Living in Mirpur Khas | 169.74 miles |
| Cost of Living in Nawabshah | 202.89 miles |
This page in other languages:
 DeutschLebenshaltungskosten in Karatschi
|
 PortuguêsCusto de Vida em Carachi
|
 ItalianoCosto della Vita a Karachi
|
 FrançaisCoût de la Vie à Karachi
|
 EspañolCosto de Vida en Karachi
|
Karachi is cheaper than Lahore when it comes to cost of living, however rents and real estate prices in Karachi are almost twice in City center areas as compared to Lahore.
Rents have increased significantly in Karachi due to extreme shortage of good quality apartment complexes. I live in a 3 bed apartment in Civil Lines Karachi and rent is Rs. 200,000 per month. There are many apartments in nearby Bath Island, where rent of newly developed high rise apartments are above 250,000/month. In Emaar DHA Karachi, rents are above Rs 300,000/month for 3 bed.
Similarly school costs are too high in Karachi and not mentioned here properly. I'm paying Rs 50,000/month each for my 2 kids in primary school. They are not international school where the monthly fees are higher.
Inflation has been very high lately and prices of some items have risen far more than others.
Bungalow under 60k now is impossible unless 60km out of city centre. 3 bed apartments alone in uptown are at least 50k, few reasons for this, people rent very very carefully because both laws and lawlessness has no protection for average landlord, it's the opposite, driving up costs.
The prices on numbeo are spot-on, in-fact under reported at times, for example, for internet in big cities, people are adding common-use rather than what it actually is for high-speed reliable broadband. There's at least 20% provincial taxes and then federal, close to 35% taxes on internet. Your total cost for connectivity goes to 6k+, anything under 10Mb which costs ~3.5k you get support totally deprioritised and service is very bad, you always have to compensate with mobile broadband, and for better support at least 30Mb connection is needed which costs over 5k. That's the state of all services sector, you can get anything for cheap but pay for it in other costs.
The Good
Without rent, a family of 4 can have a decent lifestyle in Rs.150,000 per month. This includes cost of vehicle purchase, 1-2 dine out each week, utility bills, monthly shopping, clothing, electronics, toys, school fee, cinemas/outings etc.
150,000 = 600~ USD, 750~ GBP.
Now this does not include cost of family trips to international destinations or even within Pakistan. If we add 1 annual trip and cost of rent, then you would need at least Rs.260,000 per month, which is 900~ USD or 1,100~ GBP.
You can find a pretty nice villa/bungalow on rent for 50,000 per month in a good neighborhood.
The food is amazing and varied. You can find from local cuisines to Chinese, French, Italian, Mexican. You will not find better tasting food in the west. Maybe in India?
The Bad
There is no national insurance in Pakistan, hence you would have to pay it out of pocket. Government health institutions are very bad and you should only opt for good private hospital care if you can afford it.
Also, good luck finding a job that pays more than 200,000 if you are a local. If you are living here as an overseas worker, you may be able to get a high enough salary to afford the cost of living and save. Otherwise, most people cannot afford to save.
The Ugly
The city lacks a lot of green parks as someone mentioned. There is dirt and garbage in several places piled up by the road and air quality is not the best. Traffic jams are common during rush hours and there is no mass transit system.
Crime is also rampant in the city and you should not flaunt your wealth. Mugging, robberies are higher than other big cities and law enforcement departments are incompetent and corrupt.
Yet, I found very happy, tolerant and respectable people who are living a good life with whatever they can afford. People are very helpful, hospitable and tough. I did not feel unsafe or uncomfortable. Pakistanis are very welcoming and thats a big plus. Many are fluent in English and there is no language barrier.
if the Monthly Salary for a person is between 65000 - 100,000 PKR
Room (living expenses) without utility bills is between 15,000 - 30,000 PKR
Electricity cost for a single person using basic necessities is between 6,000 - 10,000 PKR
Food cost for 2 times a day (basic meal) is around 6,000 - 15,000 PKR
Water, sewerage, garbage disposal costs is 1500rps per month.
Gas cost for cooking is around 1000pkr per month.
Transportation cost (tax , rickshaw) is around 5,000 - 10,000 PKR
now the total becomes 35,000 - 55,000 PKR.
I would suggest to add a range feature (min) to (max).
As for locals in a decent way living cost is 30000/person/month.
But for foreigners especialy whites it will be higher as 1000$.
Foreigners mostly well received in all over Pakistan.