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Dhaka vs Karachi cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ง๐ฉ Dhaka
๐ต๐ฐ Karachi
At a glance
- Where Karachi is clearly cheaper: Beer (64%โ), Entry ticket (56%โ), Massage (48%โ)
- Where Dhaka is clearly cheaper: Street food (45%โ), Bottled water (34%โ), Cocktail & wine (23%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Dhaka 4 vs Karachi 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Dhaka | Karachi | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | เงณ 250$2.05 | Rs 600$2.14 | similar |
| Street food1 item | เงณ 60$0.49 | Rs 250$0.89 | Dhaka โ45% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | เงณ 1,000$8.2 | Rs 2,000$7.14 | Karachi โ13% |
| Coffeeone cup | เงณ 260$2.13 | Rs 650$2.32 | Dhaka โ8% |
| Beerone bottle | เงณ 1,100$9.02 | Rs 900$3.21 | Karachi โ64% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | เงณ 1,000$8.2 | Rs 3,000$10.7 | Dhaka โ23% |
| Bottled water | เงณ 20$0.16 | Rs 70$0.25 | Dhaka โ34% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | เงณ 40$0.33 | Rs 120$0.43 | Dhaka โ23% |
| Taxi5 km in town | เงณ 280$2.3 | Rs 500$1.79 | Karachi โ22% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | เงณ 80$0.66 | Rs 220$0.79 | Dhaka โ17% |
| Transitone ride | เงณ 30$0.25 | Rs 60$0.21 | Karachi โ13% |
| Scooter rentalper day | เงณ 700$5.74 | Rs 1,500$5.36 | Karachi โ7% |
| Hotel night3-star | เงณ 5,000$41 | Rs 12,000$42.9 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | เงณ 17,000$139 | Rs 45,000$161 | Dhaka โ13% |
| Laundry | เงณ 100$0.82 | Rs 200$0.71 | Karachi โ13% |
| SIM card1 week data | เงณ 450$3.69 | Rs 1,000$3.57 | similar |
| Haircutcut | เงณ 200$1.64 | Rs 600$2.14 | Dhaka โ23% |
| Massage1 hour | เงณ 2,500$20.5 | Rs 3,000$10.7 | Karachi โ48% |
| Half-day tourper person | เงณ 3,000$24.6 | Rs 5,000$17.9 | Karachi โ27% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | เงณ 500$4.1 | Rs 500$1.79 | Karachi โ56% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Dhaka or Karachi?
Dhaka and Karachi cost about the same. Daily budget $66.7 vs $66.4; a month $795 vs $757.
Which is easier to travel, Dhaka or Karachi?
About the same: Dhaka 3.4/5, Karachi 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Dhaka and Karachi?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Dhaka is about $795 and Karachi about $757 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.