Living costs can vary significantly from city to city around the world. Some places are notably more affordable, offering residents a lower cost of living while still providing a good quality of life.
A data company called Numbeo has released a list of the world’s cheapest cities to live in for the first half of the year, and three cities in Pakistan made the list.
Numbeo’s report shows that Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad are some of the world’s most affordable cities, with Karachi being the cheapest. The list compares 218 cities worldwide and uses New York City as a reference for costs like living, rent, groceries, dining, and local purchasing power.
Karachi is 81% cheaper than New York, making it the least expensive city globally. Lahore and Islamabad are also very affordable, ranking as the second and fourth cheapest cities, respectively.
On the other hand, Geneva in Switzerland is the most expensive city, with costs 1.7% higher than New York. Zurich and New York City are the second and third most expensive cities.
Following are the South Asian cities selected in the list with authors remarks:
- Karachi: 81% cheaper than New York.
- Lahore: Slightly more expensive than Karachi.
- Islamabad: Fourth cheapest globally.
- Mumbai: Much cheaper compared to New York.
- Delhi: Also more affordable compared to New York.
- Chennai: Lower cost of living.
- Bangalore: Affordable living costs.
- Kolkata: Among the cheaper cities.
- Dhaka: More economical than many global cities.
- Kathmandu: Comparatively low cost of living.