Cost of Living in Karachi ranked #132

The Economist in its latest issuepublished a report measuring the cost of living across various cities of the world, Karachi ranks 132 on its list. There are some list rankings that you wish your city to be graded at a higher level but this is one list that I’d not mind being near the bottom.Sharp exchange-rate movements since the autumn have affected the relative cost of living in the world’s main cities. The strengthening dollar has pushed American cities up in the rankings compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit, a sister company of The Economist. Chicago now shares the ranking as the world’s 23rd most expensive city, up from 39th place in September 2008. Meanwhile, the plunging pound means that, for the first time since 2002, London is cheaper than New York. Asia is home both to the cheapest city in the survey, Karachi, as well as the priciest, Tokyo, which has grabbed the top spot from Oslo on the back of a stronger yen. Living in Tokyo is 52% more expensive than living in New York.

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Karachiites. Thoughts?

Re: Cost of Living in Karachi ranked #132

I don't think it tells us much without other factors. I'm sure Mogadishu is even cheaper, but in return you get no facilities.

Re: Cost of Living in Karachi ranked #132

I'm sure they take many factors into account. In theory, kabul would would take the cake.

Re: Cost of Living in Karachi ranked #132

I don't know how they calculate this particular cost of living but house prices in Karachi are now not too far from lets say cities in Texas (Dallas, Houston) and considering the average incomes of Dallas/Houston with Karachi I'd say it'd be difficult to live in Karachi than Dallas/Houston.... what say you?

Re: Cost of Living in Karachi ranked #132

How is the cost-of-living index calculated?

they do not consider relative per capita income.

Comparing Karachi with the cities of developed countries is just like comparing apples with oranges now. Look at the Mayor howhe speaks with people. (youtube par charhado) Security of the citizens are the major factor in big cities. Karachi once a beautiful city in fifties, sixties, seventies and even in early eighties and cheapest of all Pakistani cities including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Peshawar etc

Sorry for being so blunt. Born and educated in Karachi. I have seen Karachi of sixties, seventies and early eighties, no comparison even with present Karachi.

Re: Cost of Living in Karachi ranked #132

^ true. Looking at pictures from Karachi in 50s, I didn't find them much different from pictures from Tokyo, Singapore or Hong Kong.

Even Hyderabad was called "Paris of India"! Hope we get back to old glory soon.

When I last visited Karachi in the late 90s I thought it was just an expanded version of Rawalpindi with broken roads here and there and overcrowded traffic. Sure some parts of Karachi are posh but the city on the whole disappointed me greatly. Lahore is much better IMO.

Islamabad is the costliest place in Pakistan these days.....roads etc. are much better and traffic is very organised

Re: Cost of Living in Karachi ranked #132

Lahore and Karachi desperately needs a public transit system like a Subway....to ease congestion and pollution...

You need a serious revisit to Karachi, you won't be comparing it with Pindi anymore.... I haven't seen Lahore much so can't compare'em.

funny, i feel the same way about pindi.

I have also visited Pindi in 2006, there may be a little difference as compared to past Pindi. Karachi was and sitll the biggest city of Pakistan. Karachi of forties, fifties, sixties, seventies and early eighties can be compared with any big city of USA or Canada of the time.

Re: Cost of Living in Karachi ranked #132

uhh riiiight. you seem like you speak with a fair and balanced mine so i'll let you be...

[/sarcasm]

Re: Cost of Living in Karachi ranked #132

Frankly, cost of living etc are meaningless humbug. I can survive for Rs10/day in Mumbai eating decent food in a roadside or cooking in a hutment. And I can do fine spending Rs.5000 on one meal in a posh place. Ultimately you eat the same stuff!!!

samething for clothing.

Karachi has become a nice city again, though the lawlessness still rules but then that is true for most cities of Pakistan. After building all those fly-overs/under-passes traffic flow has improved a lot. Park plots which were once a thriving place for drug-addicts have been converted into actual parks where families/ladies/kids go there in the evening to enjoy.

Dont say that.

There's a running joke in Pakistan that whenever someone asks for a subway system politician's son in Europe pockets $5 million dollars for a feasibility study.

Good observation.

Many say the beauty of Karachi was there when there was no mass influx of people specially the Afghani drug and weapons.

When institutions built by people of Karachi were not forcefully nationalized.

Thanks for showing your hatred for Karachi. Not gonna work.
Your remarks are against the rules and you are being a racist.

You give more reasons for its current rulers to stay in power.

Are these kind of hateful remarks allowed mods?

Yes, they are. Get used to ganja's pakistan.