Which place is cheaper, Qingdao or Karachi?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Karachi or Qingdao?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Karachi or Qingdao? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Karachi or Qingdao?
Karachi
Karachi is the capital of the Pakistani province of Sindh. It is the most populous city in Pakistan, and sixth most populous city proper in the world. Karachi, located on the coast of the Arabian Sea, is the financial and commercial center of the nation, as well as its largest port. The pace of life here is more hurried, and social attitudes are far more liberal than elsewhere in Pakistan. Locals call it the City of Lights, the City of The Quaid, and the City that Never Sleeps. The city credits its growth to the mixed populations of economic and political migrants along with refugees from different national, provincial, linguistic and religious origins, who generally come to the city to settle permanently.
Qingdao
Qingdao, China, located in the Shandong Province, is a very large city right on the Yellow Sea coast. The city, whose name means "The Green Island" due to it's gorgeous landscapes and interesting geography, was named China's most livable city in 2012. The city is rich in history, having almost become a German territory in 1897 and being occupied by the Japanese during WWI. Evidence of these occupiers is present in much of the architecture around the city, which includes a few Catholic and Protestant churches.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Pakistan, The Best Historical Tours in Pakistan, The Best Cultural Tours in China, and The Best Luxury Tours to China.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKarachi $26Qingdao $58
The average daily cost (per person) in Karachi is $26, while the average daily cost in Qingdao is $58. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Karachi and Qingdao in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKarachi $11Qingdao $26
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKarachi $22Qingdao $52
Compare Hotels in Karachi and Qingdao
Looking for a hotel in Karachi or Qingdao? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Karachi Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Karachi $4.58Qingdao $12
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Qingdao
Also for Qingdao, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Departure Transfer: City Hotel to Qingdao Railway Station : $36
- Qingdao Railway Station Depature Transfer from City Hotels: $36
- Qingdao Railway Station Arrival Transfer to City Hotel: $36
- Qingdao Cruise Port Departure Transfer from City Hotels: $36
- Qingdao Northern Railway Station Arrival Private One-Way Transfer: $42
- Qingdao Private Transfer from Qingdao central to Qingdao Airport (TAO): $83
- Qingdao Private Transfer from Qingdao Airport (TAO) to central Qingdao: $83
- Qingdao Liuting Airport Transfer Service by Minivan: $86
Is it cheaper to fly into Karachi or Qingdao?
Prices for flights to both Qingdao and Karachi change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayKarachi $11Qingdao $20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Karachi
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Karachi.
- Private Karachi Street Food Tour: $94
- Half-Day Karachi Burns Road Private Victoria Ride with Dinner: $100
- Street Food Tour of Karachi: $199
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Karachi $5.07Qingdao $20
Tours and Activities in Karachi
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Karachi are as follows:
- Experience local village life in Sindh: $200
- Full Day Private Tour in Karachi City: $161
- Full Day Private Tour to Mohatta Palace Zainab and Burns road: $195
- Karachi City Tour : $129
- Karachi Sightseeing Private tour: $159
- UNESCO World Heritage Tour Near Karachi : $150
Tours and Activities in Qingdao
For Qingdao, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Private Qingdao City tour with Lunch and Qingdao beer: $175
- Private Qingdao Historic architectural day tour with Tsingdao beer during Lunch: $190
- Private Qingdao Laoshan half day tour with one bottle of Tsingdao beer as gift: $199
- Qingdao private half day tour with Tsingdao Beer Lunch : $202
- Qingdao Shore Excursion: Private Full Day Laoshan Mountain Sightseeing Tour: $207
- Private Qingdao Essentials Tour: City Highlights and Beer Museum: $216
- Laoshan Mountain Full Day Private Activity Tour: $224
- Qingdao Private Day Tour to Laoshan Mountain with Lunch and Cable Car: $238
- Private Qingdao Laoshan day tour with lunch& round way cable car: $240
- Qingdao Discover Tour to the Mount Laoshan and Tasting Famous Local Beer: $248
- Qingdao Private Tour: City Highlights and Laoshan Mountain with Lunch+Cable Car: $268
- All-Inclusive Private Day Tour: Qingdao Highlights with Lunch: $285
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayKarachi $3.35Qingdao $14
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Karachi and Qingdao, we can see that Qingdao is more expensive. And not only is Karachi much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Karachi would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Karachi and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Qingdao would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Qingdao than you might in Karachi.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Karachi Expensive? and Is Qingdao Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Karachi or Qingdao?
Karachi has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of Qingdao. When comparing the sizes of Karachi and Qingdao, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
When is the best time to visit Karachi or Qingdao?
Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.
Should I visit Karachi or Qingdao in the Summer?
Both Qingdao and Karachi during the summer are popular places to visit.
In July, Karachi is generally a little warmer than Qingdao. Daily temperatures in Karachi average around 30°C (86°F), and Qingdao fluctuates around 25°C (77°F).
In the summer, Karachi often gets less sunshine than Qingdao. Karachi gets 155 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Qingdao receives 183 hours of full sun.
Qingdao gets a good bit of rain this time of year. Karachi usually gets less rain in July than Qingdao. Karachi gets 30 mm (1.2 in) of rain, while Qingdao receives 211 mm (8.3 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyKarachi 30°C (86°F)Qingdao 25°C (77°F)
Should I visit Karachi or Qingdao in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Karachi and Qingdao.
Karachi is much warmer than Qingdao in the autumn. The daily temperature in Karachi averages around 29°C (84°F) in October, and Qingdao fluctuates around 17°C (62°F).
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Qingdao this time of the year. In Karachi, it's very sunny this time of the year. Karachi usually receives more sunshine than Qingdao during autumn. Karachi gets 284 hours of sunny skies, while Qingdao receives 220 hours of full sun in the autumn.
In October, Karachi usually receives less rain than Qingdao. Karachi gets 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain, while Qingdao receives 45 mm (1.8 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberKarachi 29°C (84°F)Qingdao 17°C (62°F)
Should I visit Karachi or Qingdao in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Karachi as well as Qingdao.
The weather in Qingdao can be very cold. In the winter, Karachi is much warmer than Qingdao. Typically, the winter temperatures in Karachi in January average around 19°C (66°F), and Qingdao averages at about -0°C (32°F).
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Karachi this time of the year. In the winter, Karachi often gets more sunshine than Qingdao. Karachi gets 271 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Qingdao receives 185 hours of full sun.
Karachi usually gets less rain in January than Qingdao. Karachi gets 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain, while Qingdao receives 11 mm (0.4 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryKarachi 19°C (66°F)Qingdao -0°C (32°F)
Should I visit Karachi or Qingdao in the Spring?
Both Qingdao and Karachi are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities.
In April, Karachi is generally much warmer than Qingdao. Daily temperatures in Karachi average around 29°C (84°F), and Qingdao fluctuates around 12°C (53°F).
It's quite sunny in Qingdao. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Karachi. Karachi usually receives more sunshine than Qingdao during spring. Karachi gets 277 hours of sunny skies, while Qingdao receives 224 hours of full sun in the spring.
In April, Karachi usually receives less rain than Qingdao. Karachi gets 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain, while Qingdao receives 37 mm (1.5 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilKarachi 29°C (84°F)Qingdao 12°C (53°F)
Typical Weather for Qingdao and Karachi
| Karachi | Qingdao | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 19°C (66°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | -0°C (32°F) | 11 mm (0.4 in) |
| Feb | 22°C (72°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 1°C (34°F) | 12 mm (0.5 in) |
| Mar | 26°C (79°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 6°C (43°F) | 21 mm (0.8 in) |
| Apr | 29°C (84°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 12°C (53°F) | 37 mm (1.5 in) |
| May | 31°C (88°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 17°C (62°F) | 51 mm (2 in) |
| Jun | 31°C (88°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 81 mm (3.2 in) |
| Jul | 30°C (86°F) | 30 mm (1.2 in) | 25°C (77°F) | 211 mm (8.3 in) |
| Aug | 30°C (86°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 162 mm (6.4 in) |
| Sep | 29°C (84°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 99 mm (3.9 in) |
| Oct | 29°C (84°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 17°C (62°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) |
| Nov | 24°C (75°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 10°C (49°F) | 28 mm (1.1 in) |
| Dec | 21°C (70°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 3°C (37°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.