Karachi - Post Report Question and Answers
How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Since the cost of living is so low in Karachi, the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies is low. There is are Western-style grocery stores at major shopping malls in Karachi. The prices at those stores are on-par with non-Pakistani wages. It is relatively easy to find household supplies and groceries at those grocery stores. - Aug 2015
Generally, pretty good at the larger places. The US Consulate has a small commissary of the basics, and the larger grocery stores (Hyperstar, Farid's) have significant amounts of foodstuffs and general items. Stock can sometimes be missing though, so if you see it, buy it. Pakistan, like other places in the region, still is focused on the small neighborhood shops - leaving steady, reliable distribution of unexpired goods a dream. - Jun 2014
There is a small (emphasis on small) commissary. The cost is whatever it would cost you in the US + between 25-100% (depending on the item). Eggs will run you $0.70 at the local supermarket and about $2.00 in the commissary. (They buy them from the local supermarket, so you're paying for the convenience of not going out). Imported goods at local grocery stores are between 10-30% more than they are in the states. Imported fruits (strawberries, avocadoes) and vegetables (celery, baby carrots) are sometimes available but very expensive---twice what they cost in the States). On the other hand, the local produce (oranges, cauliflower, potatoes, okra, watermelon) are very cheap (less than a $1 a kilo for the most part). Dairy products imported from Dubai are also not expensive (you don't spend much on staples as long as you go out and buy them yourself). - Mar 2013
There is a small commissary on the Consulate (membership only).There are only a small number of grocery stores approved by the RSO.Two are on the scale of a Costco, but with less emphasis on bulk buying. The others are smaller than a small Giant or Safeway in the US, but larger than a 7-Eleven. Imported can goods generally are available. Fresh vegetables and fruits are generally of poor quality and very dirty. They must be washed first in soapy water then in bleach-water to disinfect. Beef is actually a type of buffalo. It and the mutton and chickens available are of mediocre to poor quality – stringy and tough. No pork is available, except through the Commissary. Eggs are filthy. Long-shelf-life milk (UHT) is readily available. - Sep 2011
