Karachi flour prices highest in the country at Rs. 2,800 per 20kg bag as official PBS data reveals stark regional price differences across Pakistan

Karachi residents are paying more for flour than anyone else in Pakistan. Official data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics confirms that a 20kg flour bag now sells for up to Rs. 2,800 in Karachi — the highest price recorded in any major city across the country. The Karachi flour prices highest finding highlights growing food affordability concerns in Pakistan’s largest city. Moreover, the gap between Karachi and other major cities is striking.

Peshawar comes in second at Rs. 2,750 per 20kg bag. Islamabad follows at Rs. 2,733, while Rawalpindi sits at Rs. 2,707. Furthermore, both Quetta and Bannu recorded prices of Rs. 2,700. Therefore, four cities crossed the Rs. 2,700 mark, but none came close to Karachi’s peak of Rs. 2,800.

Moving further down the list, Hyderabad records Rs. 2,600 per bag. Khuzdar and Larkana both sit at Rs. 2,400, while Faisalabad comes in at Rs. 2,350. Furthermore, Gujranwala records Rs. 2,333 and Multan Rs. 2,267. Therefore, flour costs vary by more than Rs. 500 per bag depending on which city a consumer lives in.

Lahore stands at the opposite end of the spectrum. At Rs. 2,250 per 20kg bag, it records the lowest flour price among all major cities. Therefore, a Karachi resident pays Rs. 550 more than a Lahore resident for the same quantity of flour. Furthermore, for low-income households that rely heavily on flour as a staple, that difference represents a meaningful monthly burden.

Rising flour prices add to an already difficult cost of living environment for urban consumers. Finally, with food insecurity already on the rise nationally, the PBS data serves as a reminder that inflation hits hardest in the cities where people can least afford it.