What It Costs to Send Money to Pakistan from the US
In the 2024 Q3 World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide quarterly survey, sending USD 200 from the United States to Pakistan carried a median total cost of 4.40% and an average total cost of 4.61% of the amount sent. Total cost in this survey is defined as the combination of the transfer fee charged by the provider and the exchange-rate margin applied to the transaction, both expressed together as a percentage of the USD 200 send amount.
Across the 25 providers surveyed in that same 2024 Q3 report, quoted total costs ranged from a low of -0.63% to a high of 13.63%, illustrating a wide spread between options available at the time of data collection. The cheapest surveyed provider in the 2024 Q3 snapshot was Walmart2World; because survey data is collected at a point in time, that standing may have changed in subsequent quarters.
Costs within this corridor can also differ depending on the payment method used, such as bank account or debit card, and the payout method available to the recipient. The send amount itself can affect the percentage cost as well. The World Bank updates this survey quarterly, so figures shift over time. The per-provider table below reflects the dated 2024 Q3 survey quotes and does not represent live pricing.
Surveyed providers (2024 Q3)
| Provider | Type | Pay-out | Speed (surveyed) | Total cost, $200 | Total cost, $500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walmart2World | Bank | Agent | Less than one hour | -0.63% | -0.63% |
| Western Union | MTO | Internet | Next day | 1.90% | 1.90% |
| WorldRemit | MTO | Internet | Less than one hour | 1.97% | 1.97% |
| WorldRemit | MTO | Internet | Less than one hour | 1.97% | 1.97% |
| Western Union | MTO | Internet | 3-5 days | 2.11% | 1.51% |
| WorldRemit | MTO | Internet | Less than one hour | 2.19% | 2.19% |
| WorldRemit | MTO | Internet | Less than one hour | 2.19% | 2.19% |
| Wise | MTO | Internet | Less than one hour | 2.51% | 2.08% |
| Xoom | MTO | Internet | 2 days | 3.20% | 1.70% |
| Xoom | MTO | Internet | Less than one hour | 3.20% | 2.30% |
| Xoom | MTO | Internet | Less than one hour | 3.20% | 2.30% |
| Wise | MTO | Internet | 6 days or more | 4.26% | 2.01% |
| Western Union | MTO | Internet | Next day | 4.40% | 4.40% |
| Western Union | MTO | Internet | Less than one hour | 4.71% | 3.61% |
Total cost = transfer fee + exchange-rate margin, as a percent of the amount sent, at the two surveyed send amounts ($200 / $500). Surveyed prices, not live quotes.
Estimate your transfer cost →Source: The World Bank, Remittance Prices Worldwide, available at http://remittanceprices.worldbank.org (CC BY 4.0). Figures are from the 2024 Q3 survey — surveyed prices, not live quotes.