Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bahawalpur and Lahore

For one person, living is cheaper in Bahawalpur: $290 a month against $516 in Lahore, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

14

Cost of Living Index in Bahawalpur
Learn more

Bahawalpur Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Lahore
Learn more

Lahore Living Index

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Bahawalpur

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$290

/mo nomad

Lahore

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$516

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bahawalpur and in Lahore

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bahawalpur and in Lahore actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $290 in Bahawalpur versus $516 in Lahore.

Bahawalpur $290
Lahore $516

Estimated couple costs with rent: $504 in Bahawalpur versus $785 in Lahore.

Bahawalpur $504
Lahore $785

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $717 in Bahawalpur versus $1,054 in Lahore.

Bahawalpur $717
Lahore $1,054

Living in Bahawalpur costs roughly 44% less than in Lahore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bahawalpur 79% lower, Lahore 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.80 PKR 498

$2.55 PKR 705

-29.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.39 PKR 2,047

$14.61 PKR 4,043

-49.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 PKR 1,256

$5.75 PKR 1,590

-21.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 PKR 719

$3.50 PKR 970

-25.71%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 PKR 609

$5.29 PKR 1,465

-58.41%

Cappuccino

$1.51 PKR 417

$2.66 PKR 736

-43.23%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 PKR 84.6

$0.41 PKR 114

-24.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.0

$0.25 PKR 69.4

-16.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.55 PKR 151

$0.97 PKR 269

-43.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 154

$0.73 PKR 202

-23.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 PKR 283

$1.20 PKR 332

-15.00%

Eggs

$0.89 PKR 247

$1.15 PKR 318

-22.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.34 PKR 1,477

$6.16 PKR 1,705

-13.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.60 PKR 719

$2.63 PKR 727

-1.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.17 PKR 1,155

$4.98 PKR 1,378

-16.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 PKR 292

$1.18 PKR 328

-10.17%

Banana (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 144

$0.64 PKR 177

-18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 156

$0.84 PKR 232

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 146

$0.64 PKR 177

-17.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 PKR 84.3

$0.32 PKR 88.7

-6.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 PKR 130

$0.36 PKR 101

30.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 PKR 172

$0.48 PKR 132

29.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 PKR 103

$0.35 PKR 96.6

5.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.56 PKR 155

$1.05 PKR 291

-46.67%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 PKR 145

$0.64 PKR 177

-17.19%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 PKR 193

$1.67 PKR 462

-58.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.41 PKR 389

$2.14 PKR 592

-34.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 PKR 48.50

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.38 PKR 1,490

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 PKR 302

$0.93 PKR 257

17.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 PKR 304

$0.70 PKR 193

57.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 PKR 791

$1.84 PKR 510

55.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 PKR 333

$1.35 PKR 374

-11.11%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$23.8K PKR 6.6M

$18.2K PKR 5.0M

30.56%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$21.6K PKR 6.0M

$25.2K PKR 7.0M

-13.99%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$68.0 PKR 18.8K

$129 PKR 35.6K

-47.19%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$4.60 PKR 1,274

$5.47 PKR 1,514

-15.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.58 PKR 3,206

$16.58 PKR 4,590

-30.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.55 PKR 6,240

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.67 PKR 2,953

$10.92 PKR 3,022

-2.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.09 PKR 1,963

$4.20 PKR 1,163

68.81%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$23.83 PKR 6,596

$48.64 PKR 13.5K

-51.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$646 PKR 178.7K

$2,013 PKR 557.0K

-67.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.54 PKR 4,578

$17.94 PKR 4,964

-7.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.85 PKR 6,047

$27.60 PKR 7,638

-20.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.5 PKR 14.8K

$74.4 PKR 20.6K

-28.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.37 PKR 8,127

$33.12 PKR 9,167

-11.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$167 PKR 46.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.0 PKR 23.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$252 PKR 69.8K

$354 PKR 98.0K

-28.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$126 PKR 34.8K

$201 PKR 55.5K

-37.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 PKR 964.1K

$800 PKR 221.3K

335.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$758 PKR 209.8K

$606 PKR 167.6K

25.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$138 PKR 38.1K

$201 PKR 55.6K

-31.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.83

14.05

-15.80%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bahawalpur: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lahore: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bahawalpur

$84 29%

Lahore

$151 29.2% 79.1% $67

Groceries & Markets

Bahawalpur

$82 28.4%

Lahore

$97 18.8% 17.9% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Bahawalpur

$55 18.8%

Lahore

$69 13.3% 26.2% $14

Eating Out

Bahawalpur

$48 16.6%

Lahore

$72 14% 49.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Bahawalpur

$14 * 4.9%

Lahore

$31 6% 118% $17

Getting Around

Bahawalpur

$6.6 * 2.3%

Lahore

$11 2% 59.6% $3.9

Accommodation & Living

Bahawalpur

- * 0%

Lahore

$86 16.7%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Lahore pays 46% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $7.00 in Bahawalpur vs $15.00 in Lahore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $82.0 vs $97.0 per month, with Bahawalpur cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Bahawalpur

🇵🇰 Lahore

🕒 Local time

05:32 5:32 AM

Same time as Bahawalpur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

762,111

11,126,285

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Bahawalpur Lahore 350 km

From you

Bahawalpur
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bahawalpur vs Lahore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bahawalpur wins on cost – living expenses run 78% lower than in Lahore. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bahawalpur the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Lahore. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Lahore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $290 per month in Bahawalpur versus $516 in Lahore – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Bahawalpur gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Bahawalpur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Lahore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.