Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Islamabad: $613 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
Learn more

Berlin Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index

Jump to prices

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,545

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Islamabad

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

A single person spends $2,545 per month in Berlin vs $613 in Islamabad, rent included.

Berlin $2,545
Islamabad $613

A couple spends around $3,901 per month in Berlin vs $951 in Islamabad, rent included.

Berlin $3,901
Islamabad $951

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Berlin vs $1,289 in Islamabad, rent included.

Berlin $5,257
Islamabad $1,289

Berlin costs about 316% more than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Berlin sits 90% above the global median, while Islamabad is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.81 €14.99

$3.55 PKR 983

373.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 €71.0

$23.32 PKR 6,453

241.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.93

$5.50 PKR 1,522

143.27%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 PKR 971

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 PKR 1,950

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.81

$2.72 PKR 753

56.99%

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

$3.40 €3.03

$0.35 PKR 97.4

871.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.78

$0.23 PKR 63.8

1256.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 €4.88

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €4.06

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$0.99 PKR 273

28.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 €2.18

$0.73 PKR 201

235.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 €2.94

$1.24 PKR 342

166.13%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.97

$1.31 PKR 363

239.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 €15.25

$6.12 PKR 1,695

179.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.19 €10.87

$3.23 PKR 893

277.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.30 €16.32

$5.44 PKR 1,506

236.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 €3.19

$1.35 PKR 374

165.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$0.86 PKR 239

130.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.91

$1.08 PKR 298

202.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 €3.40

$0.55 PKR 153

592.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$0.28 PKR 78.3

660.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$0.36 PKR 98.6

513.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.33

$0.30 PKR 83.5

396.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.90

$0.42 PKR 115

140.48%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.98 PKR 549

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 PKR 347

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 PKR 715

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.49 €9.36

$2.32 PKR 642

352.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.03

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.87

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 €3.90

$0.20 PKR 54.5

2085.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 €63.3

$21.45 PKR 5,936

230.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.72

$1.23 PKR 339

330.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 €2.72

$0.75 PKR 209

306.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.30 €32.36

$1.64 PKR 454

2113.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.39 PKR 385

64.03%

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

$33.2K €29.6K

$53.8K PKR 14.9M

-38.24%

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

$39.1K €34.8K

$24.0K PKR 6.6M

62.78%

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

$379 €338

$103 PKR 28.5K

268.78%

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

$19.31 €17.22

$5.76 PKR 1,594

235.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.41 €43.17

$16.49 PKR 4,564

193.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.31 €35.94

$29.77 PKR 8,240

35.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 €31.66

$8.62 PKR 2,386

311.95%

Cinema Ticket

$15.53 €13.85

$4.45 PKR 1,233

248.99%

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

$144 €128

$74.5 PKR 20.6K

92.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$5,023 PKR 1.4M

213.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.6 €84.4

$24.55 PKR 6,793

285.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.33 €41.31

$34.19 PKR 9,461

35.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.1

$96.0 PKR 26.6K

7.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €126

$40.93 PKR 11.3K

245.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,327

$272 PKR 75.2K

447.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €979

$137 PKR 38.0K

699.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 €2,376

$572 PKR 158.4K

365.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 €1,855

$275 PKR 76.0K

657.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,578 €7,648

$1,677 PKR 464.1K

411.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,438 €4,849

$820 PKR 226.9K

563.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,487 €3,109

$379 PKR 104.8K

820.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

13.08

-70.95%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3%

Islamabad

$137 22.9% 87.5% $961

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$447 17.6%

Islamabad

$125 20.8% 72% $322

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$351 13.8%

Islamabad

$105 17.5% 70.1% $246

Eating Out

Berlin

$289 11.4%

Islamabad

$80 13.3% 72.3% $209

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$174 6.8%

Islamabad

$88 14.6% 49.3% $85

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 75% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$71 2.8%

Islamabad

$39 6.4% 45.8% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,488 in Berlin versus $272 in Islamabad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 821% higher in Berlin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Berlin versus $23.00 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $105 – making Islamabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

09:03 9:03 AM

12:03 12:03 PM

3 h ahead of Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

1,009,832 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Berlin Islamabad 5,100 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Islamabad

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

Berlin vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 316%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,818 per month in Berlin and $919 in Islamabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Islamabad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,545 in Berlin and $613 in Islamabad. That's a gap of about 316%.

Public transport costs about 231% less in Islamabad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Islamabad, where all-in costs run around $613, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Islamabad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Islamabad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Islamabad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.