Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chennai (Madras) and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Chennai (Madras): $414 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Chennai (Madras)
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Chennai (Madras) Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
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Islamabad Living Index

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Chennai (Madras)

🇮🇳 India

$414

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chennai (Madras) 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 Chennai (Madras) and in Islamabad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $414 per month in Chennai (Madras) vs $599 in Islamabad, rent included.

Chennai (Madras) $414
Islamabad $599

A couple spends around $693 per month in Chennai (Madras) vs $930 in Islamabad, rent included.

Chennai (Madras) $693
Islamabad $930

A family of three spends $973 per month in Chennai (Madras) vs $1,261 in Islamabad, rent included.

Chennai (Madras) $973
Islamabad $1,261

Chennai (Madras) is about 31% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chennai (Madras) and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Chennai (Madras) 69% lower, Islamabad 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 ₹196

$3.63 PKR 1,004

-43.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.41 ₹1,179

$23.40 PKR 6,478

-46.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.25 ₹404

$5.54 PKR 1,534

-23.29%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 PKR 987

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 PKR 1,864

Cappuccino

$1.81 ₹172

$2.64 PKR 730

-31.44%

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

$0.36 ₹34.57

$0.32 PKR 89.6

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.18 ₹16.64

$0.23 PKR 63.7

-21.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 ₹148

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ₹289

Milk (1 liter)

$0.56 ₹53.4

$0.94 PKR 259

-40.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 ₹51.6

$0.72 PKR 200

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.2

$1.30 PKR 361

-43.08%

Eggs

$0.82 ₹77.9

$1.22 PKR 339

-32.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.06 ₹575

$6.05 PKR 1,674

0.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.23 ₹307

$3.09 PKR 855

4.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.35 PKR 1,482

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 ₹275

$1.26 PKR 350

129.37%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 ₹76.2

$0.87 PKR 241

-8.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ₹133

$1.04 PKR 288

34.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.43 ₹40.70

$0.53 PKR 146

-18.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.45 ₹42.42

$0.29 PKR 81.2

55.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 ₹40.45

$0.36 PKR 99.4

19.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 ₹49.61

$0.28 PKR 76.4

85.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₹26.44

$0.39 PKR 108

-28.21%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.95 PKR 539

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 331

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 PKR 743

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 ₹488

$2.24 PKR 619

129.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.52 ₹714

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₹176

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ₹254

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.78 ₹644

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₹28.41

$0.16 PKR 43.07

87.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.31 ₹979

$21.34 PKR 5,905

-51.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹102

$1.24 PKR 344

-13.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ₹30.55

$0.74 PKR 204

-56.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₹204

$1.60 PKR 442

33.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₹104

$1.37 PKR 378

-20.44%

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

$15.5K ₹1.5M

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

-71.59%

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

$19.7K ₹1.9M

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

-17.50%

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

$38.87 ₹3,691

$103 PKR 28.6K

-62.36%

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

$4.07 ₹387

$5.99 PKR 1,658

-32.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.93 ₹753

$17.15 PKR 4,746

-53.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.80 ₹1,216

$28.20 PKR 7,806

-54.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.83 ₹648

$8.47 PKR 2,344

-19.36%

Cinema Ticket

$2.56 ₹243

$4.43 PKR 1,226

-42.21%

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

$86.7 ₹8,229

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

14.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,119 ₹201.2K

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

-57.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.39 ₹1,936

$25.72 PKR 7,118

-20.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.65 ₹1,581

$34.48 PKR 9,543

-51.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.60 ₹3,381

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

-62.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.60 ₹2,906

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

-25.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$181 ₹17.2K

$276 PKR 76.5K

-34.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 ₹9,611

$139 PKR 38.3K

-26.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₹48.0K

$572 PKR 158.2K

-11.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 ₹28.5K

$270 PKR 74.9K

10.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,083 ₹197.8K

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

27.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$797 ₹75.6K

$836 PKR 231.5K

-4.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 ₹62.1K

$380 PKR 105.2K

72.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.99

13.08

-23.62%

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

Last update for Chennai (Madras): October 11, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chennai (Madras)

$116 28%

Islamabad

$102 17% 11.9% $14

Accommodation & Living

Chennai (Madras)

$101 24.5%

Islamabad

$139 23.1% 36.9% $37

Eating Out

Chennai (Madras)

$67 16.2%

Islamabad

$80 13.3% 18.7% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chennai (Madras)

$51 12.3%

Islamabad

$126 21.1% 149% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Chennai (Madras)

$46 11.2%

Islamabad

$89 14.8% 90.9% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Chennai (Madras)

$18 4.3%

Islamabad

$37 6.2% 107% $19

Getting Around

Chennai (Madras)

$14 3.4%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 89.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $181 in Chennai (Madras) versus $276 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 72% higher in Chennai (Madras), which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Chennai (Madras) versus $23.00 in Islamabad. Groceries tell a different story – $116 in Chennai (Madras) vs $102 in Islamabad – so Islamabad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Chennai (Madras)

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

05:17 5:17 AM

04:47 4:47 AM

30 min behind Chennai (Madras)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,681,087

1,009,832 Capital

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chennai (Madras) Islamabad 2,400 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chennai (Madras)
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

Chennai (Madras) vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Islamabad costs about 45% more than Chennai (Madras), and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $620 per month in Chennai (Madras) and $899 in Islamabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chennai (Madras), 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 $414 in Chennai (Madras) and $599 in Islamabad. That's a gap of about 45%.

Public transport costs about 107% less in Chennai (Madras). For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $414 in Chennai (Madras) and $599 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chennai (Madras) costs $414 versus $599 in Islamabad. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Chennai (Madras). If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Islamabad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.