Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Daska and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Daska: $511 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Daska
Learn more

Daska Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index

Jump to prices

Daska

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$511

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $511 per month in Daska vs $599 in Islamabad, rent included.

Daska $511
Islamabad $599

A couple spends around $799 per month in Daska vs $930 in Islamabad, rent included.

Daska $799
Islamabad $930

A family of three spends $1,087 per month in Daska vs $1,261 in Islamabad, rent included.

Daska $1,087
Islamabad $1,261

Daska is about 15% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Daska and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Daska 62% lower, Islamabad 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.52 PKR 975

$3.63 PKR 1,004

-3.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.73 PKR 6,567

$23.40 PKR 6,478

1.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.32 PKR 1,473

$5.54 PKR 1,534

-3.97%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 PKR 988

$3.57 PKR 987

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 PKR 1,861

$6.73 PKR 1,864

Cappuccino

$2.62 PKR 726

$2.64 PKR 730

-0.76%

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

$0.32 PKR 89.5

$0.32 PKR 89.6

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 57.9

$0.23 PKR 63.7

-8.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 256

$0.94 PKR 259

-2.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 PKR 210

$0.72 PKR 200

5.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 342

$1.30 PKR 361

-4.62%

Eggs

$1.26 PKR 349

$1.22 PKR 339

3.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.01 PKR 1,664

$6.05 PKR 1,674

-0.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 PKR 880

$3.09 PKR 855

2.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.33 PKR 1,474

$5.35 PKR 1,482

-0.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 PKR 375

$1.26 PKR 350

7.14%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 PKR 236

$0.87 PKR 241

-2.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 PKR 282

$1.04 PKR 288

-1.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 150

$0.53 PKR 146

1.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.28 PKR 77.7

$0.29 PKR 81.2

-3.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 97.7

$0.36 PKR 99.4

-2.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.9

$0.28 PKR 76.4

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 PKR 106

$0.39 PKR 108

-2.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.79 PKR 495

$1.95 PKR 539

-8.21%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 333

$1.19 PKR 331

0.84%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 PKR 654

$2.68 PKR 743

-11.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 PKR 633

$2.24 PKR 619

2.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 44.78

$0.16 PKR 43.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.66 PKR 2,673

$21.34 PKR 5,905

-54.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 342

$1.24 PKR 344

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 PKR 196

$0.74 PKR 204

-4.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 PKR 455

$1.60 PKR 442

2.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 PKR 369

$1.37 PKR 378

-2.92%

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

$21.5K PKR 5.9M

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

-60.60%

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

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

0.21%

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

$104 PKR 28.8K

$103 PKR 28.6K

0.85%

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

$5.96 PKR 1,651

$5.99 PKR 1,658

-0.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.36 PKR 4,528

$17.15 PKR 4,746

-4.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.07 PKR 4,171

$28.20 PKR 7,806

-46.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.95 PKR 2,201

$8.47 PKR 2,344

-6.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 PKR 1,176

$4.43 PKR 1,226

-4.06%

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

$75.3 PKR 20.8K

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

-0.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,045 PKR 289.1K

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

-79.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.65 PKR 6,822

$25.72 PKR 7,118

-4.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.26 PKR 9,759

$34.48 PKR 9,543

2.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 PKR 27.0K

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

1.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.12 PKR 11.1K

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

-2.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$126 PKR 34.9K

$276 PKR 76.5K

-54.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$76.2 PKR 21.1K

$139 PKR 38.3K

-45.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$257 PKR 71.1K

$572 PKR 158.2K

-55.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 PKR 40.7K

$270 PKR 74.9K

-45.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$923 PKR 255.5K

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

-43.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$490 PKR 135.7K

$836 PKR 231.5K

-41.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$380 PKR 105.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

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

Last update for Daska: October 11, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Daska

$126 24.8%

Islamabad

$126 21.1% 0.1% $0.1

Groceries & Markets

Daska

$103 20.1%

Islamabad

$102 17% 0.6% $0.6

Clothing & Footwear

Daska

$89 17.4%

Islamabad

$89 14.8% 0.2% $0.2

Eating Out

Daska

$78 15.2%

Islamabad

$80 13.3% 2.3% $1.8

Accommodation & Living

Daska

$76 14.9%

Islamabad

$139 23.1% 81.9% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Daska

$24 4.6%

Islamabad

$37 6.2% 57.3% $14

Getting Around

Daska

$15 3%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 78.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $126 in Daska 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Daska versus $23.00 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $103 vs $102 – making Islamabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Daska

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

07:39 7:39 AM

Same time as Daska

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

175,170

1,009,832 Capital

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Daska Islamabad 190 km

From you

Daska
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

Daska vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Islamabad costs about 17% more than Daska, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $766 per month in Daska 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 Daska, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Islamabad – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Daska and $23.00 in Islamabad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $511 in Daska and $599 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Daska – 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 Daska. 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.