Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Islamabad Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Islamabad

😐 Solo nomad: Dhaka is 4.2% more expensive than Islamabad without rent, and 25.1% cheaper with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Dhaka is 5.7% more expensive than Islamabad without rent, and 13.4% cheaper with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dhaka
Islamabad
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.40 ৳293
$2.91 PKR 812
-17.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$12.50 ৳1,527
$14.19 PKR 3,963
-11.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.87 ৳595
$5.20 PKR 1,453
-6.35%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.07 ৳497
$1.79 PKR 499
127.37%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.97 ৳607
$3.98 PKR 1,111
24.87%
Cappuccino
$2.20 ৳269
$1.99 PKR 555
10.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 ৳41.56
$0.43 PKR 120
-20.93%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.18 ৳21.62
$0.24 PKR 67.3
-25.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dhaka
Islamabad
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.80 ৳98.2
$1.01 PKR 283
-20.79%
White Bread (500g)
$0.70 ৳86.1
$0.65 PKR 182
7.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.65 ৳79.6
$1.28 PKR 357
-49.22%
Eggs
$1.24 ৳152
$1.23 PKR 343
0.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.89 ৳841
$6.12 PKR 1,710
12.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.38 ৳413
$3.37 PKR 941
0.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.68 ৳816
$4.51 PKR 1,258
48.12%
Apples (1kg)
$2.79 ৳341
$0.99 PKR 277
181.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.09 ৳134
$0.80 PKR 223
36.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 ৳323
$0.94 PKR 262
181.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.89 ৳109
$0.61 PKR 169
45.90%
Potato (1kg)
$0.44 ৳53.6
$0.41 PKR 115
7.32%
Onion (1kg)
$0.84 ৳102
$0.56 PKR 157
50.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.35 ৳42.88
$0.31 PKR 85.8
12.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.30 ৳36.85
$0.37 PKR 104
-18.92%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$12.00 ৳1,466
$1.93 PKR 538
521.76%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.04 ৳494
$0.92 PKR 258
339.13%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.83 ৳835
$2.04 PKR 568
234.80%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.88 ৳351
$2.15 PKR 601
33.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Dhaka
Islamabad
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 ৳48.35
$0.17 PKR 46.25
135.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$24.81 ৳3,030
$6.96 PKR 1,943
256.47%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.21 ৳148
$0.90 PKR 252
34.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.42 ৳51.9
$0.41 PKR 114
2.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.03 ৳370
$2.75 PKR 767
10.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.07 ৳131
$0.90 PKR 252
18.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.1K ৳3.6M
$21.2K PKR 5.9M
37.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.6K ৳3.4M
$26.4K PKR 7.4M
4.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dhaka
Islamabad
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$32.89 ৳4,017
$112 PKR 31.2K
-70.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.65 ৳568
$5.39 PKR 1,506
-13.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.34 ৳1,630
$18.43 PKR 5,146
-27.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dhaka
Islamabad
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$19.12 ৳2,336
$22.69 PKR 6,335
-15.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.38 ৳1,756
$5.92 PKR 1,654
142.91%
Cinema Ticket
$4.02 ৳491
$4.21 PKR 1,176
-4.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dhaka
Islamabad
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$48.00 ৳5,864
$60.6 PKR 16.9K
-20.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,942 ৳237.2K
$2,746 PKR 766.9K
-29.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dhaka
Islamabad
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$18.20 ৳2,223
$21.22 PKR 5,927
-14.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.95 ৳2,926
$28.07 PKR 7,839
-14.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$47.79 ৳5,837
$87.0 PKR 24.3K
-45.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$37.12 ৳4,534
$40.27 PKR 11.2K
-7.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dhaka
Islamabad
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$116 ৳14.2K
$200 PKR 56.0K
-42.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$64.2 ৳7,837
$110 PKR 30.8K
-41.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$310 ৳37.9K
$513 PKR 143.1K
-39.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$186 ৳22.7K
$289 PKR 80.8K
-35.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,244 ৳151.9K
$1,548 PKR 432.3K
-19.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$603 ৳73.6K
$732 PKR 204.5K
-17.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dhaka
Islamabad
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$315 ৳38.4K
$303 PKR 84.7K
3.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.52
20.2
-47.92%

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

Last update for Dhaka: March 1, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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