Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Faisalabad and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Faisalabad: $398 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Faisalabad
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Faisalabad Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index

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Faisalabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$398

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $398 per month in Faisalabad vs $599 in Islamabad, rent included.

Faisalabad $398
Islamabad $599

A couple spends around $620 per month in Faisalabad vs $930 in Islamabad, rent included.

Faisalabad $620
Islamabad $930

A family of three spends $841 per month in Faisalabad vs $1,261 in Islamabad, rent included.

Faisalabad $841
Islamabad $1,261

Faisalabad is about 34% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Faisalabad and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Faisalabad 70% lower, Islamabad 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.85 PKR 511

$3.63 PKR 1,004

-49.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.80 PKR 2,989

$23.40 PKR 6,478

-53.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.29 PKR 1,465

$5.54 PKR 1,534

-4.51%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 PKR 680

$3.57 PKR 987

-31.09%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 PKR 605

$6.73 PKR 1,864

-67.46%

Cappuccino

$1.52 PKR 420

$2.64 PKR 730

-42.42%

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

$0.43 PKR 120

$0.32 PKR 89.6

34.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 PKR 81.7

$0.23 PKR 63.7

30.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 PKR 225

$0.94 PKR 259

-13.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 PKR 179

$0.72 PKR 200

-9.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 349

$1.30 PKR 361

-3.08%

Eggs

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.22 PKR 339

2.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.53 PKR 2,362

$6.05 PKR 1,674

40.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.59 PKR 716

$3.09 PKR 855

-16.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.96 PKR 1,096

$5.35 PKR 1,482

-25.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 PKR 304

$1.26 PKR 350

-12.70%

Banana (1kg)

$0.65 PKR 181

$0.87 PKR 241

-25.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.58 PKR 159

$1.04 PKR 288

-44.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 PKR 164

$0.53 PKR 146

11.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 PKR 83.6

$0.29 PKR 81.2

3.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 PKR 130

$0.36 PKR 99.4

30.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 PKR 172

$0.28 PKR 76.4

121.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 122

$0.39 PKR 108

12.82%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.55 PKR 152

$1.95 PKR 539

-71.79%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 PKR 143

$1.19 PKR 331

-56.30%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 PKR 194

$2.68 PKR 743

-73.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.40 PKR 389

$2.24 PKR 619

-37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 43.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.08 PKR 1,958

$21.34 PKR 5,905

-66.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 PKR 292

$1.24 PKR 344

-15.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 PKR 295

$0.74 PKR 204

43.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 PKR 785

$1.60 PKR 442

77.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 PKR 324

$1.37 PKR 378

-14.60%

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

$23.8K PKR 6.6M

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

-56.24%

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

$23.2K PKR 6.4M

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

-2.62%

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

$68.6 PKR 19.0K

$103 PKR 28.6K

-33.61%

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

$7.88 PKR 2,181

$5.99 PKR 1,658

31.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.57 PKR 3,203

$17.15 PKR 4,746

-32.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.39 PKR 3,982

$28.20 PKR 7,806

-48.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.78 PKR 4,920

$8.47 PKR 2,344

109.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.17 PKR 1,983

$4.43 PKR 1,226

61.85%

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

$26.99 PKR 7,470

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

-64.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,046 PKR 566.4K

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

-59.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.01 PKR 5,263

$25.72 PKR 7,118

-26.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.58 PKR 7,358

$34.48 PKR 9,543

-22.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.6 PKR 14.8K

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

-43.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.28 PKR 8,380

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

-26.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$110 PKR 30.3K

$276 PKR 76.5K

-60.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$58.8 PKR 16.3K

$139 PKR 38.3K

-57.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$217 PKR 60.0K

$572 PKR 158.2K

-62.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$121 PKR 33.5K

$270 PKR 74.9K

-55.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$543 PKR 150.4K

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

-66.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$251 PKR 69.3K

$836 PKR 231.5K

-70.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 PKR 46.0K

$380 PKR 105.2K

-56.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.83

13.08

-9.56%

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

Last update for Faisalabad: 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

Faisalabad

$99 25%

Islamabad

$102 17% 2.7% $2.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Faisalabad

$88 22.1%

Islamabad

$126 21.1% 43.6% $38

Accommodation & Living

Faisalabad

$59 14.8%

Islamabad

$139 23.1% 136% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Faisalabad

$58 14.6%

Islamabad

$89 14.8% 52.2% $30

Eating Out

Faisalabad

$52 13%

Islamabad

$80 13.3% 53.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Faisalabad

$29 7.2%

Islamabad

$37 6.2% 29.1% $8.4

Getting Around

Faisalabad

$13 * 3.4%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 99.9% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $110 in Faisalabad 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 129% higher in Islamabad, 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 $11.00 in Faisalabad versus $23.00 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $99.0 vs $102 – making Faisalabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Faisalabad

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

23:45 11:45 PM

Same time as Faisalabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,203,846

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

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Faisalabad Islamabad 250 km

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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

Faisalabad vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Islamabad costs about 50% more than Faisalabad, 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 $598 per month in Faisalabad 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 Faisalabad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Islamabad, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11.00 in Faisalabad 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 $398 in Faisalabad and $599 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Faisalabad – 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 Faisalabad. 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.