Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gujranwala and Islamabad

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

19

Cost of Living Index in Gujranwala
Learn more

Gujranwala Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index

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Gujranwala

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$400

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $400 per month in Gujranwala vs $599 in Islamabad, rent included.

Gujranwala $400
Islamabad $599

A couple spends around $623 per month in Gujranwala vs $930 in Islamabad, rent included.

Gujranwala $623
Islamabad $930

A family of three spends $846 per month in Gujranwala vs $1,261 in Islamabad, rent included.

Gujranwala $846
Islamabad $1,261

Gujranwala is about 33% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.62 PKR 1,003

$3.63 PKR 1,004

-0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.71 PKR 3,519

$23.40 PKR 6,478

-45.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 PKR 1,476

$5.54 PKR 1,534

-3.79%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 PKR 241

$3.57 PKR 987

-75.63%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 PKR 1,850

$6.73 PKR 1,864

-0.74%

Cappuccino

$1.15 PKR 317

$2.64 PKR 730

-56.44%

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

$0.23 PKR 63.8

$0.32 PKR 89.6

-28.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 PKR 42.10

$0.23 PKR 63.7

-34.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 PKR 214

$0.94 PKR 259

-18.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 PKR 185

$0.72 PKR 200

-6.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 PKR 311

$1.30 PKR 361

-13.85%

Eggs

$1.28 PKR 353

$1.22 PKR 339

4.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.31 PKR 1,747

$6.05 PKR 1,674

4.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.34 PKR 647

$3.09 PKR 855

-24.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.43 PKR 1,502

$5.35 PKR 1,482

1.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 PKR 365

$1.26 PKR 350

4.76%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 242

$0.87 PKR 241

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 PKR 286

$1.04 PKR 288

-0.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 146

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 80.6

$0.29 PKR 81.2

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 98.8

$0.36 PKR 99.4

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.24 PKR 66.5

$0.28 PKR 76.4

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 PKR 104

$0.39 PKR 108

-2.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.94 PKR 538

$1.95 PKR 539

-0.51%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 PKR 334

$1.19 PKR 331

1.68%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PKR 754

$2.68 PKR 743

1.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 PKR 595

$2.24 PKR 619

-4.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 44.65

$0.16 PKR 43.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 PKR 5,905

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 PKR 263

$1.24 PKR 344

-23.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 206

$0.74 PKR 204

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 PKR 408

$1.60 PKR 442

-7.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 PKR 328

$1.37 PKR 378

-13.87%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

-67.14%

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

$21.4K PKR 5.9M

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

-10.16%

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

$103 PKR 28.5K

$103 PKR 28.6K

-0.29%

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

$5.53 PKR 1,532

$5.99 PKR 1,658

-7.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.42 PKR 4,544

$17.15 PKR 4,746

-4.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$7.06 PKR 1,954

$28.20 PKR 7,806

-74.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.93 PKR 1,642

$8.47 PKR 2,344

-29.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,165

$4.43 PKR 1,226

-4.97%

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

$28.10 PKR 7,777

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

-62.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$941 PKR 260.6K

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

-81.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.29 PKR 3,956

$25.72 PKR 7,118

-44.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.44 PKR 7,041

$34.48 PKR 9,543

-26.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.3 PKR 20.3K

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

-23.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.24 PKR 9,199

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

-19.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$53.8 PKR 14.9K

$276 PKR 76.5K

-80.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$31.33 PKR 8,671

$139 PKR 38.3K

-77.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$159 PKR 44.1K

$572 PKR 158.2K

-72.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 PKR 27.8K

$270 PKR 74.9K

-62.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$836 PKR 231.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$236 PKR 65.2K

$380 PKR 105.2K

-38.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

13.08

-12.08%

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

Last update for Gujranwala: October 12, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gujranwala

$125 31.2%

Islamabad

$126 21.1% 1.2% $1.5

Groceries & Markets

Gujranwala

$97 24.2%

Islamabad

$102 17% 5.7% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

Gujranwala

$66 16.5%

Islamabad

$89 14.8% 34.7% $23

Eating Out

Gujranwala

$60 15.1%

Islamabad

$80 13.3% 31.9% $19

Accommodation & Living

Gujranwala

$31 7.8%

Islamabad

$139 23.1% 342% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Gujranwala

$15 3.9%

Islamabad

$37 6.2% 140% $22

Getting Around

Gujranwala

$5.3 * 1.3%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 406% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $53.8 in Gujranwala 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 61% 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 $13.00 in Gujranwala versus $23.00 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $97.0 vs $102 – making Gujranwala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Gujranwala

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

Same time as Gujranwala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,027,001

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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Gujranwala Islamabad 200 km

From you

Gujranwala
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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

Gujranwala vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $400 in Gujranwala, $599 in Islamabad – roughly 50% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $600 per month in Gujranwala 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 Gujranwala, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Gujranwala and $23.00 in Islamabad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Islamabad, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $400 in Gujranwala and $599 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Gujranwala – 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 Gujranwala. 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.