Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Haroonabad and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Haroonabad: $504 a month against $602 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Haroonabad
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$504
/mo nomad
Islamabad
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$602
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $504 in Haroonabad versus $602 in Islamabad.

  • Haroonabad $504
  • Islamabad $602

Estimated couple costs with rent: $748 in Haroonabad versus $937 in Islamabad.

  • Haroonabad $748
  • Islamabad $937

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $993 in Haroonabad versus $1,272 in Islamabad.

  • Haroonabad $993
  • Islamabad $1,272

Living in Haroonabad costs roughly 16% less than in Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Haroonabad 63% lower, Islamabad 56% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Haroonabad
Islamabad
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.58 PKR 714
$3.52 PKR 975
-26.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$14.23 PKR 3,939
$22.86 PKR 6,326
-37.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.91 PKR 1,635
$5.27 PKR 1,458
12.14%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.52 PKR 974
$3.72 PKR 1,030
-5.38%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.28 PKR 1,460
$6.70 PKR 1,855
-21.19%
Cappuccino
$2.57 PKR 711
$2.63 PKR 727
-2.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.39 PKR 107
$0.33 PKR 90.5
18.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.23 PKR 63.3
$0.21 PKR 58.1
9.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Haroonabad
Islamabad
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.91 PKR 253
$0.95 PKR 262
-4.21%
White Bread (500g)
$0.77 PKR 214
$0.78 PKR 216
-1.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.20 PKR 331
$1.29 PKR 358
-6.98%
Eggs
$1.18 PKR 328
$1.21 PKR 335
-2.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.26 PKR 1,732
$6.32 PKR 1,748
-0.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.60 PKR 721
$3.14 PKR 869
-17.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.04 PKR 1,396
$5.51 PKR 1,525
-8.53%
Apples (1kg)
$1.23 PKR 340
$1.27 PKR 351
-3.15%
Banana (1kg)
$0.68 PKR 189
$0.82 PKR 227
-17.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.85 PKR 234
$1.07 PKR 295
-20.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.64 PKR 177
$0.55 PKR 152
16.36%
Potato (1kg)
$0.30 PKR 82.4
$0.27 PKR 74.4
11.11%
Onion (1kg)
$0.37 PKR 102
$0.38 PKR 106
-2.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.47 PKR 131
$0.30 PKR 83.7
56.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.35 PKR 96.6
$0.40 PKR 110
-12.50%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$1.11 PKR 307
$1.99 PKR 550
-44.22%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.65 PKR 180
$1.19 PKR 328
-45.38%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 PKR 477
$2.59 PKR 718
-33.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.19 PKR 607
$2.31 PKR 639
-5.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Haroonabad
Islamabad
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.19 PKR 52.3
$0.20 PKR 54.2
-5.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.17 PKR 2,816
$21.41 PKR 5,925
-52.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.86 PKR 239
$1.25 PKR 346
-31.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.69 PKR 190
$0.70 PKR 194
-1.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.85 PKR 512
$1.59 PKR 440
16.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.39 PKR 385
$1.36 PKR 377
2.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.9K PKR 4.9M
$54.4K PKR 15.1M
-67.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K PKR 7.0M
$23.5K PKR 6.5M
6.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Haroonabad
Islamabad
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$129 PKR 35.7K
$100 PKR 27.8K
28.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.62 PKR 1,555
$6.12 PKR 1,694
-8.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.09 PKR 4,453
$17.33 PKR 4,795
-7.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Haroonabad
Islamabad
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$14.92 PKR 4,129
$28.40 PKR 7,861
-47.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.88 PKR 2,182
$8.87 PKR 2,456
-11.16%
Cinema Ticket
$4.42 PKR 1,224
$4.82 PKR 1,335
-8.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Haroonabad
Islamabad
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$47.05 PKR 13.0K
$73.6 PKR 20.4K
-36.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,039 PKR 564.2K
$5,109 PKR 1.4M
-60.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Haroonabad
Islamabad
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$18.09 PKR 5,007
$26.32 PKR 7,284
-31.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.22 PKR 7,811
$35.60 PKR 9,854
-20.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$73.5 PKR 20.3K
$98.1 PKR 27.2K
-25.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$32.93 PKR 9,114
$40.95 PKR 11.3K
-19.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Haroonabad
Islamabad
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$127 PKR 35.3K
$269 PKR 74.4K
-52.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$76.0 PKR 21.0K
$141 PKR 38.9K
-45.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$254 PKR 70.3K
$577 PKR 159.8K
-56.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$148 PKR 41.1K
$279 PKR 77.2K
-46.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$915 PKR 253.2K
$1,679 PKR 464.8K
-45.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$485 PKR 134.2K
$847 PKR 234.4K
-42.77%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Haroonabad
Islamabad
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$388 PKR 107.4K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
14.05
13.08
7.42%

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

Last update for Haroonabad: October 19, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Haroonabad
$151
Islamabad
$124 17.8% $27
Groceries & Markets
Haroonabad
$98
Islamabad
$104 6.6% $6.4
Accommodation & Living
Haroonabad
$76
Islamabad
$141 84.9% $65
Eating Out
Haroonabad
$72
Islamabad
$78 8.4% $6
Clothing & Footwear
Haroonabad
$69
Islamabad
$90 31.6% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Haroonabad
$24
Islamabad
$38 60.1% $14
Getting Around
Haroonabad
$15
Islamabad
$27 77.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $127 in Haroonabad and $269 in Islamabad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $14.00 in Haroonabad vs $23.00 in Islamabad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $98.0 vs $104 per month, with Haroonabad cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇰 Haroonabad
🇵🇰 Islamabad
🕒 Local time
15:20 3:20 PM
15:20 3:20 PM
Same time as Haroonabad
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,624,219
1,009,832 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Haroonabad Islamabad 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Haroonabad
  • 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
Haroonabad vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Haroonabad or Islamabad?
Haroonabad wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Islamabad. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Haroonabad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Haroonabad and in Islamabad?
You'd need roughly $756 in Haroonabad and $903 in Islamabad to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Haroonabad compared to Islamabad?
Rent for a central apartment: $127 in Haroonabad versus $269 in Islamabad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Haroonabad and in Islamabad?
Childcare runs $47.05 in Haroonabad versus $73.6 in Islamabad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Haroonabad or in Islamabad?
Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Islamabad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $800/month in Haroonabad or in Islamabad?
Either city works on $800 a month, though Haroonabad gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Haroonabad or Islamabad?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
How safe is Haroonabad compared to Islamabad?
Safety-wise, Haroonabad and Islamabad are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Haroonabad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Islamabad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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