Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hyderabad, Pakistan and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Hyderabad: $448 a month against $607 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Hyderabad
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Hyderabad Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index

Jump to prices

Hyderabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$448

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $448 per month in Hyderabad vs $607 in Islamabad, rent included.

Hyderabad $448
Islamabad $607

A couple spends around $687 per month in Hyderabad vs $948 in Islamabad, rent included.

Hyderabad $687
Islamabad $948

A family of three spends $927 per month in Hyderabad vs $1,289 in Islamabad, rent included.

Hyderabad $927
Islamabad $1,289

Hyderabad is about 26% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hyderabad and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Hyderabad 67% lower, Islamabad 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.73 PKR 479

$3.50 PKR 969

-50.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.93 PKR 3,024

$22.76 PKR 6,298

-51.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.31 PKR 1,193

$5.37 PKR 1,487

-19.74%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 PKR 584

$3.58 PKR 991

-41.06%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 PKR 1,560

$6.82 PKR 1,887

-17.30%

Cappuccino

$1.03 PKR 284

$2.56 PKR 708

-59.77%

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

$0.37 PKR 103

$0.32 PKR 87.2

15.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 PKR 60.8

$0.21 PKR 58.0

4.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 PKR 212

$0.98 PKR 271

-22.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 PKR 145

$0.71 PKR 198

-26.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.30 PKR 358

-5.38%

Eggs

$1.27 PKR 353

$1.21 PKR 334

4.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.38 PKR 1,212

$6.05 PKR 1,673

-27.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.20 PKR 884

$3.05 PKR 844

4.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.12 PKR 1,141

$5.38 PKR 1,488

-23.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 296

$1.33 PKR 369

-19.55%

Banana (1kg)

$0.40 PKR 112

$0.86 PKR 239

-53.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.63 PKR 174

$1.07 PKR 295

-41.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.47 PKR 130

$0.52 PKR 144

-9.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.32 PKR 87.4

$0.27 PKR 73.7

18.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.32 PKR 87.3

$0.39 PKR 107

-17.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 PKR 120

$0.28 PKR 76.7

57.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 PKR 112

$0.43 PKR 118

-6.98%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.88 PKR 244

$1.99 PKR 550

-55.78%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 PKR 324

$1.24 PKR 343

-5.65%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 PKR 195

$2.61 PKR 723

-72.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.79 PKR 495

$2.36 PKR 654

-24.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 55.6

$0.17 PKR 45.76

17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.68 PKR 2,678

$21.58 PKR 5,970

-55.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 PKR 178

$1.24 PKR 342

-48.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 PKR 52.5

$0.74 PKR 206

-74.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 PKR 191

$1.61 PKR 446

-57.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 PKR 348

$1.31 PKR 364

-3.82%

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

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

$54.9K PKR 15.2M

-67.61%

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

$25.8K PKR 7.1M

$23.7K PKR 6.5M

8.80%

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

$115 PKR 31.7K

$104 PKR 28.6K

10.71%

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

$5.43 PKR 1,504

$6.11 PKR 1,690

-11.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.33 PKR 3,687

$17.21 PKR 4,762

-22.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.90 PKR 6,335

$33.65 PKR 9,310

-31.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.69 PKR 1,022

$8.52 PKR 2,358

-56.69%

Cinema Ticket

$3.71 PKR 1,027

$4.91 PKR 1,359

-24.44%

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

$60.4 PKR 16.7K

$326 PKR 90.1K

-81.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,351 PKR 373.8K

$4,917 PKR 1.4M

-72.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.99 PKR 4,702

$26.22 PKR 7,255

-35.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.70 PKR 6,280

$35.05 PKR 9,697

-35.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.0 PKR 19.1K

$98.2 PKR 27.2K

-29.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.00 PKR 11.1K

$40.45 PKR 11.2K

-1.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$136 PKR 37.6K

$261 PKR 72.1K

-47.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$78.3 PKR 21.7K

$140 PKR 38.7K

-44.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$304 PKR 84.1K

$557 PKR 154.1K

-45.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$210 PKR 58.0K

$287 PKR 79.5K

-27.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$785 PKR 217.3K

$1,691 PKR 467.7K

-53.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$839 PKR 232.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$158 PKR 43.6K

$385 PKR 106.6K

-59.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

13.08

0.99%

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

Last update for Hyderabad: October 24, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hyderabad

$133 29.8%

Islamabad

$127 20.9% 4.9% $6.5

Groceries & Markets

Hyderabad

$85 19%

Islamabad

$103 17% 20.8% $18

Accommodation & Living

Hyderabad

$78 17.5%

Islamabad

$140 23% 78.6% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Hyderabad

$67 15%

Islamabad

$90 14.8% 34.4% $23

Eating Out

Hyderabad

$41 9.3%

Islamabad

$77 12.7% 85.5% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Hyderabad

$30 6.8%

Islamabad

$43 7.2% 43.4% $13

Getting Around

Hyderabad

$12 2.7%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 125% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $136 in Hyderabad versus $261 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 in Islamabad are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Hyderabad versus $23 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $85 vs $103 – making Hyderabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Hyderabad

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

17:20 5:20 PM

Same time as Hyderabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,732,698

1,009,832 Capital

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Hyderabad Islamabad 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Hyderabad
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

Hyderabad vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Islamabad costs about 36% more than Hyderabad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $672 per month in Hyderabad and $911 in Islamabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hyderabad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $136 there versus $261 in Islamabad.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Hyderabad and $23 in Islamabad. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $448 in Hyderabad and $607 in Islamabad. That makes Hyderabad about 26% cheaper.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $448 in Hyderabad and $607 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Hyderabad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Hyderabad. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Islamabad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.