Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Pakistan Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Pakistan

Name: Pakistan
Address: PK

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $365 in India versus $449 in Pakistan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $579 in India versus $677 in Pakistan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $792 in India versus $904 in Pakistan.

Living in India costs about 19% less than in Pakistan on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 73% lower, Pakistan 67% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in India: monthly costs span $231 to $827, compared to $300–$589 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in India.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 ₹196

$2.22 PKR 616

-7.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.63 ₹1,009

$14.09 PKR 3,904

-24.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.70 ₹352

$5.31 PKR 1,472

-30.32%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 PKR 585

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 PKR 1,129

Cappuccino

$1.74 ₹165

$1.97 PKR 547

-11.68%

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

$0.37 ₹35.32

$0.34 PKR 95.0

8.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹16.34

$0.22 PKR 60.6

-22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 ₹183

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ₹290

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 ₹58.9

$0.82 PKR 227

-24.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ₹46.69

$0.62 PKR 173

-20.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.1

$1.22 PKR 339

-48.36%

Eggs

$0.94 ₹88.9

$1.23 PKR 340

-23.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.67 ₹444

$5.61 PKR 1,556

-16.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.88 ₹274

$2.74 PKR 761

5.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.89 PKR 1,356

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 ₹181

$1.13 PKR 314

69.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 ₹60.9

$0.66 PKR 184

-3.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 ₹93.3

$0.87 PKR 240

12.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 ₹48.14

$0.58 PKR 160

-12.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 ₹32.08

$0.32 PKR 88.2

6.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.88

$0.39 PKR 108

7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 ₹45.68

$0.35 PKR 96.0

37.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₹27.41

$0.41 PKR 112

-29.27%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.92 PKR 533

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 PKR 313

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 PKR 631

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.91 ₹466

$2.10 PKR 582

133.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.27 ₹690

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₹157

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₹253

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.22 ₹495

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ₹25.81

$0.17 PKR 46.59

58.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.45 ₹803

$10.08 PKR 2,794

-16.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 ₹91.3

$0.92 PKR 255

4.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.87

$0.53 PKR 147

-49.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 ₹152

$2.11 PKR 584

-24.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ₹106

$1.22 PKR 339

-8.20%

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

$12.7K ₹1.2M

$18.2K PKR 5.0M

-30.10%

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

$20.4K ₹1.9M

$25.0K PKR 6.9M

-18.31%

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

$37.48 ₹3,559

$106 PKR 29.4K

-64.68%

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

$3.50 ₹332

$5.27 PKR 1,462

-33.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.16 ₹680

$15.28 PKR 4,235

-53.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.79 ₹1,405

$15.96 PKR 4,423

-7.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.08 ₹672

$10.70 PKR 2,967

-33.83%

Cinema Ticket

$3.06 ₹291

$4.36 PKR 1,209

-29.82%

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

$57.0 ₹5,409

$42.86 PKR 11.9K

32.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,679 ₹159.4K

$1,314 PKR 364.1K

27.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.56 ₹2,142

$15.45 PKR 4,282

46.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.04 ₹2,283

$23.06 PKR 6,391

4.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.60 ₹3,856

$76.2 PKR 21.1K

-46.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.39 ₹2,886

$32.87 PKR 9,110

-7.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$145 ₹13.8K

$134 PKR 37.2K

8.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.4 ₹8,674

$75.4 PKR 20.9K

21.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$335 ₹31.8K

$295 PKR 81.7K

13.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$209 ₹19.9K

$168 PKR 46.5K

24.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,233 ₹117.1K

$1,000 PKR 277.3K

23.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$626 ₹59.4K

$524 PKR 145.3K

19.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$443 ₹42.1K

$189 PKR 52.4K

134.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

13.99

-36.10%

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

Last update for India: August 30, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $120 in India, $122 in Pakistan. Capital cities: $272 in Delhi vs $277 in Islamabad.

National salary averages: $408 in India, $182 in Pakistan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 30% more in Pakistan.

Public transport is 29% more expensive in Pakistan.

Salaries are 124% higher in India, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

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

India vs Pakistan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $529 per month in India and $445 in Pakistan, there's a 19% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Pakistan: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in India is consistently higher than in Pakistan across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Pakistan, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in India it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Pakistan wins on affordability; India may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.