Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Abbottabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Abbottabad: $316 a month against $608 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
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Islamabad Living Index
15

Cost of Living Index in Abbottabad
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Abbottabad Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$608

/mo nomad

Abbottabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$316

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Abbottabad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Islamabad and in Abbottabad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $608 per month in Islamabad vs $316 in Abbottabad, rent included.

Islamabad $608
Abbottabad $316

A couple spends around $950 per month in Islamabad vs $472 in Abbottabad, rent included.

Islamabad $950
Abbottabad $472

A family of three spends $1,292 per month in Islamabad vs $628 in Abbottabad, rent included.

Islamabad $1,292
Abbottabad $628

Islamabad costs about 92% more than Abbottabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Islamabad and Abbottabad are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 55% lower, Abbottabad 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 PKR 987

$1.84 PKR 508

94.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.14 PKR 6,679

$9.13 PKR 2,527

164.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 PKR 1,484

$5.40 PKR 1,494

-0.56%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 PKR 1,031

$2.21 PKR 611

68.78%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 PKR 1,949

$1.76 PKR 487

300.00%

Cappuccino

$2.67 PKR 739

$1.22 PKR 336

118.85%

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

$0.35 PKR 95.7

$0.34 PKR 95.3

2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 PKR 66.6

$0.19 PKR 52.1

26.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 PKR 273

$0.82 PKR 227

20.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 PKR 203

$0.96 PKR 266

-22.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

$1.09 PKR 303

18.35%

Eggs

$1.32 PKR 366

$1.19 PKR 328

10.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.97 PKR 1,653

$3.62 PKR 1,001

64.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 PKR 838

$2.36 PKR 654

28.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.52 PKR 1,528

$5.91 PKR 1,635

-6.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 PKR 374

$1.10 PKR 304

22.73%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 PKR 239

$0.90 PKR 248

-4.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 287

$0.81 PKR 224

28.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 151

$0.43 PKR 118

27.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 PKR 83.4

$0.24 PKR 66.0

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.45 PKR 124

-11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 77.1

$0.57 PKR 157

-50.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 118

$0.30 PKR 82.2

43.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.00 PKR 552

$4.78 PKR 1,323

-58.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 PKR 347

$0.75 PKR 208

66.67%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 PKR 729

$0.75 PKR 209

252.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 PKR 652

$1.61 PKR 446

46.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 46.20

$0.20 PKR 55.5

-15.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.61 PKR 5,978

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 PKR 355

$1.05 PKR 292

21.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

$0.35 PKR 96.6

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 PKR 456

$1.48 PKR 409

11.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 PKR 369

$1.18 PKR 328

12.71%

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

$54.3K PKR 15.0M

$21.6K PKR 6.0M

151.62%

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

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

$23.3K PKR 6.5M

-0.84%

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

$103 PKR 28.5K

$54.7 PKR 15.1K

88.03%

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

$6.17 PKR 1,707

$3.52 PKR 974

75.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 PKR 4,802

$12.70 PKR 3,514

36.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.65 PKR 9,309

$9.07 PKR 2,508

271.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.62 PKR 2,384

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 PKR 1,376

$2.01 PKR 555

147.26%

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

$326 PKR 90.2K

$26.97 PKR 7,462

1109.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K PKR 6.2M

$530 PKR 146.7K

4127.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.82 PKR 7,143

$7.06 PKR 1,954

265.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.52 PKR 9,549

$7.18 PKR 1,985

380.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.6 PKR 26.5K

$51.6 PKR 14.3K

85.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.07 PKR 11.4K

$10.73 PKR 2,968

282.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 PKR 68.5K

$81.9 PKR 22.6K

202.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.5K

$55.7 PKR 15.4K

150.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 PKR 151.8K

$162 PKR 44.7K

239.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 PKR 77.5K

$83.6 PKR 23.1K

235.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,655 PKR 457.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$825 PKR 228.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$384 PKR 106.1K

$191 PKR 52.9K

100.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

18.91%

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

Last update for Islamabad: November 1, 2026

Last update for Abbottabad: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$139 22.9%

Abbottabad

$56 17.6% 60% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$126 20.8%

Abbottabad

$71 22.4% 43.9% $55

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$104 17.1%

Abbottabad

$91 28.8% 12.5% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$89 14.6%

Abbottabad

$34 10.9% 61.1% $54

Eating Out

Islamabad

$79 13%

Abbottabad

$48 15.1% 39.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$44 7.2%

Abbottabad

$13 4.1% 70% $31

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Abbottabad

$3.6 * 1.1% 86.7% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $248 in Islamabad versus $82 in Abbottabad. 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 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Islamabad versus $9 in Abbottabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $104 vs $91 – making Abbottabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Abbottabad

🕒 Local time

04:42 4:42 AM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

208,491

💱 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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Islamabad Abbottabad 52 km

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Islamabad
Abbottabad

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

Islamabad vs Abbottabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Islamabad costs about 92% more than Abbottabad, 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 $912 per month in Islamabad and $475 in Abbottabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Abbottabad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $82 there versus $248 in Islamabad.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Islamabad and $9 in Abbottabad. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Islamabad, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $608 in Islamabad and $316 in Abbottabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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