Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Islamabad: $608 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 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
85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$608

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Athens

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 Athens actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $608 in Islamabad versus $1,779 in Athens.

Islamabad $608
Athens $1,779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $950 in Islamabad versus $2,721 in Athens.

Islamabad $950
Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,292 in Islamabad versus $3,663 in Athens.

Islamabad $1,292
Athens $3,663

Living in Islamabad costs roughly 66% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Islamabad is 55% below, Athens is 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 PKR 986

$16.83 €14.99

-78.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.14 PKR 6,678

$66.0 €58.8

-63.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 PKR 1,484

$11.21 €9.99

-52.10%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 PKR 1,031

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 PKR 1,948

Cappuccino

$2.67 PKR 739

$4.08 €3.64

-34.56%

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

$0.35 PKR 95.7

$2.77 €2.47

-87.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 PKR 66.6

$0.54 €0.48

-55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.58

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 PKR 273

$1.84 €1.64

-46.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 PKR 203

$1.43 €1.27

-48.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

$2.67 €2.38

-51.69%

Eggs

$1.32 PKR 366

$4.95 €4.41

-73.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.97 PKR 1,653

$15.09 €13.45

-60.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 PKR 838

$10.99 €9.79

-72.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.52 PKR 1,528

$19.77 €17.61

-72.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 PKR 374

$2.12 €1.89

-36.32%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 PKR 239

$1.98 €1.76

-56.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 287

$1.33 €1.19

-21.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 151

$2.16 €1.92

-74.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 PKR 83.3

$1.06 €0.94

-71.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 PKR 110

$1.15 €1.02

-65.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 77.1

$1.08 €0.97

-74.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 118

$0.85 €0.75

-49.41%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.00 PKR 552

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 PKR 347

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 PKR 729

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 PKR 652

$5.46 €4.86

-56.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 €8.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.12

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 46.19

$1.35 €1.20

-87.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.61 PKR 5,977

$30.52 €27.19

-29.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 PKR 355

$3.81 €3.39

-66.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

$1.03 €0.92

-32.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 PKR 456

$16.49 €14.68

-89.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 PKR 369

$2.34 €2.09

-43.16%

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

$54.3K PKR 15.0M

$27.8K €24.7K

95.46%

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

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

$26.6K €23.7K

-13.04%

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

$103 PKR 28.4K

$202 €180

-49.14%

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

$6.17 PKR 1,707

$26.81 €23.88

-76.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 PKR 4,802

$30.49 €27.16

-43.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.65 PKR 9,308

$54.1 €48.17

-37.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.62 PKR 2,384

$27.40 €24.41

-68.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 PKR 1,376

$10.44 €9.30

-52.39%

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

$326 PKR 90.2K

$568 €506

-42.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K PKR 6.2M

$15.2K €13.5K

47.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.82 PKR 7,142

$90.7 €80.8

-71.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.52 PKR 9,548

$39.32 €35.03

-12.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.6 PKR 26.4K

$105 €93.7

-9.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.07 PKR 11.4K

$129 €115

-68.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 PKR 68.5K

$742 €661

-66.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.5K

$648 €578

-78.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 PKR 151.7K

$1,271 €1,132

-56.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 PKR 77.5K

$1,122 €999

-75.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,655 PKR 457.9K

$3,999 €3,562

-58.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$825 PKR 228.1K

$3,281 €2,923

-74.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$384 PKR 106.1K

$1,245 €1,109

-69.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

4.44

194.59%

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

Last update for Islamabad: November 1, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$139 22.9%

Athens

$648 36.4% 366% $509

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$126 20.8%

Athens

$260 14.6% 105% $133

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$104 17.1%

Athens

$316 17.8% 204% $212

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$89 14.6%

Athens

$164 9.2% 84.8% $75

Eating Out

Islamabad

$79 13%

Athens

$272 15.3% 244% $192

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$44 7.2%

Athens

$75 4.2% 71.9% $31

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Athens

$45 2.5% 65.9% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $248 in Islamabad and $742 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays about 3.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $24 in Islamabad vs $66 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $104 vs $316 per month, with Islamabad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

07:27 7:27 AM

04:27 4:27 AM

3 h behind Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to PKR in detail →

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Between locations

Islamabad Athens 4,420 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Islamabad
Athens

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 Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Islamabad wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Islamabad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 69% lower in Islamabad. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $248 in Islamabad versus $742 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Islamabad – a meal for two runs $24 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $608 per month in Islamabad versus $1,779 in Athens – Islamabad is about 66% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $608 in Islamabad versus $1,779 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Islamabad but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Islamabad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Islamabad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.