Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Attock

For one person, living is cheaper in Attock: $447 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Islamabad
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$599
/mo nomad
Attock
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$447
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Attock

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

A single person spends $599 per month in Islamabad vs $447 in Attock, rent included.

  • Islamabad $599
  • Attock $447

A couple spends around $930 per month in Islamabad vs $652 in Attock, rent included.

  • Islamabad $930
  • Attock $652

A family of three spends $1,261 per month in Islamabad vs $857 in Attock, rent included.

  • Islamabad $1,261
  • Attock $857

Islamabad costs about 34% more than Attock, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Islamabad and Attock are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 56% lower, Attock 67% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Islamabad
Attock
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.63 PKR 1,004
$1.10 PKR 305
230.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.40 PKR 6,478
$7.85 PKR 2,173
198.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.54 PKR 1,534
$5.27 PKR 1,458
5.12%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.57 PKR 987
$2.20 PKR 610
62.27%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.73 PKR 1,864
$2.96 PKR 819
127.36%
Cappuccino
$2.64 PKR 730
$3.15 PKR 871
-16.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.32 PKR 89.6
$0.37 PKR 104
-13.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.23 PKR 63.7
$0.17 PKR 47.36
35.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Islamabad
Attock
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.94 PKR 259
$0.74 PKR 205
27.03%
White Bread (500g)
$0.72 PKR 200
$0.55 PKR 153
30.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.30 PKR 361
$1.09 PKR 301
19.27%
Eggs
$1.22 PKR 339
$1.11 PKR 309
9.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.05 PKR 1,674
$3.54 PKR 979
70.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.09 PKR 855
$3.14 PKR 870
-1.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.35 PKR 1,482
$3.81 PKR 1,053
40.42%
Apples (1kg)
$1.26 PKR 350
$1.17 PKR 324
7.69%
Banana (1kg)
$0.87 PKR 241
$0.52 PKR 144
67.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.04 PKR 288
$0.58 PKR 161
79.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.53 PKR 146
$0.68 PKR 189
-22.06%
Potato (1kg)
$0.29 PKR 81.2
$0.47 PKR 130
-38.30%
Onion (1kg)
$0.36 PKR 99.4
$0.31 PKR 84.6
16.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.28 PKR 76.4
$0.45 PKR 124
-37.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.39 PKR 108
$0.25 PKR 68.7
56.00%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$1.95 PKR 539
$1.86 PKR 516
4.84%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 PKR 331
$0.75 PKR 207
58.67%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 PKR 743
$0.70 PKR 193
282.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.24 PKR 619
$1.86 PKR 516
20.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Islamabad
Attock
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.16 PKR 43.07
$0.20 PKR 56.7
-20.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.34 PKR 5,905
$9.46 PKR 2,619
125.58%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.24 PKR 344
$1.11 PKR 307
11.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.74 PKR 204
$0.71 PKR 196
4.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.60 PKR 442
$1.48 PKR 409
8.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.37 PKR 378
$0.93 PKR 258
47.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$54.5K PKR 15.1M
$22.4K PKR 6.2M
143.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K PKR 6.6M
$25.8K PKR 7.1M
-7.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Islamabad
Attock
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$103 PKR 28.6K
$118 PKR 32.6K
-12.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.99 PKR 1,658
$7.95 PKR 2,201
-24.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.15 PKR 4,746
$14.30 PKR 3,959
19.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Islamabad
Attock
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.20 PKR 7,806
$13.53 PKR 3,744
108.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.47 PKR 2,344
$8.28 PKR 2,291
2.29%
Cinema Ticket
$4.43 PKR 1,226
$1.95 PKR 539
127.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Islamabad
Attock
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$75.7 PKR 20.9K
$46.26 PKR 12.8K
63.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,004 PKR 1.4M
$921 PKR 255.0K
443.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Islamabad
Attock
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$25.72 PKR 7,118
$7.01 PKR 1,940
266.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.48 PKR 9,543
$16.53 PKR 4,574
108.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.5 PKR 26.4K
$50.9 PKR 14.1K
87.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$41.32 PKR 11.4K
$32.14 PKR 8,896
28.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Islamabad
Attock
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$276 PKR 76.5K
$137 PKR 37.9K
101.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$139 PKR 38.3K
$81.4 PKR 22.5K
70.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$572 PKR 158.2K
$283 PKR 78.3K
102.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$270 PKR 74.9K
$168 PKR 46.6K
60.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,629 PKR 450.8K
$920 PKR 254.5K
77.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$836 PKR 231.5K
$480 PKR 132.9K
74.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Islamabad
Attock
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$380 PKR 105.2K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.08
11
18.91%

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

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Last update for Attock: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Islamabad
$139
Attock
$81 41.2% $57
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Islamabad
$126
Attock
$140 10.8% $14
Groceries & Markets
Islamabad
$102
Attock
$81 20.7% $21
Clothing & Footwear
Islamabad
$89
Attock
$48 45.9% $41
Eating Out
Islamabad
$80
Attock
$65 18.8% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Islamabad
$37
Attock
$17 53% $20
Getting Around
Islamabad
$27
Attock
$15 44.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $276 in Islamabad versus $137 in Attock. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Islamabad versus $8.00 in Attock. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $102 vs $81.0 – making Attock the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇰 Islamabad
🇵🇰 Attock
🕒 Local time
20:24 8:24 PM
20:24 8:24 PM
Same time as Islamabad
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,009,832 Capital
146,396
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 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
  • Islamabad Attock 66 km
From you
  • Islamabad
  • Attock

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 Attock: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Islamabad or Attock?
Islamabad costs about 34% more than Attock, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Islamabad and in Attock?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $899 per month in Islamabad and $671 in Attock. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Islamabad or Attock?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Attock, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Islamabad compared to Attock?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $599 in Islamabad and $447 in Attock. That's a gap of about 34%.
How expensive is transport in Islamabad compared to Attock?
Public transport costs about 126% less in Attock. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $800/month in Islamabad or in Attock?
$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $599 in Islamabad and $447 in Attock, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Attock – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Islamabad compared to Attock?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Islamabad or to Attock?
If budget matters most, go with Attock. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Islamabad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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