Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Bahawalpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Bahawalpur: $290 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
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Islamabad Living Index
14

Cost of Living Index in Bahawalpur
Learn more

Bahawalpur Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Bahawalpur

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$290

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Bahawalpur

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $599 in Islamabad versus $290 in Bahawalpur.

Islamabad $599
Bahawalpur $290

Estimated couple costs with rent: $930 in Islamabad versus $504 in Bahawalpur.

Islamabad $930
Bahawalpur $504

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,261 in Islamabad versus $717 in Bahawalpur.

Islamabad $1,261
Bahawalpur $717

Living in Islamabad is roughly 107% more expensive than in Bahawalpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Islamabad 56% lower, Bahawalpur 79% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 PKR 1,004

$1.80 PKR 498

101.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.40 PKR 6,478

$7.39 PKR 2,047

216.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 PKR 1,534

$4.54 PKR 1,256

22.03%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 PKR 987

$2.60 PKR 719

37.31%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 PKR 1,864

$2.20 PKR 609

205.91%

Cappuccino

$2.64 PKR 730

$1.51 PKR 417

74.83%

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

$0.32 PKR 89.6

$0.31 PKR 84.6

3.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.7

$0.21 PKR 58.0

9.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 PKR 259

$0.55 PKR 151

70.91%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 PKR 200

$0.56 PKR 154

28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 361

$1.02 PKR 283

27.45%

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 339

$0.89 PKR 247

37.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 PKR 1,674

$5.34 PKR 1,477

13.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 PKR 855

$2.60 PKR 719

18.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.35 PKR 1,482

$4.17 PKR 1,155

28.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 350

$1.06 PKR 292

18.87%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 241

$0.52 PKR 144

67.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 288

$0.56 PKR 156

85.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 146

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 81.2

$0.30 PKR 84.3

-3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 99.4

$0.47 PKR 130

-23.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.4

$0.62 PKR 172

-54.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 PKR 108

$0.37 PKR 103

5.41%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.95 PKR 539

$0.56 PKR 155

248.21%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 331

$0.53 PKR 145

124.53%

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

$1.41 PKR 389

58.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 43.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 PKR 5,905

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 344

$1.09 PKR 302

13.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 204

$1.10 PKR 304

-32.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 PKR 442

$2.86 PKR 791

-44.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 PKR 378

$1.20 PKR 333

14.17%

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

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

$23.8K PKR 6.6M

129.21%

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

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

$21.6K PKR 6.0M

10.26%

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

$103 PKR 28.6K

$68.0 PKR 18.8K

51.90%

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

$5.99 PKR 1,658

$4.60 PKR 1,274

30.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.15 PKR 4,746

$11.58 PKR 3,206

48.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.20 PKR 7,806

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.47 PKR 2,344

$10.67 PKR 2,953

-20.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.43 PKR 1,226

$7.09 PKR 1,963

-37.52%

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

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

$23.83 PKR 6,596

217.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

$646 PKR 178.7K

674.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.72 PKR 7,118

$16.54 PKR 4,578

55.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.48 PKR 9,543

$21.85 PKR 6,047

57.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

$53.5 PKR 14.8K

78.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

$29.37 PKR 8,127

40.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 PKR 76.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 PKR 158.2K

$252 PKR 69.8K

126.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 PKR 74.9K

$126 PKR 34.8K

115.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

$3,483 PKR 964.1K

-53.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$836 PKR 231.5K

$758 PKR 209.8K

10.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$380 PKR 105.2K

$138 PKR 38.1K

175.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

11.83

10.57%

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

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bahawalpur: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$139 23.1%

Bahawalpur

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$126 21.1%

Bahawalpur

$84 29% 33.4% $42

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$102 17%

Bahawalpur

$82 28.4% 19.3% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$89 14.8%

Bahawalpur

$55 18.8% 38.5% $34

Eating Out

Islamabad

$80 13.3%

Bahawalpur

$48 16.6% 39.4% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$37 6.2%

Bahawalpur

$14 * 4.9% 61.7% $23

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Bahawalpur

$6.6 * 2.3% 75.5% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

Islamabad pays 176% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $23.00 in Islamabad vs $7.00 in Bahawalpur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $102 vs $82.0 per month, with Bahawalpur cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Bahawalpur

🕒 Local time

06:21 6:21 AM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

762,111

💱 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 Bahawalpur 500 km

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Islamabad
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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 Bahawalpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bahawalpur wins on cost – living expenses run 107% lower than in Islamabad. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bahawalpur the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 176% higher in Islamabad, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Islamabad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $599 per month in Islamabad versus $290 in Bahawalpur – a 107% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Bahawalpur gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Safety-wise, Islamabad and Bahawalpur are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bahawalpur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Islamabad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.