Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Chennai (Madras)

For one person, living is cheaper in Chennai (Madras): $414 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
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Islamabad Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Chennai (Madras)
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Chennai (Madras) Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Chennai (Madras)

🇮🇳 India

$414

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Chennai (Madras)

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 Chennai (Madras) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $599 per month in Islamabad vs $414 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Islamabad $599
Chennai (Madras) $414

A couple spends around $930 per month in Islamabad vs $693 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Islamabad $930
Chennai (Madras) $693

A family of three spends $1,261 per month in Islamabad vs $973 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Islamabad $1,261
Chennai (Madras) $973

Islamabad costs about 45% more than Chennai (Madras), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Islamabad and Chennai (Madras) are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 56% lower, Chennai (Madras) 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 PKR 1,004

$2.06 ₹196

76.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.40 PKR 6,478

$12.41 ₹1,179

88.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 PKR 1,534

$4.25 ₹404

30.35%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 PKR 987

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 PKR 1,864

Cappuccino

$2.64 PKR 730

$1.81 ₹172

45.86%

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

$0.32 PKR 89.6

$0.36 ₹34.57

-11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.7

$0.18 ₹16.64

27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 ₹148

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ₹289

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 PKR 259

$0.56 ₹53.4

67.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 PKR 200

$0.54 ₹51.6

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 361

$0.74 ₹70.2

75.68%

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 339

$0.82 ₹77.9

48.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 PKR 1,674

$6.06 ₹575

-0.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 PKR 855

$3.23 ₹307

-4.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.35 PKR 1,482

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 350

$2.89 ₹275

-56.40%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 241

$0.80 ₹76.2

8.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 288

$1.40 ₹133

-25.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 146

$0.43 ₹40.70

23.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 81.2

$0.45 ₹42.42

-35.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 99.4

$0.43 ₹40.45

-16.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.4

$0.52 ₹49.61

-46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 PKR 108

$0.28 ₹26.44

39.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.95 PKR 539

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 331

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 PKR 743

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 PKR 619

$5.14 ₹488

-56.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.52 ₹714

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₹176

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ₹254

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

$6.78 ₹644

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 43.07

$0.30 ₹28.41

-46.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 PKR 5,905

$10.31 ₹979

106.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 344

$1.07 ₹102

15.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 204

$0.32 ₹30.55

131.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 PKR 442

$2.14 ₹204

-25.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 PKR 378

$1.09 ₹104

25.69%

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

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

$15.5K ₹1.5M

251.95%

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

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

$19.7K ₹1.9M

21.21%

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

$103 PKR 28.6K

$38.87 ₹3,691

165.65%

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

$5.99 PKR 1,658

$4.07 ₹387

47.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.15 PKR 4,746

$7.93 ₹753

116.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.20 PKR 7,806

$12.80 ₹1,216

120.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.47 PKR 2,344

$6.83 ₹648

24.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.43 PKR 1,226

$2.56 ₹243

73.05%

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

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

$86.7 ₹8,229

-12.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

$2,119 ₹201.2K

136.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.72 PKR 7,118

$20.39 ₹1,936

26.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.48 PKR 9,543

$16.65 ₹1,581

107.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

$35.60 ₹3,381

168.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

$30.60 ₹2,906

35.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 PKR 76.5K

$181 ₹17.2K

52.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.3K

$101 ₹9,611

36.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 PKR 158.2K

$506 ₹48.0K

13.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 PKR 74.9K

$300 ₹28.5K

-9.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

$2,083 ₹197.8K

-21.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$836 PKR 231.5K

$797 ₹75.6K

5.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$380 PKR 105.2K

$654 ₹62.1K

-41.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

9.99

30.93%

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

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chennai (Madras): October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$139 23.1%

Chennai (Madras)

$101 24.5% 26.9% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$126 21.1%

Chennai (Madras)

$51 12.3% 59.8% $76

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$102 17%

Chennai (Madras)

$116 28% 13.5% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$89 14.8%

Chennai (Madras)

$46 11.2% 47.6% $42

Eating Out

Islamabad

$80 13.3%

Chennai (Madras)

$67 16.2% 15.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$37 6.2%

Chennai (Madras)

$18 4.3% 51.7% $19

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Chennai (Madras)

$14 3.4% 47.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $276 in Islamabad versus $181 in Chennai (Madras). Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 72% higher in Chennai (Madras), which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Islamabad versus $12.00 in Chennai (Madras). Groceries tell a different story – $102 in Islamabad vs $116 in Chennai (Madras) – so Islamabad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇮🇳 Chennai (Madras)

🕒 Local time

04:08 4:08 AM

04:38 4:38 AM

30 min ahead of Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

4,681,087

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

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).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Islamabad Chennai (Madras) 2,400 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Islamabad
Chennai (Madras)

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 Chennai (Madras): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Islamabad costs about 45% more than Chennai (Madras), 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 $899 per month in Islamabad and $620 in Chennai (Madras). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chennai (Madras), especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $599 in Islamabad and $414 in Chennai (Madras). That's a gap of about 45%.

Public transport costs about 107% less in Chennai (Madras). For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $599 in Islamabad and $414 in Chennai (Madras), leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chennai (Madras) costs $414 versus $599 in Islamabad. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Chennai (Madras). 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.