Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Chiniot

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiniot: $501 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Chiniot
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Chiniot Living Index

Jump to prices

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Chiniot

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$501

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Chiniot

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

A single person spends $599 per month in Islamabad vs $501 in Chiniot, rent included.

Islamabad $599
Chiniot $501

A couple spends around $930 per month in Islamabad vs $748 in Chiniot, rent included.

Islamabad $930
Chiniot $748

A family of three spends $1,261 per month in Islamabad vs $995 in Chiniot, rent included.

Islamabad $1,261
Chiniot $995

Islamabad costs about 20% more than Chiniot, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Islamabad and Chiniot are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 56% lower, Chiniot 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 PKR 1,004

$2.12 PKR 586

71.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.40 PKR 6,478

$15.97 PKR 4,421

46.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 PKR 1,534

$5.84 PKR 1,616

-5.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 PKR 987

$1.79 PKR 496

99.44%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 PKR 1,864

$3.46 PKR 957

94.51%

Cappuccino

$2.64 PKR 730

$1.92 PKR 532

37.50%

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

$0.32 PKR 89.6

$0.44 PKR 121

-27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.7

$0.25 PKR 69.4

-8.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 PKR 259

$0.86 PKR 239

9.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 PKR 200

$0.55 PKR 152

30.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 361

$1.23 PKR 342

5.69%

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 339

$1.16 PKR 320

5.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 PKR 1,674

$6.02 PKR 1,665

0.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 PKR 855

$3.45 PKR 954

-10.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.35 PKR 1,482

$5.06 PKR 1,400

5.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 350

$1.15 PKR 318

9.57%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 241

$0.86 PKR 239

1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 288

$1.28 PKR 354

-18.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 146

$0.58 PKR 159

-8.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 81.2

$0.36 PKR 99.5

-19.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 99.4

$0.46 PKR 126

-21.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.4

$0.31 PKR 85.0

-9.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 PKR 108

$0.40 PKR 110

-2.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.95 PKR 539

$1.86 PKR 515

4.84%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 331

$1.19 PKR 329

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 PKR 743

$2.45 PKR 679

9.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 PKR 619

$1.98 PKR 548

13.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 43.07

$0.17 PKR 46.77

-5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 PKR 5,905

$11.31 PKR 3,131

88.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 344

$0.88 PKR 243

40.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 204

$0.37 PKR 103

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 PKR 442

$1.66 PKR 459

-3.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 PKR 378

$1.23 PKR 341

11.38%

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

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

$19.2K PKR 5.3M

183.80%

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

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

$24.5K PKR 6.8M

-2.45%

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

$103 PKR 28.6K

$114 PKR 31.4K

-9.06%

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

$5.99 PKR 1,658

$5.67 PKR 1,570

5.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.15 PKR 4,746

$18.26 PKR 5,053

-6.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.20 PKR 7,806

$15.87 PKR 4,393

77.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.47 PKR 2,344

$7.33 PKR 2,028

15.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.43 PKR 1,226

$4.37 PKR 1,210

1.37%

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

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

$48.35 PKR 13.4K

56.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

$1,054 PKR 291.8K

374.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.72 PKR 7,118

$17.72 PKR 4,905

45.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.48 PKR 9,543

$32.22 PKR 8,919

7.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

$91.6 PKR 25.4K

4.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

$35.83 PKR 9,918

15.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 PKR 76.5K

$124 PKR 34.2K

123.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.3K

$83.2 PKR 23.0K

66.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 PKR 158.2K

$215 PKR 59.5K

166.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 PKR 74.9K

$145 PKR 40.2K

86.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

$922 PKR 255.3K

76.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$836 PKR 231.5K

$509 PKR 140.8K

64.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$380 PKR 105.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

22.81

-42.66%

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

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiniot: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$139 23.1%

Chiniot

$83 16.6% 39.9% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$126 21.1%

Chiniot

$137 27.4% 8.8% $11

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$102 17%

Chiniot

$101 20.2% 1% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$89 14.8%

Chiniot

$80 15.9% 10% $8.9

Eating Out

Islamabad

$80 13.3%

Chiniot

$60 12% 24.2% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$37 6.2%

Chiniot

$25 4.9% 33.6% $12

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Chiniot

$15 2.9% 45.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $276 in Islamabad versus $124 in Chiniot. 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 $16.00 in Chiniot. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $102 vs $101 – making Chiniot the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Chiniot

🕒 Local time

04:08 4:08 AM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

278,747

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Islamabad Chiniot 220 km

From you

Islamabad
Chiniot

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 Chiniot: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Islamabad costs about 20% more than Chiniot, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $752 in Chiniot. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $75.7 per month in Islamabad and $48.35 in Chiniot. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Islamabad, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $599 in Islamabad and $501 in Chiniot, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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 Chiniot. 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.