Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Daska

For one person, living is cheaper in Daska: $511 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Daska
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Daska Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Daska

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Daska

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

A single person spends $599 per month in Islamabad vs $511 in Daska, rent included.

Islamabad $599
Daska $511

A couple spends around $930 per month in Islamabad vs $799 in Daska, rent included.

Islamabad $930
Daska $799

A family of three spends $1,261 per month in Islamabad vs $1,087 in Daska, rent included.

Islamabad $1,261
Daska $1,087

Islamabad costs about 17% more than Daska, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Islamabad and Daska are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 56% lower, Daska 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 PKR 1,004

$3.52 PKR 975

3.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.40 PKR 6,478

$23.73 PKR 6,567

-1.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 PKR 1,534

$5.32 PKR 1,473

4.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 PKR 987

$3.57 PKR 988

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 PKR 1,864

$6.73 PKR 1,861

Cappuccino

$2.64 PKR 730

$2.62 PKR 726

0.76%

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

$0.32 PKR 89.6

$0.32 PKR 89.5

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.7

$0.21 PKR 57.9

9.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 PKR 259

$0.92 PKR 256

2.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 PKR 200

$0.76 PKR 210

-5.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 361

$1.24 PKR 342

4.84%

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 339

$1.26 PKR 349

-3.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 PKR 1,674

$6.01 PKR 1,664

0.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 PKR 855

$3.18 PKR 880

-2.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.35 PKR 1,482

$5.33 PKR 1,474

0.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 350

$1.35 PKR 375

-6.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 241

$0.85 PKR 236

2.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 288

$1.02 PKR 282

1.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 146

$0.54 PKR 150

-1.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 81.2

$0.28 PKR 77.7

3.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 99.4

$0.35 PKR 97.7

2.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.4

$0.28 PKR 76.9

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 PKR 108

$0.38 PKR 106

2.63%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.95 PKR 539

$1.79 PKR 495

8.94%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 331

$1.20 PKR 333

-0.83%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 PKR 743

$2.36 PKR 654

13.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 PKR 619

$2.29 PKR 633

-2.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 43.07

$0.16 PKR 44.78

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 PKR 5,905

$9.66 PKR 2,673

120.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 344

$1.24 PKR 342

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 204

$0.71 PKR 196

4.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 PKR 442

$1.64 PKR 455

-2.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 PKR 378

$1.33 PKR 369

3.01%

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

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

$21.5K PKR 5.9M

153.80%

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

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

-0.21%

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

$103 PKR 28.6K

$104 PKR 28.8K

-0.85%

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

$5.99 PKR 1,658

$5.96 PKR 1,651

0.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.15 PKR 4,746

$16.36 PKR 4,528

4.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.20 PKR 7,806

$15.07 PKR 4,171

87.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.47 PKR 2,344

$7.95 PKR 2,201

6.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.43 PKR 1,226

$4.25 PKR 1,176

4.24%

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

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

$75.3 PKR 20.8K

0.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

$1,045 PKR 289.1K

379.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.72 PKR 7,118

$24.65 PKR 6,822

4.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.48 PKR 9,543

$35.26 PKR 9,759

-2.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

$97.4 PKR 27.0K

-1.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

$40.12 PKR 11.1K

2.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 PKR 76.5K

$126 PKR 34.9K

119.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.3K

$76.2 PKR 21.1K

81.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 PKR 158.2K

$257 PKR 71.1K

122.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 PKR 74.9K

$147 PKR 40.7K

83.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

$923 PKR 255.5K

76.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$836 PKR 231.5K

$490 PKR 135.7K

70.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$380 PKR 105.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

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

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Last update for Daska: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$139 23.1%

Daska

$76 14.9% 45% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$126 21.1%

Daska

$126 24.8% 0.1% $0.1

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$102 17%

Daska

$103 20.1% 0.6% $0.6

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$89 14.8%

Daska

$89 17.4% 0.2% $0.2

Eating Out

Islamabad

$80 13.3%

Daska

$78 15.2% 2.2% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$37 6.2%

Daska

$24 4.6% 36.4% $14

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Daska

$15 3% 43.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $276 in Islamabad versus $126 in Daska. 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 $24.00 in Daska. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $102 vs $103 – making Islamabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Daska

🕒 Local time

12:38 12:38 PM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

175,170

💱 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 Daska 190 km

From you

Islamabad
Daska

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 Daska: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Islamabad costs about 17% more than Daska, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. 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 $766 in Daska. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Islamabad – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Islamabad and $24.00 in Daska. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $599 in Islamabad and $511 in Daska, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Daska – 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 Daska. 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.