Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Dera Ghazi Khan

For one person, living is cheaper in Dera Ghazi Khan: $413 a month against $607 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 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
21

Cost of Living Index in Dera Ghazi Khan
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Dera Ghazi Khan Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$607

/mo nomad

Dera Ghazi Khan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$413

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Dera Ghazi Khan

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 Dera Ghazi Khan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $607 in Islamabad versus $413 in Dera Ghazi Khan.

Islamabad $607
Dera Ghazi Khan $413

Estimated couple costs with rent: $948 in Islamabad versus $645 in Dera Ghazi Khan.

Islamabad $948
Dera Ghazi Khan $645

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,289 in Islamabad versus $877 in Dera Ghazi Khan.

Islamabad $1,289
Dera Ghazi Khan $877

Living in Islamabad is roughly 47% more expensive than in Dera Ghazi Khan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Islamabad 55% lower, Dera Ghazi Khan 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 PKR 968

$1.79 PKR 495

95.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.76 PKR 6,292

$10.92 PKR 3,019

108.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 PKR 1,485

$5.35 PKR 1,479

0.37%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 PKR 990

$2.51 PKR 694

42.63%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 PKR 1,885

$2.23 PKR 617

205.83%

Cappuccino

$2.56 PKR 708

$1.51 PKR 417

69.54%

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

$0.32 PKR 87.1

$0.48 PKR 133

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 57.9

$0.29 PKR 81.5

-27.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 PKR 270

$0.77 PKR 213

27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 PKR 198

$0.60 PKR 167

18.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 358

$1.24 PKR 343

4.84%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 334

$1.25 PKR 345

-3.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 PKR 1,671

$8.67 PKR 2,398

-30.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.05 PKR 843

$2.50 PKR 691

22.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.38 PKR 1,487

$4.13 PKR 1,143

30.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 PKR 369

$1.11 PKR 307

19.82%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 PKR 239

$0.66 PKR 181

30.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 295

$0.60 PKR 166

78.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 144

$0.64 PKR 176

-18.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 73.6

$0.30 PKR 83.1

-10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 107

$0.48 PKR 132

-18.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.7

$0.44 PKR 121

-36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 118

$0.40 PKR 112

7.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.99 PKR 550

$0.56 PKR 154

255.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 PKR 342

$0.56 PKR 154

121.43%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 PKR 722

$0.74 PKR 204

252.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 PKR 653

$1.45 PKR 402

62.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 45.72

$0.16 PKR 43.82

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 PKR 5,965

$9.35 PKR 2,586

130.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 342

$1.10 PKR 305

12.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 206

$1.10 PKR 305

-32.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 PKR 446

$2.96 PKR 818

-45.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 PKR 364

$0.92 PKR 254

42.39%

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

$54.9K PKR 15.2M

$23.3K PKR 6.4M

135.35%

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

$23.7K PKR 6.5M

$23.3K PKR 6.4M

1.68%

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

$104 PKR 28.6K

$66.7 PKR 18.4K

55.19%

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

$6.11 PKR 1,689

$5.46 PKR 1,509

11.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.21 PKR 4,758

$14.17 PKR 3,916

21.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.65 PKR 9,301

$13.91 PKR 3,845

141.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.52 PKR 2,356

$6.97 PKR 1,926

22.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 PKR 1,358

$7.26 PKR 2,008

-32.37%

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

$326 PKR 90.0K

$26.00 PKR 7,188

1151.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,917 PKR 1.4M

$2,035 PKR 562.7K

141.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.22 PKR 7,249

$19.20 PKR 5,307

36.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.05 PKR 9,689

$26.81 PKR 7,412

30.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 PKR 27.1K

$55.2 PKR 15.3K

77.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.45 PKR 11.2K

$30.05 PKR 8,306

34.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 PKR 72.0K

$146 PKR 40.5K

78.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 PKR 38.6K

$72.6 PKR 20.1K

92.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 PKR 153.9K

$279 PKR 77.0K

99.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 PKR 79.5K

$166 PKR 45.8K

73.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,691 PKR 467.3K

$830 PKR 229.6K

103.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$839 PKR 232.0K

$493 PKR 136.3K

70.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$385 PKR 106.5K

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 24, 2026

Last update for Dera Ghazi Khan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$140 23%

Dera Ghazi Khan

$73 17.6% 48% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$127 20.9%

Dera Ghazi Khan

$86 20.9% 31.9% $41

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$103 17%

Dera Ghazi Khan

$98 23.8% 4.7% $4.8

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$90 14.8%

Dera Ghazi Khan

$59 14.3% 34.3% $31

Eating Out

Islamabad

$77 12.7%

Dera Ghazi Khan

$52 12.5% 33% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$43 7.2%

Dera Ghazi Khan

$28 6.9% 34.6% $15

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Dera Ghazi Khan

$17 4% 39% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $261 in Islamabad and $146 in Dera Ghazi Khan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Islamabad vs $11 in Dera Ghazi Khan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $103 vs $98 per month, with Dera Ghazi Khan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Dera Ghazi Khan

🕒 Local time

09:09 9:09 AM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

399,064

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Islamabad Dera Ghazi Khan 470 km

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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 Dera Ghazi Khan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $607 in Islamabad and $413 in Dera Ghazi Khan, so Dera Ghazi Khan is about 32% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $911 in Islamabad and $619 in Dera Ghazi Khan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $261 in Islamabad versus $146 in Dera Ghazi Khan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dera Ghazi Khan runs roughly 57% less than in Islamabad. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $326 in Islamabad versus $26 in Dera Ghazi Khan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Dera Ghazi Khan 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.

Expats usually find Dera Ghazi Khan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Islamabad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.