Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 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
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index

Jump to prices

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Dhaka

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $599 in Islamabad versus $406 in Dhaka.

Islamabad $599
Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $930 in Islamabad versus $687 in Dhaka.

Islamabad $930
Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,261 in Islamabad versus $969 in Dhaka.

Islamabad $1,261
Dhaka $969

Living in Islamabad is roughly 48% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Islamabad 56% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 PKR 1,004

$2.28 ৳282

59.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.40 PKR 6,478

$12.33 ৳1,523

89.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 PKR 1,534

$3.95 ৳488

40.25%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 PKR 987

$4.48 ৳554

-20.31%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 PKR 1,864

$4.13 ৳510

62.95%

Cappuccino

$2.64 PKR 730

$2.28 ৳281

15.79%

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

$0.32 PKR 89.6

$0.33 ৳40.88

-3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.7

$0.16 ৳19.86

43.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 PKR 259

$0.85 ৳104

10.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 PKR 200

$0.60 ৳74.5

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 361

$0.69 ৳85.4

88.41%

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 339

$1.23 ৳152

-0.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 PKR 1,674

$8.80 ৳1,087

-31.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 PKR 855

$3.33 ৳412

-7.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.35 PKR 1,482

$6.63 ৳819

-19.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 350

$2.85 ৳352

-55.79%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 241

$0.90 ৳111

-3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 288

$2.34 ৳289

-55.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 146

$0.63 ৳78.4

-15.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 81.2

$0.24 ৳29.59

20.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 99.4

$0.46 ৳57.3

-21.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.4

$0.35 ৳42.79

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 PKR 108

$0.28 ৳34.24

39.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.95 PKR 539

$12.11 ৳1,496

-83.90%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 331

$5.31 ৳656

-77.59%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 PKR 743

$6.42 ৳794

-58.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 PKR 619

$3.28 ৳405

-31.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 43.07

$0.42 ৳52.3

-61.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 PKR 5,905

$22.43 ৳2,772

-4.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 344

$1.19 ৳147

4.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 204

$0.39 ৳48.71

89.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 PKR 442

$3.28 ৳406

-51.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 PKR 378

$1.10 ৳136

24.55%

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

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

$29.4K ৳3.6M

85.15%

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

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

$32.2K ৳4.0M

-25.82%

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

$103 PKR 28.6K

$38.28 ৳4,729

169.75%

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

$5.99 PKR 1,658

$4.09 ৳506

46.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.15 PKR 4,746

$9.02 ৳1,114

90.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.20 PKR 7,806

$13.66 ৳1,688

106.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.47 PKR 2,344

$10.21 ৳1,261

-17.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.43 PKR 1,226

$4.11 ৳508

7.79%

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

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

$90.7 ৳11.2K

-16.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

$2,591 ৳320.2K

93.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.72 PKR 7,118

$17.06 ৳2,108

50.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.48 PKR 9,543

$21.38 ৳2,641

61.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

$51.4 ৳6,355

85.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

$36.78 ৳4,545

12.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 PKR 76.5K

$133 ৳16.4K

107.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.3K

$65.1 ৳8,041

112.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 PKR 158.2K

$377 ৳46.6K

51.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 PKR 74.9K

$192 ৳23.8K

40.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

$1,621 ৳200.3K

0.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$836 PKR 231.5K

$760 ৳93.9K

10.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$380 PKR 105.2K

$246 ৳30.4K

54.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

10.48

24.81%

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

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$139 23.1%

Dhaka

$65 16% 53% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$126 21.1%

Dhaka

$51 12.7% 59.3% $75

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$102 17%

Dhaka

$124 30.5% 21.1% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$89 14.8%

Dhaka

$57 14.1% 35.7% $32

Eating Out

Islamabad

$80 13.3%

Dhaka

$59 14.6% 25.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$37 6.2%

Dhaka

$22 5.4% 40.9% $15

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Dhaka

$27 6.7% 1.5% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $276 in Islamabad and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Islamabad pays 54% 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 $12.00 in Dhaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $102 vs $124, with Islamabad cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

22:26 10:26 PM

23:26 11:26 PM

1 h ahead of Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, 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).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Islamabad Dhaka 2,010 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Islamabad
Dhaka

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 Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 54% higher in Islamabad, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $276 in Islamabad versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $599 per month in Islamabad versus $406 in Dhaka – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 5% less than in Islamabad. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Dhaka 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 Dhaka 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 Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Islamabad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.