Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Gilgit

For one person, living is cheaper in Gilgit: $447 a month against $608 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
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Islamabad Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Gilgit
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Gilgit Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$608

/mo nomad

Gilgit

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$447

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Gilgit

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

A single person spends $608 per month in Islamabad vs $447 in Gilgit, rent included.

Islamabad $608
Gilgit $447

A couple spends around $950 per month in Islamabad vs $670 in Gilgit, rent included.

Islamabad $950
Gilgit $670

A family of three spends $1,292 per month in Islamabad vs $894 in Gilgit, rent included.

Islamabad $1,292
Gilgit $894

Islamabad costs about 36% more than Gilgit, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Islamabad and Gilgit are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 55% lower, Gilgit 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 PKR 986

$1.49 PKR 411

139.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.14 PKR 6,678

$10.71 PKR 2,962

125.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 PKR 1,484

$5.32 PKR 1,473

0.94%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 PKR 1,031

$2.50 PKR 690

49.20%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 PKR 1,948

$5.09 PKR 1,407

38.31%

Cappuccino

$2.67 PKR 739

$1.59 PKR 441

67.92%

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

$0.35 PKR 95.7

$0.32 PKR 88.2

9.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 PKR 66.6

$0.23 PKR 62.7

4.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 PKR 273

$0.81 PKR 223

22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 PKR 203

$0.62 PKR 172

19.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

$1.13 PKR 312

14.16%

Eggs

$1.32 PKR 366

$1.15 PKR 317

14.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.97 PKR 1,653

$5.63 PKR 1,557

6.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 PKR 838

$2.46 PKR 681

23.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.52 PKR 1,528

$4.84 PKR 1,339

14.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 PKR 374

$1.12 PKR 309

20.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 PKR 239

$0.58 PKR 160

48.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 287

$0.78 PKR 216

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 151

$0.52 PKR 143

5.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 PKR 83.3

$0.28 PKR 77.3

7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.38 PKR 106

5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 77.1

$0.43 PKR 119

-34.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 118

$0.38 PKR 104

13.16%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.00 PKR 552

$1.89 PKR 522

5.82%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 PKR 347

$1.09 PKR 303

14.68%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 PKR 729

$2.44 PKR 674

8.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 PKR 652

$1.97 PKR 545

19.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 46.19

$0.16 PKR 43.69

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.61 PKR 5,977

$10.05 PKR 2,781

115.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 PKR 355

$1.07 PKR 295

19.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

$0.71 PKR 196

-1.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 PKR 456

$1.62 PKR 448

1.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 PKR 369

$1.17 PKR 325

13.68%

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

$54.3K PKR 15.0M

$22.0K PKR 6.1M

146.98%

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

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

$23.2K PKR 6.4M

-0.40%

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

$103 PKR 28.4K

$101 PKR 27.8K

2.28%

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

$6.17 PKR 1,707

$5.66 PKR 1,567

9.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 PKR 4,802

$14.23 PKR 3,936

22.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.65 PKR 9,308

$14.85 PKR 4,107

126.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.62 PKR 2,384

$7.85 PKR 2,173

9.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 PKR 1,376

$4.25 PKR 1,176

16.94%

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

$326 PKR 90.2K

$42.28 PKR 11.7K

671.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K PKR 6.2M

$1,047 PKR 289.7K

2041.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.82 PKR 7,142

$16.72 PKR 4,625

54.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.52 PKR 9,548

$22.58 PKR 6,246

52.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.6 PKR 26.4K

$67.5 PKR 18.7K

41.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.07 PKR 11.4K

$32.35 PKR 8,948

26.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 PKR 68.5K

$134 PKR 37.2K

84.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.5K

$86.0 PKR 23.8K

61.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 PKR 151.7K

$272 PKR 75.2K

101.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 PKR 77.5K

$178 PKR 49.2K

57.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,655 PKR 457.9K

$810 PKR 224.2K

104.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$825 PKR 228.1K

$499 PKR 138.0K

65.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$384 PKR 106.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

0.62%

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

Last update for Islamabad: November 1, 2026

Last update for Gilgit: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$139 22.9%

Gilgit

$86 19.3% 38.2% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$126 20.8%

Gilgit

$120 27% 4.7% $5.9

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$104 17.1%

Gilgit

$90 20.1% 13.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$89 14.6%

Gilgit

$63 14% 29.4% $26

Eating Out

Islamabad

$79 13%

Gilgit

$49 11% 37.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$44 7.2%

Gilgit

$23 5.2% 46.4% $20

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Gilgit

$15 3.4% 43.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $248 in Islamabad versus $134 in Gilgit. 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 $24 in Islamabad versus $11 in Gilgit. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $104 vs $90 – making Gilgit the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Gilgit

🕒 Local time

03:25 3:25 AM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

216,760

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Islamabad Gilgit 270 km

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Islamabad
Gilgit

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 Gilgit: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Islamabad costs about 36% more than Gilgit, 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 $912 per month in Islamabad and $670 in Gilgit. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gilgit, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $134 there versus $248 in Islamabad.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Islamabad, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Islamabad and $11 in Gilgit. 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 $608 in Islamabad and $447 in Gilgit, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Gilgit is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 27% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.