Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Gujranwala

For one person, living is cheaper in Gujranwala: $399 a month against $602 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 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
19

Cost of Living Index in Gujranwala
Learn more

Gujranwala Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$602

/mo nomad

Gujranwala

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Gujranwala

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

A single person spends $602 per month in Islamabad vs $399 in Gujranwala, rent included.

Islamabad $602
Gujranwala $399

A couple spends around $937 per month in Islamabad vs $621 in Gujranwala, rent included.

Islamabad $937
Gujranwala $621

A family of three spends $1,272 per month in Islamabad vs $842 in Gujranwala, rent included.

Islamabad $1,272
Gujranwala $842

Islamabad costs about 51% more than Gujranwala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Islamabad and Gujranwala are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 56% lower, Gujranwala 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.52 PKR 975

$3.60 PKR 996

-2.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.86 PKR 6,326

$12.67 PKR 3,505

80.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 PKR 1,458

$5.54 PKR 1,535

-4.87%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 PKR 1,030

$0.86 PKR 237

332.56%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 PKR 1,855

Cappuccino

$2.63 PKR 727

$1.20 PKR 333

119.17%

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

$0.33 PKR 90.5

$0.23 PKR 63.9

43.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.1

$0.17 PKR 47.70

23.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 PKR 262

$0.81 PKR 226

17.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 PKR 216

$0.72 PKR 199

8.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

$1.13 PKR 313

14.16%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 335

$1.25 PKR 346

-3.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 PKR 1,748

$6.04 PKR 1,672

4.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 PKR 869

$2.27 PKR 627

38.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.51 PKR 1,525

$5.46 PKR 1,511

0.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 PKR 351

$1.29 PKR 356

-1.55%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 PKR 227

$0.82 PKR 226

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 295

$1.07 PKR 296

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 152

$0.52 PKR 144

5.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 74.4

$0.27 PKR 74.5

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 106

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 PKR 83.7

$0.25 PKR 69.5

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.33 PKR 92.2

21.21%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.99 PKR 550

$2.00 PKR 553

-0.50%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 328

$1.19 PKR 331

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 PKR 718

$2.73 PKR 757

-5.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.31 PKR 639

$2.04 PKR 565

13.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 54.2

$0.19 PKR 53.5

5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.41 PKR 5,925

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 PKR 346

$0.96 PKR 265

30.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

$0.70 PKR 193

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 PKR 440

$1.47 PKR 406

8.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 PKR 377

$1.19 PKR 330

14.29%

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

$54.4K PKR 15.1M

$17.7K PKR 4.9M

206.60%

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

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

$21.5K PKR 5.9M

9.59%

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

$100 PKR 27.8K

$102 PKR 28.2K

-1.53%

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

$6.12 PKR 1,694

$5.43 PKR 1,504

12.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.33 PKR 4,795

$16.51 PKR 4,571

4.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.40 PKR 7,861

$7.35 PKR 2,034

286.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.87 PKR 2,456

$5.83 PKR 1,614

52.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.82 PKR 1,335

$4.41 PKR 1,220

9.30%

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

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$27.58 PKR 7,632

166.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,109 PKR 1.4M

$967 PKR 267.5K

428.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.32 PKR 7,284

$14.33 PKR 3,966

83.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.60 PKR 9,854

$24.98 PKR 6,913

42.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 PKR 27.2K

$72.3 PKR 20.0K

35.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.95 PKR 11.3K

$33.50 PKR 9,272

22.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 PKR 74.4K

$53.6 PKR 14.8K

401.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 PKR 38.9K

$31.94 PKR 8,841

339.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 PKR 159.8K

$164 PKR 45.5K

250.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 PKR 77.2K

$98.3 PKR 27.2K

183.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,679 PKR 464.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$847 PKR 234.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$388 PKR 107.4K

$236 PKR 65.3K

64.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

11.5

13.74%

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

Last update for Islamabad: October 19, 2026

Last update for Gujranwala: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$141 23.4%

Gujranwala

$32 8% 77.3% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$124 20.6%

Gujranwala

$124 31% 0% $0.1

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$104 17.3%

Gujranwala

$95 23.9% 8.5% $8.8

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$90 15%

Gujranwala

$65 16.3% 27.8% $25

Eating Out

Islamabad

$78 12.9%

Gujranwala

$61 15.4% 20.8% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$38 6.3%

Gujranwala

$16 4.1% 57.5% $22

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Gujranwala

$5.2 * 1.3% 80.6% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $269 in Islamabad versus $53.6 in Gujranwala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 65% higher in Islamabad, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Islamabad versus $13.00 in Gujranwala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $104 vs $95.0 – making Gujranwala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Gujranwala

🕒 Local time

15:50 3:50 PM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

2,027,001

💱 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

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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 Gujranwala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $602 in Islamabad, $399 in Gujranwala – roughly 51% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $903 per month in Islamabad and $599 in Gujranwala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Islamabad and $13.00 in Gujranwala. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Islamabad, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $602 in Islamabad and $399 in Gujranwala, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Gujranwala – 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 Gujranwala. 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.