Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Haroonabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Haroonabad: $504 a month against $602 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Haroonabad
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Haroonabad Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$602

/mo nomad

Haroonabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$504

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Haroonabad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $602 in Islamabad versus $504 in Haroonabad.

Islamabad $602
Haroonabad $504

Estimated couple costs with rent: $937 in Islamabad versus $748 in Haroonabad.

Islamabad $937
Haroonabad $748

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,272 in Islamabad versus $993 in Haroonabad.

Islamabad $1,272
Haroonabad $993

Living in Islamabad is roughly 19% more expensive than in Haroonabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Islamabad 56% lower, Haroonabad 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.52 PKR 975

$2.58 PKR 714

36.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.86 PKR 6,326

$14.23 PKR 3,939

60.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 PKR 1,458

$5.91 PKR 1,635

-10.83%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 PKR 1,030

$3.52 PKR 974

5.68%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 PKR 1,855

$5.28 PKR 1,460

26.89%

Cappuccino

$2.63 PKR 727

$2.57 PKR 711

2.33%

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

$0.33 PKR 90.5

$0.39 PKR 107

-15.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.1

$0.23 PKR 63.3

-8.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 PKR 262

$0.91 PKR 253

4.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 PKR 216

$0.77 PKR 214

1.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

$1.20 PKR 331

7.50%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 335

$1.18 PKR 328

2.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 PKR 1,748

$6.26 PKR 1,732

0.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 PKR 869

$2.60 PKR 721

20.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.51 PKR 1,525

$5.04 PKR 1,396

9.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 PKR 351

$1.23 PKR 340

3.25%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 PKR 227

$0.68 PKR 189

20.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 295

$0.85 PKR 234

25.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 152

$0.64 PKR 177

-14.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 74.4

$0.30 PKR 82.4

-10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 106

$0.37 PKR 102

2.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 PKR 83.7

$0.47 PKR 131

-36.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.35 PKR 96.6

14.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.99 PKR 550

$1.11 PKR 307

79.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 328

$0.65 PKR 180

83.08%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 PKR 718

$1.72 PKR 477

50.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.31 PKR 639

$2.19 PKR 607

5.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 54.2

$0.19 PKR 52.3

5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.41 PKR 5,925

$10.17 PKR 2,816

110.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 PKR 346

$0.86 PKR 239

45.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

$0.69 PKR 190

1.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 PKR 440

$1.85 PKR 512

-14.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 PKR 377

$1.39 PKR 385

-2.16%

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

$54.4K PKR 15.1M

$17.9K PKR 4.9M

204.39%

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

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

$25.2K PKR 7.0M

-6.51%

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

$100 PKR 27.8K

$129 PKR 35.7K

-22.12%

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

$6.12 PKR 1,694

$5.62 PKR 1,555

8.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.33 PKR 4,795

$16.09 PKR 4,453

7.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.40 PKR 7,861

$14.92 PKR 4,129

90.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.87 PKR 2,456

$7.88 PKR 2,182

12.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.82 PKR 1,335

$4.42 PKR 1,224

9.05%

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

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$47.05 PKR 13.0K

56.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,109 PKR 1.4M

$2,039 PKR 564.2K

150.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.32 PKR 7,284

$18.09 PKR 5,007

45.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.60 PKR 9,854

$28.22 PKR 7,811

26.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 PKR 27.2K

$73.5 PKR 20.3K

33.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.95 PKR 11.3K

$32.93 PKR 9,114

24.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 PKR 74.4K

$127 PKR 35.3K

110.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 PKR 38.9K

$76.0 PKR 21.0K

84.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 PKR 159.8K

$254 PKR 70.3K

127.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 PKR 77.2K

$148 PKR 41.1K

87.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,679 PKR 464.8K

$915 PKR 253.2K

83.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$847 PKR 234.4K

$485 PKR 134.2K

74.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$388 PKR 107.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

14.05

-6.90%

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

Last update for Islamabad: October 19, 2026

Last update for Haroonabad: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$141 23.4%

Haroonabad

$76 15.1% 45.9% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$124 20.6%

Haroonabad

$151 29.9% 21.6% $27

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$104 17.3%

Haroonabad

$98 19.4% 6.2% $6.4

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$90 15%

Haroonabad

$69 13.6% 24% $22

Eating Out

Islamabad

$78 12.9%

Haroonabad

$72 14.2% 7.8% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$38 6.3%

Haroonabad

$24 4.7% 37.6% $14

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Haroonabad

$15 3% 43.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $269 in Islamabad and $127 in Haroonabad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Islamabad vs $14.00 in Haroonabad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $104 vs $98.0 per month, with Haroonabad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Haroonabad

🕒 Local time

18:57 6:57 PM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

11,624,219

💱 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 Haroonabad 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Islamabad
Haroonabad

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 Haroonabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Haroonabad wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Islamabad. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Haroonabad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $903 in Islamabad and $756 in Haroonabad 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: $269 in Islamabad versus $127 in Haroonabad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $73.6 in Islamabad versus $47.05 in Haroonabad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Islamabad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Haroonabad 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 Haroonabad 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 Haroonabad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Islamabad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.