Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Hyderabad, Pakistan

For one person, living is cheaper in Hyderabad: $448 a month against $607 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
21

Cost of Living Index in Hyderabad
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Hyderabad Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$607

/mo nomad

Hyderabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$448

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Hyderabad

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

A single person spends $607 per month in Islamabad vs $448 in Hyderabad, rent included.

Islamabad $607
Hyderabad $448

A couple spends around $948 per month in Islamabad vs $687 in Hyderabad, rent included.

Islamabad $948
Hyderabad $687

A family of three spends $1,289 per month in Islamabad vs $927 in Hyderabad, rent included.

Islamabad $1,289
Hyderabad $927

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 PKR 968

$1.73 PKR 479

102.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.76 PKR 6,292

$10.93 PKR 3,021

108.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 PKR 1,485

$4.31 PKR 1,192

24.59%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 PKR 990

$2.11 PKR 583

69.67%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 PKR 1,885

$5.64 PKR 1,558

20.92%

Cappuccino

$2.56 PKR 708

$1.03 PKR 284

148.54%

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

$0.32 PKR 87.1

$0.37 PKR 103

-13.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 57.9

$0.22 PKR 60.7

-4.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 PKR 270

$0.76 PKR 211

28.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 PKR 198

$0.52 PKR 145

36.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 358

$1.23 PKR 341

5.69%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 334

$1.27 PKR 352

-4.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 PKR 1,671

$4.38 PKR 1,210

38.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.05 PKR 843

$3.20 PKR 884

-4.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.38 PKR 1,487

$4.12 PKR 1,140

30.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 PKR 369

$1.07 PKR 296

24.30%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 PKR 239

$0.40 PKR 112

115.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 295

$0.63 PKR 174

69.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 144

$0.47 PKR 130

10.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 73.6

$0.32 PKR 87.3

-15.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 107

$0.32 PKR 87.2

21.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.7

$0.44 PKR 120

-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

$0.88 PKR 244

126.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 PKR 342

$1.17 PKR 324

5.98%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 PKR 722

$0.71 PKR 195

267.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 PKR 653

$1.79 PKR 495

31.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 45.72

$0.20 PKR 55.6

-15.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 PKR 5,965

$9.68 PKR 2,675

122.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 342

$0.64 PKR 178

93.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 206

$0.19 PKR 52.4

289.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 PKR 446

$0.69 PKR 191

133.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 PKR 364

$1.26 PKR 348

3.97%

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

$54.9K PKR 15.2M

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

208.73%

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

$23.7K PKR 6.5M

$25.8K PKR 7.1M

-8.08%

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

$104 PKR 28.6K

$115 PKR 31.7K

-9.67%

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

$6.11 PKR 1,689

$5.43 PKR 1,502

12.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.21 PKR 4,758

$13.33 PKR 3,684

29.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.65 PKR 9,301

$22.90 PKR 6,329

46.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.52 PKR 2,356

$3.69 PKR 1,021

130.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 PKR 1,358

$3.71 PKR 1,026

32.35%

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

$326 PKR 90.0K

$60.4 PKR 16.7K

439.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,917 PKR 1.4M

$1,351 PKR 373.5K

263.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.22 PKR 7,249

$16.99 PKR 4,698

54.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.05 PKR 9,689

$22.70 PKR 6,275

54.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 PKR 27.1K

$69.0 PKR 19.1K

42.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.45 PKR 11.2K

$40.00 PKR 11.1K

1.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 PKR 72.0K

$136 PKR 37.5K

91.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 PKR 38.6K

$78.3 PKR 21.6K

78.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 PKR 153.9K

$304 PKR 84.0K

83.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 PKR 79.5K

$210 PKR 57.9K

37.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,691 PKR 467.3K

$785 PKR 217.1K

115.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$839 PKR 232.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$385 PKR 106.5K

$158 PKR 43.6K

144.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

13.21

-0.98%

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

Last update for Islamabad: October 24, 2026

Last update for Hyderabad: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$140 23%

Hyderabad

$78 17.5% 44% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$127 20.9%

Hyderabad

$133 29.8% 5.2% $6.5

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$103 17%

Hyderabad

$85 19% 17.2% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$90 14.8%

Hyderabad

$67 15% 25.6% $23

Eating Out

Islamabad

$77 12.7%

Hyderabad

$41 9.3% 46.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$43 7.2%

Hyderabad

$30 6.8% 30.3% $13

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Hyderabad

$12 2.7% 55.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $261 in Islamabad versus $136 in Hyderabad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Islamabad are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Islamabad versus $11 in Hyderabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $103 vs $85 – making Hyderabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Hyderabad

🕒 Local time

08:28 8:28 AM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

1,732,698

💱 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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Between locations

Islamabad Hyderabad 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Islamabad
Hyderabad

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 Hyderabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Islamabad costs about 36% more than Hyderabad, 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 $911 per month in Islamabad and $672 in Hyderabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hyderabad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $136 there versus $261 in Islamabad.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Islamabad and $11 in Hyderabad. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $607 in Islamabad and $448 in Hyderabad. That makes Hyderabad about 26% cheaper.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $607 in Islamabad and $448 in Hyderabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Hyderabad – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Hyderabad. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Islamabad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.