Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Jaranwala

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaranwala: $501 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Jaranwala
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Jaranwala Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Jaranwala

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$501

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Jaranwala

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

A single person spends $599 per month in Islamabad vs $501 in Jaranwala, rent included.

Islamabad $599
Jaranwala $501

A couple spends around $930 per month in Islamabad vs $757 in Jaranwala, rent included.

Islamabad $930
Jaranwala $757

A family of three spends $1,261 per month in Islamabad vs $1,013 in Jaranwala, rent included.

Islamabad $1,261
Jaranwala $1,013

Islamabad costs about 20% more than Jaranwala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Islamabad and Jaranwala are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 56% lower, Jaranwala 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 PKR 1,004

$2.07 PKR 572

75.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.40 PKR 6,478

$16.40 PKR 4,538

42.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 PKR 1,534

$5.89 PKR 1,629

-5.94%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 PKR 987

$1.77 PKR 490

101.69%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 PKR 1,864

$3.49 PKR 967

92.84%

Cappuccino

$2.64 PKR 730

$1.94 PKR 536

36.08%

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

$0.32 PKR 89.6

$0.41 PKR 113

-21.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.7

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 PKR 259

$0.84 PKR 233

11.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 PKR 200

$0.55 PKR 153

30.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 361

$1.28 PKR 354

1.56%

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 339

$1.11 PKR 307

9.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 PKR 1,674

$6.18 PKR 1,711

-2.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 PKR 855

$3.42 PKR 948

-9.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.35 PKR 1,482

$5.05 PKR 1,397

5.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 350

$1.16 PKR 320

8.62%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 241

$0.81 PKR 224

7.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 288

$1.22 PKR 338

-14.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 146

$0.52 PKR 145

1.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 81.2

$0.38 PKR 106

-23.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 99.4

$0.49 PKR 136

-26.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.4

$0.33 PKR 91.4

-15.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 PKR 108

$0.42 PKR 117

-7.14%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.95 PKR 539

$1.87 PKR 519

4.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 331

$1.21 PKR 335

-1.65%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 PKR 743

$2.33 PKR 644

15.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 PKR 619

$2.01 PKR 557

11.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 43.07

$0.20 PKR 55.1

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 PKR 5,905

$10.80 PKR 2,988

97.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 344

$0.88 PKR 244

40.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 204

$0.37 PKR 103

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 PKR 442

$1.65 PKR 458

-3.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 PKR 378

$1.20 PKR 332

14.17%

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

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

$18.6K PKR 5.1M

193.30%

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

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

$24.2K PKR 6.7M

-1.35%

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

$103 PKR 28.6K

$112 PKR 31.0K

-7.93%

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

$5.99 PKR 1,658

$5.81 PKR 1,608

3.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.15 PKR 4,746

$18.92 PKR 5,236

-9.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.20 PKR 7,806

$16.25 PKR 4,497

73.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.47 PKR 2,344

$7.92 PKR 2,193

6.94%

Cinema Ticket

$4.43 PKR 1,226

$4.41 PKR 1,220

0.45%

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

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

$49.43 PKR 13.7K

53.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

$1,033 PKR 285.8K

384.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.72 PKR 7,118

$17.25 PKR 4,774

49.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.48 PKR 9,543

$32.47 PKR 8,986

6.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

$91.1 PKR 25.2K

4.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

$36.98 PKR 10.2K

11.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 PKR 76.5K

$110 PKR 30.5K

151.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.3K

$83.4 PKR 23.1K

66.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 PKR 158.2K

$271 PKR 75.1K

110.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 PKR 74.9K

$162 PKR 45.0K

66.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

$973 PKR 269.4K

67.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$836 PKR 231.5K

$420 PKR 116.2K

99.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$380 PKR 105.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

22.81

-42.66%

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

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Last update for Jaranwala: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$139 23.1%

Jaranwala

$83 16.7% 39.8% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$126 21.1%

Jaranwala

$137 27.4% 8.3% $10

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$102 17%

Jaranwala

$101 20.2% 1.1% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$89 14.8%

Jaranwala

$80 16% 9.8% $8.7

Eating Out

Islamabad

$80 13.3%

Jaranwala

$60 12% 24.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$37 6.2%

Jaranwala

$25 5% 32.4% $12

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Jaranwala

$14 2.9% 46.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $276 in Islamabad versus $110 in Jaranwala. 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 $23.00 in Islamabad versus $16.00 in Jaranwala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $102 vs $101 – making Jaranwala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Jaranwala

🕒 Local time

03:30 3:30 AM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

150,380

💱 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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Islamabad Jaranwala 260 km

From you

Islamabad
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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 Jaranwala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $899 per month in Islamabad and $751 in Jaranwala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 1% more in Islamabad, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Islamabad and $16.00 in Jaranwala. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $599 in Islamabad and $501 in Jaranwala, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Jaranwala – 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 Jaranwala. 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.