Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Jhang

For one person, living is cheaper in Jhang: $506 a month against $608 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
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Jhang
Learn more

Jhang Living Index

Jump to prices

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$608

/mo nomad

Jhang

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Jhang

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

A single person spends $608 per month in Islamabad vs $506 in Jhang, rent included.

Islamabad $608
Jhang $506

A couple spends around $950 per month in Islamabad vs $762 in Jhang, rent included.

Islamabad $950
Jhang $762

A family of three spends $1,292 per month in Islamabad vs $1,017 in Jhang, rent included.

Islamabad $1,292
Jhang $1,017

Islamabad costs about 20% more than Jhang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Islamabad and Jhang are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 55% lower, Jhang 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 PKR 987

$2.47 PKR 683

44.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.14 PKR 6,679

$14.51 PKR 4,013

66.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 PKR 1,484

$5.88 PKR 1,625

-8.67%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 PKR 1,031

$3.67 PKR 1,015

1.63%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 PKR 1,949

$5.56 PKR 1,537

26.62%

Cappuccino

$2.67 PKR 739

$2.63 PKR 729

1.52%

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

$0.35 PKR 95.7

$0.40 PKR 111

-12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 PKR 66.6

$0.24 PKR 66.0

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 PKR 273

$0.95 PKR 264

4.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 PKR 203

$0.75 PKR 207

-1.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

$1.23 PKR 340

4.88%

Eggs

$1.32 PKR 366

$1.18 PKR 327

11.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.97 PKR 1,653

$6.14 PKR 1,698

-2.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 PKR 838

$2.56 PKR 707

18.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.52 PKR 1,528

$4.92 PKR 1,362

12.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 PKR 374

$1.18 PKR 327

14.41%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 PKR 239

$0.70 PKR 194

22.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 287

$0.90 PKR 249

15.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 151

$0.59 PKR 164

-6.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 PKR 83.4

$0.29 PKR 78.9

3.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.38 PKR 106

5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 77.1

$0.47 PKR 131

-40.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 118

$0.35 PKR 96.8

22.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.00 PKR 552

$1.07 PKR 295

86.92%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 PKR 347

$0.62 PKR 171

101.61%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 PKR 729

$1.70 PKR 471

55.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 PKR 652

$2.12 PKR 588

11.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 46.20

$0.16 PKR 43.82

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.61 PKR 5,978

$9.63 PKR 2,665

124.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 PKR 355

$0.92 PKR 256

39.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 PKR 456

$1.85 PKR 512

-10.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 PKR 369

$1.40 PKR 388

-5.00%

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

$54.3K PKR 15.0M

$18.2K PKR 5.0M

198.30%

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

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

$24.4K PKR 6.7M

-5.13%

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

$103 PKR 28.5K

$124 PKR 34.4K

-17.25%

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

$6.17 PKR 1,707

$5.63 PKR 1,559

9.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 PKR 4,802

$16.19 PKR 4,478

7.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.65 PKR 9,309

$14.74 PKR 4,079

128.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.62 PKR 2,384

$8.31 PKR 2,300

3.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 PKR 1,376

$4.28 PKR 1,184

16.12%

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

$326 PKR 90.2K

$74.6 PKR 20.6K

337.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K PKR 6.2M

$2,030 PKR 561.6K

1004.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.82 PKR 7,143

$17.99 PKR 4,976

43.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.52 PKR 9,549

$27.98 PKR 7,740

23.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.6 PKR 26.5K

$72.3 PKR 20.0K

32.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.07 PKR 11.4K

$33.23 PKR 9,194

23.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 PKR 68.5K

$137 PKR 37.9K

80.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.5K

$85.1 PKR 23.6K

63.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 PKR 151.8K

$266 PKR 73.5K

106.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 PKR 77.5K

$181 PKR 50.1K

54.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,655 PKR 457.9K

$833 PKR 230.4K

98.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$825 PKR 228.1K

$509 PKR 140.8K

62.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$384 PKR 106.1K

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Jhang: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$139 22.9%

Jhang

$85 16.8% 38.8% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$126 20.8%

Jhang

$146 28.9% 15.6% $20

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$104 17.1%

Jhang

$97 19.2% 6.8% $7

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$89 14.6%

Jhang

$68 13.5% 23.1% $20

Eating Out

Islamabad

$79 13%

Jhang

$72 14.1% 9.5% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$44 7.2%

Jhang

$23 4.6% 46.6% $20

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Jhang

$15 2.9% 45.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $248 in Islamabad versus $137 in Jhang. 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 $15 in Jhang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $104 vs $97 – making Jhang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Jhang

🕒 Local time

03:29 3:29 AM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

414,131

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Islamabad Jhang 280 km

From you

Islamabad
Jhang

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 Jhang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $912 per month in Islamabad and $759 in Jhang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jhang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $137 there versus $248 in Islamabad.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Islamabad, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Islamabad and $15 in Jhang. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $608 in Islamabad and $506 in Jhang, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

For expats, Jhang is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 17% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.