Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Karachi Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Karachi

šŸ˜ Solo nomad: Islamabad is 15.1% more expensive than Karachi without rent, and 13.5% more expensive with rent.
šŸ˜ Family of 3: Islamabad is 13.2% more expensive than Karachi without rent, and 17.9% more expensive with rent.
Currency
šŸ½ Eating Out
Islamabad
Karachi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.91 PKRĀ 812
$2.09 PKRĀ 584
39.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$14.19 PKRĀ 3,963
$12.54 PKRĀ 3,502
13.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.20 PKRĀ 1,453
$4.18 PKRĀ 1,168
24.40%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.79 PKRĀ 499
$1.99 PKRĀ 555
-10.05%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.98 PKRĀ 1,111
$5.15 PKRĀ 1,439
-22.72%
Cappuccino
$1.99 PKRĀ 555
$1.90 PKRĀ 531
4.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.43 PKRĀ 120
$0.37 PKRĀ 102
16.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.24 PKRĀ 67.3
$0.23 PKRĀ 64.4
4.35%
šŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Islamabad
Karachi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.01 PKRĀ 283
$0.86 PKRĀ 239
17.44%
White Bread (500g)
$0.65 PKRĀ 182
$0.55 PKRĀ 153
18.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.28 PKRĀ 357
$1.17 PKRĀ 328
9.40%
Eggs
$1.23 PKRĀ 343
$1.17 PKRĀ 326
5.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.12 PKRĀ 1,710
$6.40 PKRĀ 1,787
-4.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.37 PKRĀ 941
$3.26 PKRĀ 909
3.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.51 PKRĀ 1,258
$5.01 PKRĀ 1,400
-9.98%
Apples (1kg)
$0.99 PKRĀ 277
$1.08 PKRĀ 300
-8.33%
Banana (1kg)
$0.80 PKRĀ 223
$0.55 PKRĀ 155
45.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.94 PKRĀ 262
$0.88 PKRĀ 245
6.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.61 PKRĀ 169
$0.54 PKRĀ 150
12.96%
Potato (1kg)
$0.41 PKRĀ 115
$0.35 PKRĀ 98.5
17.14%
Onion (1kg)
$0.56 PKRĀ 157
$0.48 PKRĀ 133
16.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.31 PKRĀ 85.8
$0.35 PKRĀ 98.8
-11.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.37 PKRĀ 104
$0.43 PKRĀ 121
-13.95%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$1.93 PKRĀ 538
$1.44 PKRĀ 402
34.03%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.92 PKRĀ 258
$1.32 PKRĀ 367
-30.30%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 PKRĀ 568
$2.13 PKRĀ 594
-4.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.15 PKRĀ 601
$2.16 PKRĀ 602
-0.46%
šŸšŒ Getting Around
Islamabad
Karachi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.17 PKRĀ 46.25
$0.34 PKRĀ 93.9
-50.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$6.96 PKRĀ 1,943
$6.20 PKRĀ 1,732
12.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.90 PKRĀ 252
$0.68 PKRĀ 190
32.35%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.41 PKRĀ 114
$0.67 PKRĀ 188
-38.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.75 PKRĀ 767
$1.75 PKRĀ 487
57.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.90 PKRĀ 252
$0.87 PKRĀ 242
3.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K PKRĀ 5.9M
$16.3K PKRĀ 4.6M
29.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.4K PKRĀ 7.4M
$25.0K PKRĀ 7.0M
5.38%
šŸ§¾ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Islamabad
Karachi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$112 PKRĀ 31.2K
$133 PKRĀ 37.1K
-15.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.39 PKRĀ 1,506
$4.83 PKRĀ 1,348
11.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.43 PKRĀ 5,146
$13.44 PKRĀ 3,753
37.13%
šŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Islamabad
Karachi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$22.69 PKRĀ 6,335
$15.83 PKRĀ 4,422
43.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.92 PKRĀ 1,654
$14.50 PKRĀ 4,050
-59.17%
Cinema Ticket
$4.21 PKRĀ 1,176
$4.14 PKRĀ 1,155
1.69%
šŸ§ø Childcare & Education
Islamabad
Karachi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$60.6 PKRĀ 16.9K
$57.7 PKRĀ 16.1K
5.02%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,746 PKRĀ 766.9K
$1,378 PKRĀ 384.8K
99.32%
šŸ‘•šŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Islamabad
Karachi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$21.22 PKRĀ 5,927
$17.74 PKRĀ 4,954
19.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.07 PKRĀ 7,839
$25.73 PKRĀ 7,184
9.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.0 PKRĀ 24.3K
$63.8 PKRĀ 17.8K
36.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$40.27 PKRĀ 11.2K
$36.69 PKRĀ 10.2K
9.76%
šŸ  Accommodation & Living
Islamabad
Karachi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$200 PKRĀ 56.0K
$119 PKRĀ 33.2K
68.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$110 PKRĀ 30.8K
$76.2 PKRĀ 21.3K
44.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$513 PKRĀ 143.1K
$321 PKRĀ 89.6K
59.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$289 PKRĀ 80.8K
$181 PKRĀ 50.5K
60.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,548 PKRĀ 432.3K
$764 PKRĀ 213.3K
102.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$732 PKRĀ 204.5K
$461 PKRĀ 128.7K
58.83%
šŸ’µ Salaries & Financials
Islamabad
Karachi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$303 PKRĀ 84.7K
$171 PKRĀ 47.7K
77.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
20.2
17.8
13.48%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input ā€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Islamabad: March 2, 2026

Last update for Karachi: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)
The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Similar cities

Join the CityCost newsletter ā€“ low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.
Cost of Living Index Most Popular Cities Affordable Cities by Size