Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Karachi

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

A single person spends $599 per month in Islamabad vs $482 in Karachi, rent included.

Islamabad $599
Karachi $482

A couple spends around $930 per month in Islamabad vs $750 in Karachi, rent included.

Islamabad $930
Karachi $750

A family of three spends $1,261 per month in Islamabad vs $1,018 in Karachi, rent included.

Islamabad $1,261
Karachi $1,018

Islamabad costs about 24% more than Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Islamabad and Karachi are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 56% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 PKR 1,004

$2.13 PKR 588

70.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.40 PKR 6,478

$13.30 PKR 3,680

75.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 PKR 1,534

$5.45 PKR 1,508

1.65%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 PKR 987

$2.19 PKR 607

63.01%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 PKR 1,864

$7.24 PKR 2,005

-7.04%

Cappuccino

$2.64 PKR 730

$2.09 PKR 579

26.32%

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

$0.32 PKR 89.6

$0.40 PKR 111

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.7

$0.26 PKR 71.1

-11.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 PKR 259

$0.92 PKR 254

2.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 PKR 200

$0.56 PKR 156

28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 361

$1.25 PKR 345

4.00%

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 339

$1.23 PKR 341

-0.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 PKR 1,674

$5.67 PKR 1,570

6.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 PKR 855

$3.16 PKR 876

-2.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.35 PKR 1,482

$6.28 PKR 1,737

-14.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 350

$1.26 PKR 348

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 241

$0.53 PKR 148

64.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 288

$1.00 PKR 276

4.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 146

$0.56 PKR 154

-5.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 81.2

$0.33 PKR 91.4

-12.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 99.4

$0.34 PKR 95.1

5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.4

$0.42 PKR 116

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 PKR 108

$0.44 PKR 121

-11.36%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.95 PKR 539

$1.25 PKR 346

56.00%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 331

$1.32 PKR 365

-9.85%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 PKR 743

$2.42 PKR 670

10.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 PKR 619

$1.84 PKR 509

21.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 43.07

$0.28 PKR 77.0

-42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 PKR 5,905

$9.99 PKR 2,764

113.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 344

$0.92 PKR 256

34.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 204

$0.70 PKR 193

5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 PKR 442

$2.16 PKR 597

-25.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 PKR 378

$1.38 PKR 382

-0.72%

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

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

204.45%

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

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

-11.91%

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

$103 PKR 28.6K

$113 PKR 31.4K

-8.98%

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

$5.99 PKR 1,658

$5.95 PKR 1,648

0.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.15 PKR 4,746

$13.16 PKR 3,642

30.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.20 PKR 7,806

$21.55 PKR 5,965

30.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.47 PKR 2,344

$18.23 PKR 5,044

-53.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.43 PKR 1,226

$4.21 PKR 1,165

5.23%

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

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

45.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

157.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.72 PKR 7,118

$17.55 PKR 4,858

46.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.48 PKR 9,543

$23.51 PKR 6,506

46.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

38.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

1.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 PKR 76.5K

$118 PKR 32.7K

134.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.3K

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

88.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 PKR 158.2K

$357 PKR 98.9K

59.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 PKR 74.9K

$188 PKR 52.0K

43.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

53.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$836 PKR 231.5K

$481 PKR 133.1K

73.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$380 PKR 105.2K

$183 PKR 50.6K

107.85%

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 10, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$139 23.1%

Karachi

$74 15.3% 46.9% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$126 21.1%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 4.9% $6.2

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$102 17%

Karachi

$101 21% 0.8% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$89 14.8%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 23.6% $21

Eating Out

Islamabad

$80 13.3%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 23.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$37 6.2%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 19.2% $7.1

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 42.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $276 in Islamabad versus $118 in Karachi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 108% higher in Islamabad, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Islamabad versus $13.00 in Karachi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $102 vs $101 – making Karachi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

00:58 12:58 AM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

14,910,352

💱 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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Between locations

Islamabad Karachi 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Islamabad
Karachi

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 Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $899 per month in Islamabad and $723 in Karachi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karachi, 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 $13.00 in Karachi. 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 $482 in Karachi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Karachi – 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 Karachi. 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.