Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Karak

For one person, living is cheaper in Karak: $434 a month against $602 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 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 Karak
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Karak Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$602

/mo nomad

Karak

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$434

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Karak

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

A single person spends $602 per month in Islamabad vs $434 in Karak, rent included.

Islamabad $602
Karak $434

A couple spends around $937 per month in Islamabad vs $636 in Karak, rent included.

Islamabad $937
Karak $636

A family of three spends $1,272 per month in Islamabad vs $838 in Karak, rent included.

Islamabad $1,272
Karak $838

Islamabad costs about 39% more than Karak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Islamabad and Karak are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 56% lower, Karak 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.52 PKR 975

$0.70 PKR 193

402.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.86 PKR 6,326

$7.41 PKR 2,050

208.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 PKR 1,458

$5.38 PKR 1,489

-2.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 PKR 1,030

$0.73 PKR 203

409.59%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 PKR 1,855

$7.01 PKR 1,939

-4.42%

Cappuccino

$2.63 PKR 727

$0.57 PKR 157

361.40%

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

$0.33 PKR 90.5

$0.36 PKR 98.5

-8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.1

$0.23 PKR 63.9

-8.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 PKR 262

$0.93 PKR 258

2.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 PKR 216

$0.53 PKR 145

47.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

$1.05 PKR 292

22.86%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 335

$1.10 PKR 304

10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 PKR 1,748

$1.78 PKR 492

255.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 PKR 869

$2.93 PKR 810

7.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.51 PKR 1,525

$4.41 PKR 1,221

24.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 PKR 351

$0.69 PKR 192

84.06%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 PKR 227

$0.55 PKR 153

49.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 295

$0.75 PKR 207

42.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 152

$0.52 PKR 144

5.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 74.4

$0.29 PKR 80.5

-6.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 106

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 PKR 83.7

$0.17 PKR 48.32

76.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.24 PKR 65.8

66.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.99 PKR 550

$1.86 PKR 515

6.99%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 328

$1.19 PKR 331

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 PKR 718

$2.35 PKR 652

10.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.31 PKR 639

$2.33 PKR 645

-0.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 54.2

$0.19 PKR 51.7

5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.41 PKR 5,925

$9.86 PKR 2,730

117.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.23 PKR 341

1.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 PKR 440

$1.58 PKR 438

0.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 PKR 377

$1.38 PKR 381

-1.45%

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

$54.4K PKR 15.1M

$21.8K PKR 6.0M

149.83%

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

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

$24.3K PKR 6.7M

-3.19%

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

$100 PKR 27.8K

$101 PKR 27.9K

-0.26%

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

$6.12 PKR 1,694

$6.03 PKR 1,669

1.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.33 PKR 4,795

$16.84 PKR 4,660

2.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.40 PKR 7,861

$14.67 PKR 4,061

93.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.87 PKR 2,456

$8.25 PKR 2,282

7.52%

Cinema Ticket

$4.82 PKR 1,335

$4.24 PKR 1,172

13.68%

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

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$76.0 PKR 21.0K

-3.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,109 PKR 1.4M

$1,060 PKR 293.3K

382.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.32 PKR 7,284

$26.54 PKR 7,346

-0.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.60 PKR 9,854

$35.24 PKR 9,753

1.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 PKR 27.2K

$97.5 PKR 27.0K

0.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.95 PKR 11.3K

$41.37 PKR 11.4K

-1.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 PKR 74.4K

$128 PKR 35.5K

109.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 PKR 38.9K

$77.1 PKR 21.3K

82.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 PKR 159.8K

$258 PKR 71.3K

123.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 PKR 77.2K

$147 PKR 40.8K

89.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,679 PKR 464.8K

$922 PKR 255.1K

82.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$847 PKR 234.4K

$486 PKR 134.5K

74.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$388 PKR 107.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

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

Last update for Islamabad: October 19, 2026

Last update for Karak: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$141 23.4%

Karak

$77 17.8% 45.1% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$124 20.6%

Karak

$124 28.5% 0.3% $0.3

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$104 17.3%

Karak

$74 17% 29.1% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$90 15%

Karak

$90 20.8% 0.2% $0.1

Eating Out

Islamabad

$78 12.9%

Karak

$31 7.1% 60.2% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$38 6.3%

Karak

$23 5.3% 39.2% $15

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Karak

$15 3.5% 43.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $269 in Islamabad versus $128 in Karak. 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 $7.00 in Karak. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $104 vs $74.0 – making Karak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Karak

🕒 Local time

19:18 7:18 PM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

51,149

💱 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
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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 Karak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $903 per month in Islamabad and $651 in Karak. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 41% 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 $7.00 in Karak. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $602 in Islamabad and $434 in Karak, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Karak – 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 Karak. 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.