Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Larkana

For one person, living is cheaper in Larkana: $454 a month against $608 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
22

Cost of Living Index in Larkana
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Larkana Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$608

/mo nomad

Larkana

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$454

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Larkana

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

A single person spends $608 per month in Islamabad vs $454 in Larkana, rent included.

Islamabad $608
Larkana $454

A couple spends around $950 per month in Islamabad vs $685 in Larkana, rent included.

Islamabad $950
Larkana $685

A family of three spends $1,292 per month in Islamabad vs $915 in Larkana, rent included.

Islamabad $1,292
Larkana $915

Islamabad costs about 34% more than Larkana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Islamabad and Larkana are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 55% lower, Larkana 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 PKR 986

$2.11 PKR 582

69.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.14 PKR 6,672

$10.77 PKR 2,977

124.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 PKR 1,483

$5.47 PKR 1,511

-1.83%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 PKR 1,030

$2.59 PKR 716

44.02%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 PKR 1,947

$5.09 PKR 1,407

38.31%

Cappuccino

$2.67 PKR 739

$1.67 PKR 461

59.88%

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

$0.35 PKR 95.6

$0.34 PKR 94.1

2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 PKR 66.6

$0.20 PKR 55.0

20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 PKR 273

$0.81 PKR 225

22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 PKR 203

$0.60 PKR 165

23.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

$1.13 PKR 312

14.16%

Eggs

$1.32 PKR 366

$1.14 PKR 315

15.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.97 PKR 1,651

$5.82 PKR 1,608

2.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 PKR 837

$2.49 PKR 688

21.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.52 PKR 1,526

$4.99 PKR 1,380

10.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 PKR 373

$1.12 PKR 309

20.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 PKR 238

$0.54 PKR 150

59.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 286

$0.80 PKR 220

30.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 151

$0.53 PKR 146

3.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 PKR 83.3

$0.28 PKR 76.6

7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.38 PKR 105

5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

$0.41 PKR 113

-31.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 118

$0.37 PKR 102

16.22%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.00 PKR 551

$1.81 PKR 501

10.50%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.07 PKR 295

16.82%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 PKR 729

$2.36 PKR 653

11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 PKR 652

$2.01 PKR 557

17.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 46.15

$0.19 PKR 53.2

-10.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.61 PKR 5,972

$10.10 PKR 2,792

113.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 PKR 355

$1.05 PKR 291

21.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$0.68 PKR 189

2.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 PKR 456

$1.61 PKR 445

2.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 PKR 369

$1.18 PKR 327

12.71%

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

$54.3K PKR 15.0M

$21.5K PKR 5.9M

152.88%

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

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

-1.57%

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

$103 PKR 28.4K

$101 PKR 27.8K

2.09%

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

$6.17 PKR 1,705

$5.48 PKR 1,513

12.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 PKR 4,798

$14.21 PKR 3,927

22.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.65 PKR 9,300

$15.17 PKR 4,193

121.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.62 PKR 2,382

$8.18 PKR 2,260

5.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 PKR 1,375

$4.31 PKR 1,191

15.31%

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

$326 PKR 90.1K

$42.14 PKR 11.6K

673.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K PKR 6.2M

$1,051 PKR 290.4K

2034.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.82 PKR 7,136

$16.71 PKR 4,619

54.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.52 PKR 9,539

$22.01 PKR 6,083

56.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.6 PKR 26.4K

$67.7 PKR 18.7K

41.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.07 PKR 11.4K

$32.72 PKR 9,042

25.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 PKR 68.5K

$136 PKR 37.6K

82.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.5K

$86.4 PKR 23.9K

61.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 PKR 151.6K

$266 PKR 73.4K

106.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 PKR 77.4K

$182 PKR 50.2K

54.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,655 PKR 457.5K

$804 PKR 222.1K

105.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$825 PKR 227.9K

$498 PKR 137.6K

65.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$384 PKR 106.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

0.62%

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

Last update for Islamabad: November 1, 2026

Last update for Larkana: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$139 22.9%

Larkana

$86 19% 38% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$126 20.8%

Larkana

$120 26.5% 4.7% $5.9

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$104 17.1%

Larkana

$90 19.9% 13.1% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$89 14.6%

Larkana

$63 13.8% 29.4% $26

Eating Out

Islamabad

$79 13%

Larkana

$55 12.2% 29.8% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$44 7.2%

Larkana

$24 5.2% 45.4% $20

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Larkana

$15 3.4% 43.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $248 in Islamabad versus $136 in Larkana. 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 $11 in Larkana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $104 vs $90 – making Larkana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Larkana

🕒 Local time

17:32 5:32 PM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

490,508

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Islamabad Larkana 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Islamabad
Larkana

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 Larkana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $912 per month in Islamabad and $682 in Larkana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Larkana, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $136 there versus $248 in Islamabad.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Islamabad, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Islamabad and $11 in Larkana. 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 $454 in Larkana, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

For expats, Larkana is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 25% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.