Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Layyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Layyah: $421 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 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
20

Cost of Living Index in Layyah
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Layyah Living Index

Jump to prices

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Layyah

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$421

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Layyah

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

A single person spends $599 per month in Islamabad vs $421 in Layyah, rent included.

Islamabad $599
Layyah $421

A couple spends around $930 per month in Islamabad vs $646 in Layyah, rent included.

Islamabad $930
Layyah $646

A family of three spends $1,261 per month in Islamabad vs $870 in Layyah, rent included.

Islamabad $1,261
Layyah $870

Islamabad costs about 42% more than Layyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Islamabad and Layyah are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 56% lower, Layyah 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 PKR 1,004

$1.80 PKR 497

101.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.40 PKR 6,478

$10.98 PKR 3,040

113.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 PKR 1,534

$5.50 PKR 1,523

0.73%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 PKR 987

$2.52 PKR 697

41.67%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 PKR 1,864

$2.23 PKR 618

201.79%

Cappuccino

$2.64 PKR 730

$1.46 PKR 405

80.82%

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

$0.32 PKR 89.6

$0.46 PKR 129

-30.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.7

$0.32 PKR 88.8

-28.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 PKR 259

$0.78 PKR 215

20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 PKR 200

$0.65 PKR 180

10.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 361

$1.25 PKR 345

4.00%

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 339

$1.21 PKR 335

0.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 PKR 1,674

$8.58 PKR 2,376

-29.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 PKR 855

$2.49 PKR 689

24.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.35 PKR 1,482

$4.04 PKR 1,119

32.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 350

$1.06 PKR 292

18.87%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 241

$0.65 PKR 180

33.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 288

$0.60 PKR 166

73.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 146

$0.62 PKR 173

-14.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 81.2

$0.28 PKR 76.4

3.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 99.4

$0.51 PKR 140

-29.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.4

$0.44 PKR 123

-36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 PKR 108

$0.43 PKR 120

-9.30%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.95 PKR 539

$0.56 PKR 154

248.21%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 331

$0.52 PKR 144

128.85%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 PKR 743

$0.70 PKR 194

282.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 PKR 619

$1.46 PKR 404

53.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 43.07

$0.17 PKR 46.09

-5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 PKR 5,905

$9.02 PKR 2,497

136.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 344

$1.11 PKR 307

11.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 204

$1.10 PKR 304

-32.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 PKR 442

$2.87 PKR 795

-44.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 PKR 378

$1.18 PKR 326

16.10%

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

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

131.03%

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

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

1.38%

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

$103 PKR 28.6K

$67.5 PKR 18.7K

52.93%

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

$5.99 PKR 1,658

$5.59 PKR 1,547

7.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.15 PKR 4,746

$14.62 PKR 4,047

17.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.20 PKR 7,806

$14.81 PKR 4,100

90.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.47 PKR 2,344

$8.79 PKR 2,432

-3.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.43 PKR 1,226

$7.26 PKR 2,009

-38.98%

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

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

$26.51 PKR 7,337

185.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

$2,043 PKR 565.5K

144.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.72 PKR 7,118

$18.90 PKR 5,231

36.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.48 PKR 9,543

$26.90 PKR 7,446

28.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

$54.3 PKR 15.0K

76.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

$29.47 PKR 8,156

40.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 PKR 76.5K

$121 PKR 33.4K

128.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.3K

$80.0 PKR 22.1K

73.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 PKR 158.2K

$253 PKR 69.9K

126.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 PKR 74.9K

$157 PKR 43.4K

72.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

$896 PKR 248.1K

81.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$836 PKR 231.5K

$524 PKR 145.0K

59.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$380 PKR 105.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

11.83

10.57%

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

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Last update for Layyah: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$139 23.1%

Layyah

$80 19% 42.3% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$126 21.1%

Layyah

$88 20.8% 30.6% $39

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$102 17%

Layyah

$98 23.3% 4% $4.1

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$89 14.8%

Layyah

$58 13.8% 34.3% $30

Eating Out

Islamabad

$80 13.3%

Layyah

$52 12.3% 35.1% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$37 6.2%

Layyah

$29 7% 20.9% $7.7

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Layyah

$16 3.9% 39.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $276 in Islamabad versus $121 in Layyah. 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 $11.00 in Layyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $102 vs $98.0 – making Layyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Layyah

🕒 Local time

04:46 4:46 AM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

126,361

💱 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 Layyah 360 km

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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 Layyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $899 per month in Islamabad and $632 in Layyah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 4% 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 $11.00 in Layyah. 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 $599 in Islamabad and $421 in Layyah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Layyah – 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 Layyah. 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.