Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Mardan

For one person, living is cheaper in Mardan: $502 a month against $607 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Mardan
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Mardan Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$607

/mo nomad

Mardan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$502

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Mardan

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

A single person spends $607 per month in Islamabad vs $502 in Mardan, rent included.

Islamabad $607
Mardan $502

A couple spends around $948 per month in Islamabad vs $788 in Mardan, rent included.

Islamabad $948
Mardan $788

A family of three spends $1,289 per month in Islamabad vs $1,074 in Mardan, rent included.

Islamabad $1,289
Mardan $1,074

Islamabad costs about 21% more than Mardan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Islamabad and Mardan are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 55% lower, Mardan 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 PKR 968

$3.53 PKR 977

-0.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.76 PKR 6,292

$23.47 PKR 6,489

-3.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 PKR 1,485

$5.44 PKR 1,503

-1.29%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 PKR 990

$3.66 PKR 1,013

-2.19%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 PKR 1,885

$6.77 PKR 1,871

0.74%

Cappuccino

$2.56 PKR 708

$2.55 PKR 704

0.39%

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

$0.32 PKR 87.1

$0.34 PKR 94.7

-5.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 57.9

$0.23 PKR 63.8

-8.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 PKR 270

$0.90 PKR 249

8.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 PKR 198

$0.78 PKR 216

-8.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 358

$1.29 PKR 358

0.78%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 334

$1.22 PKR 337

-0.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 PKR 1,671

$2.93 PKR 811

106.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.05 PKR 843

$3.17 PKR 877

-3.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.38 PKR 1,487

$3.72 PKR 1,028

44.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 PKR 369

$0.87 PKR 239

52.87%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 PKR 239

$0.73 PKR 203

17.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 295

$1.03 PKR 285

3.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 144

$0.35 PKR 96.5

48.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 73.6

$0.27 PKR 74.1

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 107

$0.38 PKR 106

2.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.7

$0.28 PKR 77.2

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 118

$0.35 PKR 95.9

22.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.99 PKR 550

$1.79 PKR 495

11.17%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 PKR 342

$1.20 PKR 333

3.33%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 PKR 722

$2.32 PKR 641

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 PKR 653

$1.84 PKR 508

28.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 45.72

$0.20 PKR 54.5

-15.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 PKR 5,965

$10.72 PKR 2,963

101.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 342

$1.27 PKR 352

-2.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 206

$0.69 PKR 190

7.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 PKR 446

$1.60 PKR 442

0.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 PKR 364

$1.05 PKR 291

24.76%

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

$54.9K PKR 15.2M

$21.8K PKR 6.0M

151.92%

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

$23.7K PKR 6.5M

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

0.42%

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

$104 PKR 28.6K

-0.06%

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

$6.11 PKR 1,689

$6.02 PKR 1,664

1.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.21 PKR 4,758

$16.99 PKR 4,697

1.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.65 PKR 9,301

$12.89 PKR 3,563

161.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.52 PKR 2,356

$8.04 PKR 2,221

5.97%

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 PKR 1,358

$4.89 PKR 1,352

0.41%

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

$326 PKR 90.0K

$42.07 PKR 11.6K

673.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,917 PKR 1.4M

$1,058 PKR 292.6K

364.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.22 PKR 7,249

$25.98 PKR 7,182

0.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.05 PKR 9,689

$34.63 PKR 9,574

1.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 PKR 27.1K

$96.3 PKR 26.6K

1.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.45 PKR 11.2K

$40.12 PKR 11.1K

0.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 PKR 72.0K

$134 PKR 37.1K

94.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 PKR 38.6K

$86.0 PKR 23.8K

62.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 PKR 153.9K

$264 PKR 73.1K

110.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 PKR 79.5K

$182 PKR 50.3K

58.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,691 PKR 467.3K

$865 PKR 239.1K

95.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$839 PKR 232.0K

$578 PKR 159.7K

45.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$385 PKR 106.5K

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 24, 2026

Last update for Mardan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$140 23%

Mardan

$86 17.1% 38.5% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$127 20.9%

Mardan

$127 25.2% 0.2% $0.3

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$103 17%

Mardan

$84 16.8% 18.3% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$90 14.8%

Mardan

$89 17.7% 1.4% $1.3

Eating Out

Islamabad

$77 12.7%

Mardan

$77 15.4% 0.6% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$43 7.2%

Mardan

$23 4.5% 47.8% $21

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Mardan

$16 3.2% 40.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $261 in Islamabad versus $134 in Mardan. 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 in Islamabad versus $23 in Mardan. Groceries tell a different story – $103 in Islamabad vs $84 in Mardan – so Mardan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Mardan

🕒 Local time

08:21 8:21 AM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

358,604

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Islamabad Mardan 110 km

From you

Islamabad
Mardan

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 Mardan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $911 per month in Islamabad and $753 in Mardan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mardan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $134 there versus $261 in Islamabad.

Public transport costs about 50% less in Mardan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Islamabad, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $607 in Islamabad and $502 in Mardan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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