Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Mehar

For one person, living is cheaper in Mehar: $447 a month against $602 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 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 Mehar
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Mehar Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$602

/mo nomad

Mehar

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$447

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Mehar

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

A single person spends $602 per month in Islamabad vs $447 in Mehar, rent included.

Islamabad $602
Mehar $447

A couple spends around $937 per month in Islamabad vs $667 in Mehar, rent included.

Islamabad $937
Mehar $667

A family of three spends $1,272 per month in Islamabad vs $887 in Mehar, rent included.

Islamabad $1,272
Mehar $887

Islamabad costs about 35% more than Mehar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Islamabad and Mehar are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 56% lower, Mehar 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.52 PKR 975

$2.12 PKR 586

66.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.86 PKR 6,326

$10.76 PKR 2,977

112.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 PKR 1,458

$5.37 PKR 1,487

-1.86%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 PKR 1,030

$2.46 PKR 682

51.22%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 PKR 1,855

$5.36 PKR 1,482

25.00%

Cappuccino

$2.63 PKR 727

$1.58 PKR 437

66.46%

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

$0.33 PKR 90.5

$0.35 PKR 97.0

-5.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.1

$0.17 PKR 48.28

23.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 PKR 262

$0.84 PKR 231

13.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 PKR 216

$0.62 PKR 172

25.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

$1.12 PKR 311

15.18%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 335

$1.20 PKR 332

0.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 PKR 1,748

$5.71 PKR 1,580

10.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 PKR 869

$2.57 PKR 712

22.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.51 PKR 1,525

$5.03 PKR 1,391

9.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 PKR 351

$1.16 PKR 320

9.48%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 PKR 227

$0.55 PKR 151

49.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 295

$0.79 PKR 218

35.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 152

$0.56 PKR 156

-1.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 74.4

$0.30 PKR 83.5

-10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 106

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 PKR 83.7

$0.42 PKR 115

-28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.35 PKR 95.7

14.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.99 PKR 550

$1.81 PKR 502

9.94%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 328

$1.06 PKR 293

12.26%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 PKR 718

$2.37 PKR 657

9.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.31 PKR 639

$2.02 PKR 559

14.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 54.2

$0.20 PKR 54.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.41 PKR 5,925

$9.77 PKR 2,703

119.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.10 PKR 304

13.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

$0.71 PKR 196

-1.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 PKR 440

$1.64 PKR 453

-3.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 PKR 377

$1.24 PKR 342

9.68%

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

$54.4K PKR 15.1M

$22.1K PKR 6.1M

146.35%

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

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

$24.3K PKR 6.7M

-3.32%

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

$100 PKR 27.8K

$101 PKR 28.0K

-0.91%

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

$6.12 PKR 1,694

$5.71 PKR 1,581

7.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.33 PKR 4,795

$14.30 PKR 3,958

21.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.40 PKR 7,861

$15.17 PKR 4,199

87.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.87 PKR 2,456

$7.92 PKR 2,191

11.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.82 PKR 1,335

$4.39 PKR 1,215

9.79%

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

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$42.99 PKR 11.9K

71.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,109 PKR 1.4M

$1,021 PKR 282.7K

400.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.32 PKR 7,284

$16.60 PKR 4,595

58.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.60 PKR 9,854

$23.60 PKR 6,531

50.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 PKR 27.2K

$67.9 PKR 18.8K

44.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.95 PKR 11.3K

$33.37 PKR 9,235

22.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 PKR 74.4K

$128 PKR 35.5K

109.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 PKR 38.9K

$77.4 PKR 21.4K

81.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 PKR 159.8K

$249 PKR 69.0K

131.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 PKR 77.2K

$151 PKR 41.8K

84.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,679 PKR 464.8K

$949 PKR 262.6K

77.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$847 PKR 234.4K

$483 PKR 133.8K

75.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$388 PKR 107.4K

$109 PKR 30.0K

257.67%

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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mehar: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$141 23.4%

Mehar

$77 17.3% 44.9% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$124 20.6%

Mehar

$121 27.1% 2% $2.5

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$104 17.3%

Mehar

$91 20.5% 12.3% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$90 15%

Mehar

$64 14.2% 29.6% $27

Eating Out

Islamabad

$78 12.9%

Mehar

$54 12.1% 30.3% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$38 6.3%

Mehar

$24 5.4% 37.1% $14

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Mehar

$15 3.4% 43.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $269 in Islamabad versus $128 in Mehar. 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 258% 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 $11.00 in Mehar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $104 vs $91.0 – making Mehar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Mehar

🕒 Local time

18:16 6:16 PM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Islamabad Mehar 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Islamabad
Mehar

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 Mehar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $903 per month in Islamabad and $671 in Mehar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 14% 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 Mehar. 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 $447 in Mehar, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Mehar – 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 Mehar. 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.