Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Mianwali

For one person, living is cheaper in Mianwali: $415 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 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
20

Cost of Living Index in Mianwali
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Mianwali Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Mianwali

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$415

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Mianwali

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

A single person spends $599 per month in Islamabad vs $415 in Mianwali, rent included.

Islamabad $599
Mianwali $415

A couple spends around $930 per month in Islamabad vs $602 in Mianwali, rent included.

Islamabad $930
Mianwali $602

A family of three spends $1,261 per month in Islamabad vs $789 in Mianwali, rent included.

Islamabad $1,261
Mianwali $789

Islamabad costs about 44% more than Mianwali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 PKR 1,004

$2.56 PKR 707

41.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.40 PKR 6,478

$7.92 PKR 2,193

195.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 PKR 1,534

$5.76 PKR 1,593

-3.82%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 PKR 987

$3.69 PKR 1,022

-3.25%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 PKR 1,864

$5.55 PKR 1,536

21.26%

Cappuccino

$2.64 PKR 730

$1.05 PKR 292

151.43%

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

$0.32 PKR 89.6

$0.24 PKR 66.1

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.7

$0.19 PKR 52.1

21.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 PKR 259

$0.72 PKR 199

30.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 PKR 200

$0.50 PKR 137

44.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 361

$1.11 PKR 307

17.12%

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 339

$1.20 PKR 333

1.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 PKR 1,674

$6.45 PKR 1,786

-6.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 PKR 855

$1.47 PKR 407

110.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.35 PKR 1,482

$3.51 PKR 973

52.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 350

$1.19 PKR 330

5.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 241

$0.70 PKR 194

24.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 288

$0.75 PKR 207

38.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 146

$0.45 PKR 125

17.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 81.2

$0.30 PKR 82.1

-3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 99.4

$0.35 PKR 97.9

2.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.4

$0.51 PKR 141

-45.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 PKR 108

$0.37 PKR 103

5.41%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.95 PKR 539

$1.10 PKR 305

77.27%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 331

$0.66 PKR 182

80.30%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 PKR 743

$1.73 PKR 479

54.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 PKR 619

$1.11 PKR 307

101.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 43.07

$0.19 PKR 51.6

-15.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 PKR 5,905

$9.47 PKR 2,622

125.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 344

$0.75 PKR 208

65.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 204

$0.37 PKR 103

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 PKR 442

$1.86 PKR 515

-13.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 PKR 378

$1.23 PKR 340

11.38%

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

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

$18.3K PKR 5.1M

197.21%

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

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

$25.4K PKR 7.0M

-6.04%

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

$103 PKR 28.6K

$109 PKR 30.1K

-5.16%

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

$5.99 PKR 1,658

$3.32 PKR 919

80.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.15 PKR 4,746

$16.25 PKR 4,497

5.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.20 PKR 7,806

$8.04 PKR 2,225

250.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.47 PKR 2,344

$8.24 PKR 2,281

2.79%

Cinema Ticket

$4.43 PKR 1,226

$4.24 PKR 1,172

4.48%

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

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

$48.56 PKR 13.4K

55.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

$2,017 PKR 558.2K

148.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.72 PKR 7,118

$13.37 PKR 3,701

92.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.48 PKR 9,543

$14.16 PKR 3,919

143.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

$72.3 PKR 20.0K

32.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

$8.79 PKR 2,433

370.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 PKR 76.5K

$128 PKR 35.4K

116.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.3K

$74.0 PKR 20.5K

87.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 PKR 158.2K

$240 PKR 66.5K

137.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 PKR 74.9K

$141 PKR 39.0K

91.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

$1,027 PKR 284.2K

58.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$836 PKR 231.5K

$424 PKR 117.5K

97.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$380 PKR 105.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

14.05

-6.90%

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

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Last update for Mianwali: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$139 23.1%

Mianwali

$74 17.8% 46.6% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$126 21.1%

Mianwali

$128 31% 1.6% $2.1

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$102 17%

Mianwali

$82 19.8% 19.4% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$89 14.8%

Mianwali

$49 11.8% 44.9% $40

Eating Out

Islamabad

$80 13.3%

Mianwali

$52 12.6% 34.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$37 6.2%

Mianwali

$17 4% 55.5% $21

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Mianwali

$13 3.1% 52.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $276 in Islamabad versus $128 in Mianwali. 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 $8.00 in Mianwali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $102 vs $82.0 – making Mianwali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Mianwali

🕒 Local time

12:39 12:39 PM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

118,883

💱 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 Mianwali 190 km

From you

Islamabad
Mianwali

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 Mianwali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $899 per month in Islamabad and $622 in Mianwali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 24% 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 $8.00 in Mianwali. 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 $599 in Islamabad and $415 in Mianwali, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Mianwali – 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 Mianwali. 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.