Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Mirpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Mirpur: $372 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 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
18

Cost of Living Index in Mirpur
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Mirpur Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Mirpur

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Mirpur

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

A single person spends $599 per month in Islamabad vs $372 in Mirpur, rent included.

Islamabad $599
Mirpur $372

A couple spends around $930 per month in Islamabad vs $558 in Mirpur, rent included.

Islamabad $930
Mirpur $558

A family of three spends $1,261 per month in Islamabad vs $743 in Mirpur, rent included.

Islamabad $1,261
Mirpur $743

Islamabad costs about 61% more than Mirpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Islamabad and Mirpur are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 56% lower, Mirpur 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 PKR 1,004

$1.83 PKR 505

98.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.40 PKR 6,478

$7.17 PKR 1,985

226.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 PKR 1,534

$5.40 PKR 1,494

2.59%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 PKR 987

$1.05 PKR 290

240.00%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 PKR 1,864

$1.78 PKR 493

278.09%

Cappuccino

$2.64 PKR 730

$1.06 PKR 295

149.06%

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

$0.32 PKR 89.6

$0.47 PKR 129

-31.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.7

$0.18 PKR 49.33

27.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 PKR 259

$0.78 PKR 217

20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 PKR 200

$0.62 PKR 173

16.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 361

$1.21 PKR 334

7.44%

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 339

$1.19 PKR 328

2.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 PKR 1,674

$3.70 PKR 1,025

63.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 PKR 855

$2.61 PKR 721

18.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.35 PKR 1,482

$3.96 PKR 1,096

35.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 350

$1.10 PKR 306

14.55%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 241

$0.62 PKR 172

40.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 288

$0.56 PKR 155

85.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 146

$0.52 PKR 144

1.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 81.2

$0.28 PKR 76.7

3.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 99.4

$0.30 PKR 84.1

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.4

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 PKR 108

$0.35 PKR 96.8

11.43%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.95 PKR 539

$1.82 PKR 504

7.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 331

$1.07 PKR 297

11.21%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 PKR 743

$2.42 PKR 671

10.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 PKR 619

$1.41 PKR 391

58.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 43.07

$0.17 PKR 47.68

-5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 PKR 5,905

$9.78 PKR 2,708

118.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 344

$1.09 PKR 302

13.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 204

$0.23 PKR 63.9

221.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 PKR 442

$2.84 PKR 786

-43.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 PKR 378

$0.98 PKR 271

39.80%

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

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

$8,856 PKR 2.5M

515.30%

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

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

$14.3K PKR 4.0M

66.32%

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

$103 PKR 28.6K

$67.0 PKR 18.5K

54.10%

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

$5.99 PKR 1,658

$5.50 PKR 1,521

8.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.15 PKR 4,746

$14.25 PKR 3,945

20.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.20 PKR 7,806

$14.64 PKR 4,052

92.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.47 PKR 2,344

$8.01 PKR 2,216

5.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.43 PKR 1,226

$3.56 PKR 984

24.44%

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

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

$26.90 PKR 7,446

181.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

$2,040 PKR 564.6K

145.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.72 PKR 7,118

$18.29 PKR 5,062

40.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.48 PKR 9,543

$18.11 PKR 5,013

90.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

$36.45 PKR 10.1K

162.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

$29.04 PKR 8,036

42.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 PKR 76.5K

$127 PKR 35.2K

117.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.3K

$78.6 PKR 21.8K

76.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 PKR 158.2K

$251 PKR 69.5K

127.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 PKR 74.9K

$151 PKR 41.9K

78.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

$898 PKR 248.6K

81.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$836 PKR 231.5K

$462 PKR 127.8K

81.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$380 PKR 105.2K

$146 PKR 40.3K

160.89%

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 Mirpur: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$139 23.1%

Mirpur

$79 21.1% 43.2% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$126 21.1%

Mirpur

$87 23.3% 31.4% $40

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$102 17%

Mirpur

$81 21.6% 21.1% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$89 14.8%

Mirpur

$46 12.3% 48.3% $43

Eating Out

Islamabad

$80 13.3%

Mirpur

$46 12.4% 42% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$37 6.2%

Mirpur

$22 5.8% 41.3% $15

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Mirpur

$13 3.4% 52.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $276 in Islamabad versus $127 in Mirpur. 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 161% 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 $7.00 in Mirpur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $102 vs $81.0 – making Mirpur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Mirpur

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

124,350

💱 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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Islamabad Mirpur 88 km

From you

Islamabad
Mirpur

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 Mirpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 61%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $899 per month in Islamabad and $559 in Mirpur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 27% 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 $7.00 in Mirpur. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $599 in Islamabad and $372 in Mirpur, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Mirpur – 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 Mirpur. 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.