Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Muzaffarabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Muzaffarabad: $385 a month against $602 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 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
19

Cost of Living Index in Muzaffarabad
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Muzaffarabad Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$602

/mo nomad

Muzaffarabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$385

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Muzaffarabad

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

A single person spends $602 per month in Islamabad vs $385 in Muzaffarabad, rent included.

Islamabad $602
Muzaffarabad $385

A couple spends around $937 per month in Islamabad vs $558 in Muzaffarabad, rent included.

Islamabad $937
Muzaffarabad $558

A family of three spends $1,272 per month in Islamabad vs $730 in Muzaffarabad, rent included.

Islamabad $1,272
Muzaffarabad $730

Islamabad costs about 56% more than Muzaffarabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.52 PKR 975

$1.40 PKR 387

151.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.86 PKR 6,326

$8.97 PKR 2,482

154.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 PKR 1,458

$2.21 PKR 613

138.46%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 PKR 1,030

$1.47 PKR 406

153.06%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 PKR 1,855

$2.97 PKR 822

125.59%

Cappuccino

$2.63 PKR 727

$1.06 PKR 293

148.11%

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

$0.33 PKR 90.5

$0.41 PKR 112

-19.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.1

$0.21 PKR 58.8

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 PKR 262

$1.00 PKR 276

-5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 PKR 216

$0.68 PKR 187

14.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

$0.94 PKR 261

37.23%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 335

$0.93 PKR 258

30.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 PKR 1,748

$3.58 PKR 991

76.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 PKR 869

$2.55 PKR 707

23.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.51 PKR 1,525

$3.28 PKR 908

67.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 PKR 351

$1.10 PKR 305

15.45%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 PKR 227

$0.56 PKR 156

46.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 295

$0.37 PKR 103

189.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 152

$0.35 PKR 95.9

57.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 74.4

$0.35 PKR 96.7

-22.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 106

$0.28 PKR 77.5

35.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 PKR 83.7

$0.42 PKR 115

-28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.25 PKR 69.0

60.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.99 PKR 550

$1.41 PKR 390

41.13%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 328

$0.75 PKR 206

58.67%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 PKR 718

$0.70 PKR 193

270.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.31 PKR 639

$0.87 PKR 241

165.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 54.2

$0.19 PKR 52.7

5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.41 PKR 5,925

$10.03 PKR 2,776

113.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.09 PKR 303

14.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

$0.73 PKR 203

-4.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 PKR 440

$1.40 PKR 389

13.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 PKR 377

$0.95 PKR 262

43.16%

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

$54.4K PKR 15.1M

$22.3K PKR 6.2M

144.15%

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

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

$25.6K PKR 7.1M

-8.10%

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

$100 PKR 27.8K

$118 PKR 32.5K

-14.55%

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

$6.12 PKR 1,694

$5.53 PKR 1,530

10.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.33 PKR 4,795

$9.20 PKR 2,547

88.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.40 PKR 7,861

$14.84 PKR 4,107

91.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.87 PKR 2,456

$8.20 PKR 2,269

8.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.82 PKR 1,335

$2.05 PKR 567

135.12%

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

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$46.79 PKR 13.0K

57.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,109 PKR 1.4M

$1,039 PKR 287.6K

391.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.32 PKR 7,284

$5.46 PKR 1,512

382.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.60 PKR 9,854

$8.83 PKR 2,444

303.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 PKR 27.2K

$49.77 PKR 13.8K

97.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.95 PKR 11.3K

$10.63 PKR 2,942

285.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 PKR 74.4K

$124 PKR 34.4K

115.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 PKR 38.9K

$76.1 PKR 21.0K

84.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 PKR 159.8K

$256 PKR 70.8K

125.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 PKR 77.2K

$146 PKR 40.5K

90.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,679 PKR 464.8K

$947 PKR 262.0K

77.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$847 PKR 234.4K

$483 PKR 133.7K

75.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$388 PKR 107.4K

$289 PKR 80.1K

34.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

-12.80%

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

Last update for Islamabad: October 19, 2026

Last update for Muzaffarabad: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$141 23.4%

Muzaffarabad

$76 19.7% 45.9% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$124 20.6%

Muzaffarabad

$132 34.3% 6.8% $8.4

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$104 17.3%

Muzaffarabad

$76 19.7% 27.2% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$90 15%

Muzaffarabad

$34 8.7% 62.8% $57

Eating Out

Islamabad

$78 12.9%

Muzaffarabad

$33 8.6% 57.5% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$38 6.3%

Muzaffarabad

$19 4.9% 50.2% $19

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Muzaffarabad

$16 4% 42.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $269 in Islamabad versus $124 in Muzaffarabad. 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 34% 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 $9.00 in Muzaffarabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $104 vs $76.0 – making Muzaffarabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Muzaffarabad

🕒 Local time

16:40 4:40 PM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

149,913

💱 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 Muzaffarabad 84 km

From you

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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 Muzaffarabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 56%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $903 per month in Islamabad and $578 in Muzaffarabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 37% 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 $9.00 in Muzaffarabad. 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 $602 in Islamabad and $385 in Muzaffarabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Muzaffarabad – 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 Muzaffarabad. 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.