Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Nawabshah

For one person, living is cheaper in Nawabshah: $485 a month against $607 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Nawabshah
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Nawabshah Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$607

/mo nomad

Nawabshah

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$485

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Nawabshah

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

A single person spends $607 per month in Islamabad vs $485 in Nawabshah, rent included.

Islamabad $607
Nawabshah $485

A couple spends around $948 per month in Islamabad vs $734 in Nawabshah, rent included.

Islamabad $948
Nawabshah $734

A family of three spends $1,289 per month in Islamabad vs $982 in Nawabshah, rent included.

Islamabad $1,289
Nawabshah $982

Islamabad costs about 25% more than Nawabshah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Islamabad and Nawabshah are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 55% lower, Nawabshah 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 PKR 968

$2.22 PKR 612

57.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.76 PKR 6,293

$12.65 PKR 3,498

79.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 PKR 1,486

$5.30 PKR 1,464

1.32%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 PKR 990

$2.14 PKR 591

67.29%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 PKR 1,885

$7.40 PKR 2,045

-7.84%

Cappuccino

$2.56 PKR 708

$2.12 PKR 587

20.75%

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

$0.32 PKR 87.1

$0.41 PKR 114

-21.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 57.9

$0.25 PKR 69.6

-16.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 PKR 270

$0.92 PKR 255

6.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 PKR 198

$0.55 PKR 153

29.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 358

$1.19 PKR 329

9.24%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 334

$1.27 PKR 352

-4.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 PKR 1,671

$5.68 PKR 1,569

6.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.05 PKR 843

$3.12 PKR 862

-2.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.38 PKR 1,487

$6.31 PKR 1,746

-14.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 PKR 369

$1.24 PKR 342

7.26%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 PKR 239

$0.55 PKR 152

56.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 295

$0.98 PKR 272

9.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 144

$0.55 PKR 152

-5.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 73.6

$0.31 PKR 87.0

-12.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 107

$0.31 PKR 86.9

25.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.7

$0.44 PKR 121

-36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 118

$0.44 PKR 122

-2.27%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.99 PKR 550

$1.27 PKR 351

56.69%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 PKR 342

$1.31 PKR 362

-5.34%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 PKR 722

$2.44 PKR 674

6.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 PKR 653

$1.84 PKR 508

28.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 45.73

$0.17 PKR 48.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 PKR 5,965

$9.23 PKR 2,553

133.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 342

$0.86 PKR 236

44.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 206

$0.75 PKR 208

-1.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 PKR 446

$2.12 PKR 587

-24.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 PKR 364

$1.38 PKR 381

-5.07%

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

$54.9K PKR 15.2M

$18.1K PKR 5.0M

203.44%

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

$23.7K PKR 6.5M

$25.4K PKR 7.0M

-6.96%

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

$104 PKR 28.6K

$115 PKR 31.7K

-9.71%

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

$6.11 PKR 1,689

$5.86 PKR 1,621

4.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.21 PKR 4,758

$13.36 PKR 3,692

28.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.65 PKR 9,302

$13.74 PKR 3,798

144.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.52 PKR 2,357

$8.83 PKR 2,441

-3.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 PKR 1,358

$4.45 PKR 1,231

10.34%

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

$326 PKR 90.0K

$66.5 PKR 18.4K

389.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,917 PKR 1.4M

$1,934 PKR 534.8K

154.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.22 PKR 7,249

$17.46 PKR 4,827

50.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.05 PKR 9,689

$22.19 PKR 6,135

57.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 PKR 27.2K

$67.1 PKR 18.6K

46.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.45 PKR 11.2K

$40.03 PKR 11.1K

1.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 PKR 72.1K

$137 PKR 37.9K

90.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 PKR 38.6K

$84.9 PKR 23.5K

64.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 PKR 154.0K

$265 PKR 73.4K

109.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 PKR 79.5K

$183 PKR 50.5K

57.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,691 PKR 467.4K

$853 PKR 235.7K

98.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$839 PKR 232.0K

$574 PKR 158.8K

46.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$385 PKR 106.5K

$129 PKR 35.6K

199.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

13.21

-0.98%

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

Last update for Islamabad: October 24, 2026

Last update for Nawabshah: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$140 23%

Nawabshah

$85 17.5% 39.2% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$127 20.9%

Nawabshah

$134 27.6% 5.5% $7

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$103 17%

Nawabshah

$101 20.8% 2% $2.1

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$90 14.8%

Nawabshah

$66 13.6% 26.6% $24

Eating Out

Islamabad

$77 12.7%

Nawabshah

$62 12.7% 19.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$43 7.2%

Nawabshah

$23 4.7% 47.9% $21

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Nawabshah

$15 3% 46.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $261 in Islamabad versus $137 in Nawabshah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Islamabad are about 3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Islamabad versus $13 in Nawabshah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $103 vs $101 – making Nawabshah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Nawabshah

🕒 Local time

10:27 10:27 AM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

263,102

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Islamabad Nawabshah 940 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Islamabad
Nawabshah

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 Nawabshah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $911 per month in Islamabad and $727 in Nawabshah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nawabshah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $137 there versus $261 in Islamabad.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Islamabad and $13 in Nawabshah. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Nawabshah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $607 in Islamabad and $485 in Nawabshah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

If budget matters most, go with Nawabshah. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Islamabad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.