Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Okara

For one person, living is cheaper in Okara: $502 a month against $607 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Okara
Learn more

Okara Living Index

Jump to prices

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$607

/mo nomad

Okara

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$502

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Okara

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

A single person spends $607 per month in Islamabad vs $502 in Okara, rent included.

Islamabad $607
Okara $502

A couple spends around $948 per month in Islamabad vs $766 in Okara, rent included.

Islamabad $948
Okara $766

A family of three spends $1,289 per month in Islamabad vs $1,031 in Okara, rent included.

Islamabad $1,289
Okara $1,031

Islamabad costs about 21% more than Okara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Islamabad and Okara are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 55% lower, Okara 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 PKR 968

$2.46 PKR 680

42.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.76 PKR 6,292

$14.68 PKR 4,058

55.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 PKR 1,485

$5.61 PKR 1,551

-4.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 PKR 990

$3.63 PKR 1,003

-1.38%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 PKR 1,885

$5.32 PKR 1,470

28.20%

Cappuccino

$2.56 PKR 708

$2.61 PKR 721

-1.92%

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

$0.32 PKR 87.1

$0.41 PKR 113

-21.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 57.9

$0.26 PKR 72.4

-19.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 PKR 270

$0.64 PKR 176

53.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 PKR 198

$0.73 PKR 201

-2.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 358

$1.17 PKR 324

11.11%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 334

$1.20 PKR 331

0.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 PKR 1,671

$6.25 PKR 1,727

-3.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.05 PKR 843

$2.45 PKR 678

24.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.38 PKR 1,487

$4.97 PKR 1,373

8.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 PKR 369

$1.18 PKR 327

12.71%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 PKR 239

$0.65 PKR 179

32.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 295

$0.83 PKR 231

28.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 144

$0.59 PKR 162

-11.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 73.6

$0.29 PKR 79.4

-6.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 107

$0.36 PKR 98.5

8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.7

$0.48 PKR 133

-41.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 118

$0.38 PKR 104

13.16%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.99 PKR 550

$1.11 PKR 306

79.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 PKR 342

$0.62 PKR 171

100.00%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 PKR 722

$1.72 PKR 476

51.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 PKR 653

$2.13 PKR 590

10.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 45.72

$0.18 PKR 49.41

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 PKR 5,965

$9.77 PKR 2,702

120.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 342

$0.92 PKR 254

34.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 206

$0.70 PKR 193

5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 PKR 446

$1.76 PKR 487

-8.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 PKR 364

$0.88 PKR 244

48.86%

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

$54.9K PKR 15.2M

$18.0K PKR 5.0M

204.43%

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

$23.7K PKR 6.5M

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

-0.92%

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

$104 PKR 28.6K

$127 PKR 35.1K

-18.57%

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

$6.11 PKR 1,689

$5.66 PKR 1,564

7.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.21 PKR 4,758

$16.14 PKR 4,463

6.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.65 PKR 9,301

$15.19 PKR 4,199

121.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.52 PKR 2,356

$7.91 PKR 2,188

7.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 PKR 1,358

$4.24 PKR 1,171

15.80%

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

$326 PKR 90.0K

$14.17 PKR 3,918

2197.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,917 PKR 1.4M

$2,054 PKR 567.8K

139.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.22 PKR 7,249

$17.53 PKR 4,845

49.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.05 PKR 9,689

$27.71 PKR 7,660

26.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 PKR 27.1K

$72.3 PKR 20.0K

35.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.45 PKR 11.2K

$33.39 PKR 9,231

21.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 PKR 72.0K

$118 PKR 32.7K

120.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 PKR 38.6K

$82.9 PKR 22.9K

68.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 PKR 153.9K

$251 PKR 69.4K

121.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 PKR 79.5K

$203 PKR 56.1K

41.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,691 PKR 467.3K

$808 PKR 223.3K

109.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$839 PKR 232.0K

$564 PKR 155.9K

48.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$385 PKR 106.5K

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 24, 2026

Last update for Okara: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$140 23%

Okara

$83 16.5% 40.7% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$127 20.9%

Okara

$149 29.7% 17.4% $22

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$103 17%

Okara

$93 18.6% 9.6% $9.9

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$90 14.8%

Okara

$68 13.5% 24.5% $22

Eating Out

Islamabad

$77 12.7%

Okara

$70 14% 8.4% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$43 7.2%

Okara

$24 4.7% 45.6% $20

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Okara

$15 3% 45.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $261 in Islamabad versus $118 in Okara. 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 in Islamabad versus $15 in Okara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $103 vs $93 – making Okara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Okara

🕒 Local time

05:07 5:07 AM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

357,935

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Islamabad Okara 320 km

From you

Islamabad
Okara

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 Okara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $911 per month in Islamabad and $753 in Okara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Okara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $118 there versus $261 in Islamabad.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Islamabad, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Islamabad and $15 in Okara. 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 $607 in Islamabad and $502 in Okara, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

For expats, Okara is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 17% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.