Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Pakpattan

For one person, living is cheaper in Pakpattan: $448 a month against $608 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Pakpattan
Learn more

Pakpattan Living Index

Jump to prices

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$608

/mo nomad

Pakpattan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$448

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Pakpattan

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

A single person spends $608 per month in Islamabad vs $448 in Pakpattan, rent included.

Islamabad $608
Pakpattan $448

A couple spends around $950 per month in Islamabad vs $646 in Pakpattan, rent included.

Islamabad $950
Pakpattan $646

A family of three spends $1,292 per month in Islamabad vs $843 in Pakpattan, rent included.

Islamabad $1,292
Pakpattan $843

Islamabad costs about 36% more than Pakpattan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Islamabad and Pakpattan are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 55% lower, Pakpattan 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 PKR 987

$1.24 PKR 342

187.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.14 PKR 6,679

$10.78 PKR 2,981

123.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 PKR 1,484

$5.28 PKR 1,460

1.70%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 PKR 1,031

$2.72 PKR 753

37.13%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 PKR 1,949

$5.14 PKR 1,423

36.96%

Cappuccino

$2.67 PKR 739

$1.77 PKR 489

50.85%

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

$0.35 PKR 95.7

$0.16 PKR 44.46

118.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 PKR 66.6

$0.10 PKR 28.82

140.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 PKR 273

$0.63 PKR 174

57.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 PKR 203

$0.55 PKR 154

34.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

$0.88 PKR 245

46.59%

Eggs

$1.32 PKR 366

$1.14 PKR 315

15.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.97 PKR 1,653

$6.85 PKR 1,894

-12.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 PKR 838

$2.48 PKR 686

22.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.52 PKR 1,528

$3.63 PKR 1,005

52.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 PKR 374

$0.95 PKR 264

42.11%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 PKR 239

$0.46 PKR 128

86.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 287

$0.28 PKR 77.0

271.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 151

$0.57 PKR 158

-3.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 PKR 83.4

$0.39 PKR 109

-23.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.45 PKR 126

-11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 77.1

$0.50 PKR 137

-44.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 118

$0.37 PKR 102

16.22%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.00 PKR 552

$1.83 PKR 506

9.29%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 PKR 347

$1.11 PKR 306

12.61%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 PKR 729

$2.43 PKR 674

8.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 PKR 652

$2.14 PKR 593

10.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 46.20

$0.18 PKR 50.1

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.61 PKR 5,978

$9.75 PKR 2,696

121.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 PKR 355

$1.42 PKR 394

-9.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

$0.37 PKR 104

89.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 PKR 456

$0.92 PKR 255

79.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 PKR 369

$0.98 PKR 272

35.71%

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

$54.3K PKR 15.0M

$24.7K PKR 6.8M

119.44%

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

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

$23.4K PKR 6.5M

-0.94%

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

$103 PKR 28.5K

$142 PKR 39.3K

-27.57%

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

$6.17 PKR 1,707

$4.93 PKR 1,363

25.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 PKR 4,802

$18.98 PKR 5,251

-8.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.65 PKR 9,309

$14.85 PKR 4,107

126.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.62 PKR 2,384

$8.04 PKR 2,225

7.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 PKR 1,376

$4.41 PKR 1,220

12.70%

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

$326 PKR 90.2K

$12.43 PKR 3,438

2523.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K PKR 6.2M

$995 PKR 275.2K

2154.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.82 PKR 7,143

$10.72 PKR 2,965

140.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.52 PKR 9,549

$12.57 PKR 3,476

174.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.6 PKR 26.5K

$24.84 PKR 6,872

284.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.07 PKR 11.4K

$14.18 PKR 3,922

189.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 PKR 68.5K

$137 PKR 37.9K

80.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.5K

$84.9 PKR 23.5K

63.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 PKR 151.8K

$263 PKR 72.7K

108.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 PKR 77.5K

$178 PKR 49.4K

56.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,655 PKR 457.9K

$806 PKR 223.0K

105.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$825 PKR 228.1K

$511 PKR 141.4K

61.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$384 PKR 106.1K

$110 PKR 30.5K

248.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

0.62%

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

Last update for Islamabad: November 1, 2026

Last update for Pakpattan: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$139 22.9%

Pakpattan

$85 19% 39% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$126 20.8%

Pakpattan

$166 37% 31.3% $40

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$104 17.1%

Pakpattan

$84 18.7% 19.5% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$89 14.6%

Pakpattan

$28 6.3% 68.4% $61

Eating Out

Islamabad

$79 13%

Pakpattan

$48 10.7% 39.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$44 7.2%

Pakpattan

$24 5.3% 45.7% $20

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Pakpattan

$14 3.1% 49.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $248 in Islamabad versus $137 in Pakpattan. 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 3.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Islamabad versus $11 in Pakpattan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $104 vs $84 – making Pakpattan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakpattan

🕒 Local time

06:23 6:23 AM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

176,693

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Islamabad Pakpattan 370 km

From you

Islamabad
Pakpattan

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 Pakpattan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $912 per month in Islamabad and $672 in Pakpattan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pakpattan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $137 there versus $248 in Islamabad.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Islamabad, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Islamabad and $11 in Pakpattan. 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 $608 in Islamabad and $448 in Pakpattan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Pakpattan – 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 Pakpattan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Islamabad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.