Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Panaji

For one person, living is cheaper in Panaji: $434 a month against $607 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
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Islamabad Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Panaji
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Panaji Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$607

/mo nomad

Panaji

🇮🇳 India

$434

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Panaji

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

A single person spends $607 per month in Islamabad vs $434 in Panaji, rent included.

Islamabad $607
Panaji $434

A couple spends around $948 per month in Islamabad vs $691 in Panaji, rent included.

Islamabad $948
Panaji $691

A family of three spends $1,289 per month in Islamabad vs $948 in Panaji, rent included.

Islamabad $1,289
Panaji $948

Islamabad costs about 40% more than Panaji, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Islamabad and Panaji are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 55% lower, Panaji 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 PKR 969

$2.60 ₹248

34.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.76 PKR 6,298

$15.51 ₹1,477

46.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 PKR 1,487

$3.75 ₹357

43.20%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 PKR 991

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 PKR 1,887

Cappuccino

$2.56 PKR 708

$1.70 ₹162

50.59%

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

$0.32 PKR 87.2

$0.47 ₹44.37

-31.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.0

$0.17 ₹16.26

23.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ₹102

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ₹173

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 PKR 271

$0.69 ₹65.3

42.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 PKR 198

$0.48 ₹46.15

47.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 358

$0.74 ₹70.4

75.68%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 334

$0.92 ₹88.1

31.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 PKR 1,673

$7.46 ₹710

-18.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.05 PKR 844

$3.50 ₹333

-12.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.38 PKR 1,488

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 PKR 369

$2.50 ₹238

-46.80%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 PKR 239

$0.81 ₹77.1

6.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 295

$1.28 ₹122

-16.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 144

$0.39 ₹37.41

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 73.7

$0.36 ₹33.82

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 107

$0.41 ₹39.35

-4.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.7

$0.86 ₹81.8

-67.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 118

$0.36 ₹34.65

19.44%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.99 PKR 550

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 PKR 343

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 PKR 723

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 PKR 654

$3.77 ₹359

-37.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 ₹710

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ₹97.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 ₹294

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$4.33 ₹413

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 45.76

$0.18 ₹17.51

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 PKR 5,970

$6.40 ₹609

237.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 342

$0.33 ₹31.55

275.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 206

$0.55 ₹52.2

34.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 PKR 446

$2.15 ₹204

-25.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 PKR 364

$1.08 ₹103

21.30%

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

$54.9K PKR 15.2M

$16.7K ₹1.6M

227.52%

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

$23.7K PKR 6.5M

$24.6K ₹2.3M

-3.89%

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

$104 PKR 28.7K

$21.35 ₹2,033

384.96%

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

$6.11 PKR 1,690

$3.56 ₹339

71.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.21 PKR 4,762

$8.80 ₹838

95.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.65 PKR 9,310

$27.16 ₹2,586

23.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.52 PKR 2,359

$3.13 ₹298

172.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 PKR 1,359

$2.84 ₹270

72.89%

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

$326 PKR 90.1K

$54.9 ₹5,223

493.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,917 PKR 1.4M

$1,453 ₹138.4K

238.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.22 PKR 7,255

$36.39 ₹3,465

-27.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.05 PKR 9,698

$25.76 ₹2,453

36.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 PKR 27.2K

$20.83 ₹1,984

371.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.45 PKR 11.2K

$15.65 ₹1,490

158.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 PKR 72.1K

$174 ₹16.5K

50.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 PKR 38.7K

$131 ₹12.4K

6.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 PKR 154.1K

$348 ₹33.2K

59.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 PKR 79.5K

$258 ₹24.5K

11.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,691 PKR 467.8K

$925 ₹88.1K

82.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$839 PKR 232.2K

$709 ₹67.5K

18.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$385 PKR 106.6K

$192 ₹18.3K

100.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

9.74

34.29%

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

Last update for Islamabad: October 24, 2026

Last update for Panaji: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$140 23%

Panaji

$131 30.1% 6.5% $9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$127 20.9%

Panaji

$34 7.8% 73.4% $93

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$103 17%

Panaji

$119 27.3% 15.1% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$90 14.8%

Panaji

$44 10.2% 50.7% $46

Eating Out

Islamabad

$77 12.7%

Panaji

$64 14.7% 16.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$43 7.2%

Panaji

$33 7.6% 24.5% $11

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Panaji

$10 2.4% 62.5% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $261 in Islamabad versus $174 in Panaji. 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 2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Islamabad versus $16 in Panaji. Groceries tell a different story – $103 in Islamabad vs $119 in Panaji – so Islamabad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇮🇳 Panaji

🕒 Local time

23:59 11:59 PM

00:29 12:29 AM

30 min ahead of Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

114,759

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 308 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 95.22 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Islamabad Panaji 2,020 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Islamabad
Panaji

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 Panaji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $911 per month in Islamabad and $652 in Panaji. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Panaji, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $174 there versus $261 in Islamabad.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Islamabad – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Islamabad and $16 in Panaji. 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 $434 in Panaji, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Panaji – 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 Panaji. 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.