Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Peshawar

For one person, living is cheaper in Peshawar: $525 a month against $607 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $980 less a year. The total is higher in Islamabad despite lower rent and utilities.

29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
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Islamabad Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Peshawar
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Peshawar Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$607

/mo nomad

Peshawar

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Peshawar

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

A single person spends $607 per month in Islamabad vs $525 in Peshawar, rent included.

Islamabad $607
Peshawar $525

A couple spends around $948 per month in Islamabad vs $716 in Peshawar, rent included.

Islamabad $948
Peshawar $716

A family of three spends $1,289 per month in Islamabad vs $906 in Peshawar, rent included.

Islamabad $1,289
Peshawar $906

Islamabad costs about 16% more than Peshawar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Islamabad and Peshawar are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 55% lower, Peshawar 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 PKR 969

$2.50 PKR 691

40.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.76 PKR 6,298

$9.15 PKR 2,531

148.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 PKR 1,487

$5.35 PKR 1,479

0.37%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 PKR 991

$2.21 PKR 612

61.99%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 PKR 1,887

$2.92 PKR 807

133.56%

Cappuccino

$2.56 PKR 708

$2.63 PKR 728

-2.66%

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

$0.32 PKR 87.2

$0.34 PKR 95.0

-5.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.0

$0.18 PKR 49.29

16.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 PKR 271

$1.01 PKR 278

-2.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 PKR 198

$0.73 PKR 203

-2.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 358

$1.06 PKR 293

22.64%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 334

$1.11 PKR 308

9.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 PKR 1,673

$3.44 PKR 953

75.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.05 PKR 844

$3.18 PKR 881

-4.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.38 PKR 1,488

$3.67 PKR 1,017

46.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 PKR 369

$1.19 PKR 328

11.76%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 PKR 239

$0.52 PKR 143

65.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 295

$0.63 PKR 173

69.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 144

$0.56 PKR 154

-7.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 73.7

$0.27 PKR 74.5

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 107

$0.34 PKR 94.3

14.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.7

$0.28 PKR 77.0

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 118

$0.25 PKR 68.5

72.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.99 PKR 550

$2.01 PKR 555

-1.00%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 PKR 343

$0.74 PKR 205

67.57%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 PKR 723

$0.73 PKR 203

257.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 PKR 654

$1.84 PKR 510

28.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 45.76

$0.19 PKR 53.3

-10.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 PKR 5,970

$12.64 PKR 3,497

70.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 342

$1.10 PKR 305

12.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 206

$0.70 PKR 195

5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 PKR 446

$1.45 PKR 402

11.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 PKR 364

$1.18 PKR 327

11.02%

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

$54.9K PKR 15.2M

$22.3K PKR 6.2M

146.26%

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

$23.7K PKR 6.5M

$23.4K PKR 6.5M

1.11%

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

$104 PKR 28.6K

$102 PKR 28.2K

1.60%

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

$6.11 PKR 1,690

$6.10 PKR 1,687

0.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.21 PKR 4,762

$14.19 PKR 3,926

21.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.65 PKR 9,310

$15.22 PKR 4,211

121.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.52 PKR 2,358

$6.14 PKR 1,698

38.76%

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 PKR 1,359

$1.95 PKR 541

151.79%

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

$326 PKR 90.1K

$47.01 PKR 13.0K

592.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,917 PKR 1.4M

$5,087 PKR 1.4M

-3.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.22 PKR 7,255

$7.38 PKR 2,042

255.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.05 PKR 9,697

$16.03 PKR 4,436

118.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 PKR 27.2K

$51.2 PKR 14.2K

92.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.45 PKR 11.2K

$40.31 PKR 11.2K

0.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 PKR 72.1K

$229 PKR 63.3K

13.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 PKR 38.7K

$161 PKR 44.6K

-13.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 PKR 154.1K

$263 PKR 72.8K

111.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 PKR 79.5K

$197 PKR 54.4K

46.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,691 PKR 467.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$839 PKR 232.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$385 PKR 106.6K

$147 PKR 40.7K

162.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

18.91%

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

Last update for Islamabad: October 24, 2026

Last update for Peshawar: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$140 23%

Peshawar

$161 30.7% 15.5% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$127 20.9%

Peshawar

$122 23.3% 3.7% $4.7

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$103 17%

Peshawar

$83 15.9% 19.1% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$90 14.8%

Peshawar

$52 9.8% 42.5% $38

Eating Out

Islamabad

$77 12.7%

Peshawar

$70 13.3% 9.5% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$43 7.2%

Peshawar

$19 3.6% 56% $24

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Peshawar

$18 3.4% 33.7% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $261 in Islamabad versus $229 in Peshawar. 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 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Islamabad versus $9 in Peshawar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $103 vs $83 – making Peshawar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Peshawar

🕒 Local time

23:50 11:50 PM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

1,970,042

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Islamabad Peshawar 140 km

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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 Peshawar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $911 per month in Islamabad and $788 in Peshawar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Peshawar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $229 there versus $261 in Islamabad.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Islamabad and $9 in Peshawar. 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 $607 in Islamabad and $525 in Peshawar, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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