Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Rawalpindi

For one person, living is cheaper in Rawalpindi: $498 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Rawalpindi
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Rawalpindi Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$498

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Rawalpindi

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

A single person spends $599 per month in Islamabad vs $498 in Rawalpindi, rent included.

Islamabad $599
Rawalpindi $498

A couple spends around $930 per month in Islamabad vs $784 in Rawalpindi, rent included.

Islamabad $930
Rawalpindi $784

A family of three spends $1,261 per month in Islamabad vs $1,070 in Rawalpindi, rent included.

Islamabad $1,261
Rawalpindi $1,070

Islamabad costs about 20% more than Rawalpindi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Islamabad and Rawalpindi are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 56% lower, Rawalpindi 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 PKR 1,004

$2.04 PKR 565

77.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.40 PKR 6,478

$16.20 PKR 4,484

44.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 PKR 1,534

$5.79 PKR 1,602

-4.32%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 PKR 987

$1.78 PKR 492

100.56%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 PKR 1,864

$3.47 PKR 962

93.95%

Cappuccino

$2.64 PKR 730

$1.94 PKR 537

36.08%

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

$0.32 PKR 89.6

$0.44 PKR 121

-27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.7

$0.23 PKR 63.3

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 PKR 259

$0.90 PKR 249

4.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 PKR 200

$0.59 PKR 162

22.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 361

$1.22 PKR 337

6.56%

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 339

$1.14 PKR 316

7.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 PKR 1,674

$6.38 PKR 1,765

-5.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 PKR 855

$3.38 PKR 935

-8.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.35 PKR 1,482

$5.22 PKR 1,446

2.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 350

$1.14 PKR 316

10.53%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 241

$0.89 PKR 245

-2.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 288

$1.22 PKR 337

-14.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 146

$0.56 PKR 156

-5.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 81.2

$0.35 PKR 97.7

-17.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 99.4

$0.46 PKR 127

-21.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.4

$0.33 PKR 91.5

-15.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 PKR 108

$0.42 PKR 117

-7.14%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.95 PKR 539

$16.44 PKR 4,551

-88.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 331

$1.21 PKR 335

-1.65%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 PKR 743

$2.45 PKR 677

9.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 PKR 619

$1.98 PKR 548

13.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 43.07

$0.17 PKR 46.63

-5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 PKR 5,905

$10.08 PKR 2,791

111.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 344

$0.88 PKR 244

40.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 204

$0.35 PKR 95.8

111.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 PKR 442

$3.09 PKR 856

-48.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 PKR 378

$1.23 PKR 341

11.38%

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

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

$18.7K PKR 5.2M

191.19%

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

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

$24.5K PKR 6.8M

-2.63%

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

$103 PKR 28.6K

$115 PKR 31.8K

-10.00%

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

$5.99 PKR 1,658

$5.74 PKR 1,590

4.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.15 PKR 4,746

$18.80 PKR 5,204

-8.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.20 PKR 7,806

$12.17 PKR 3,369

131.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.47 PKR 2,344

$7.40 PKR 2,048

14.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.43 PKR 1,226

$4.38 PKR 1,211

1.14%

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

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

$49.65 PKR 13.7K

52.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

$1,044 PKR 288.9K

379.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.72 PKR 7,118

$17.65 PKR 4,886

45.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.48 PKR 9,543

$32.02 PKR 8,862

7.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

$93.4 PKR 25.9K

2.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

$35.64 PKR 9,863

15.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 PKR 76.5K

$204 PKR 56.5K

35.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.3K

$81.6 PKR 22.6K

69.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 PKR 158.2K

$418 PKR 115.6K

36.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 PKR 74.9K

$222 PKR 61.5K

21.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

$1,197 PKR 331.2K

36.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$836 PKR 231.5K

$451 PKR 124.8K

85.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$380 PKR 105.2K

$173 PKR 47.8K

120.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

22.81

-42.66%

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

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Last update for Rawalpindi: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$139 23.1%

Rawalpindi

$82 16.4% 41.1% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$126 21.1%

Rawalpindi

$139 28% 10.2% $13

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$102 17%

Rawalpindi

$103 20.7% 1% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$89 14.8%

Rawalpindi

$80 16.1% 9.3% $8.2

Eating Out

Islamabad

$80 13.3%

Rawalpindi

$60 12% 25% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$37 6.2%

Rawalpindi

$21 4.2% 43.6% $16

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Rawalpindi

$13 2.7% 50.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $276 in Islamabad versus $204 in Rawalpindi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 120% higher in Islamabad, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Islamabad versus $16.00 in Rawalpindi. Groceries tell a different story – $102 in Islamabad vs $103 in Rawalpindi – so Islamabad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Rawalpindi

🕒 Local time

21:14 9:14 PM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

2,098,231

💱 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

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Islamabad Rawalpindi 11 km

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Islamabad
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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 Rawalpindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $899 per month in Islamabad and $748 in Rawalpindi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rawalpindi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% 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 $23.00 in Islamabad and $16.00 in Rawalpindi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $599 in Islamabad and $498 in Rawalpindi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Rawalpindi. 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.