Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Sahiwal

For one person, living is cheaper in Sahiwal: $498 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
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Islamabad Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Sahiwal
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Sahiwal Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$607

/mo nomad

Sahiwal

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$498

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Sahiwal

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

A single person spends $607 per month in Islamabad vs $498 in Sahiwal, rent included.

Islamabad $607
Sahiwal $498

A couple spends around $948 per month in Islamabad vs $755 in Sahiwal, rent included.

Islamabad $948
Sahiwal $755

A family of three spends $1,289 per month in Islamabad vs $1,013 in Sahiwal, rent included.

Islamabad $1,289
Sahiwal $1,013

Islamabad costs about 22% more than Sahiwal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 PKR 968

$2.57 PKR 711

36.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.76 PKR 6,293

$14.34 PKR 3,963

58.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 PKR 1,486

$5.67 PKR 1,568

-5.29%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 PKR 990

$3.58 PKR 989

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 PKR 1,885

$5.36 PKR 1,483

27.24%

Cappuccino

$2.56 PKR 708

$2.62 PKR 724

-2.29%

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

$0.32 PKR 87.1

$0.37 PKR 103

-13.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 57.9

$0.26 PKR 72.1

-19.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 PKR 270

$0.97 PKR 268

1.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 PKR 198

$0.73 PKR 201

-2.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 358

$1.24 PKR 342

4.84%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 334

$1.20 PKR 332

0.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 PKR 1,671

$6.40 PKR 1,768

-5.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.05 PKR 843

$2.49 PKR 688

22.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.38 PKR 1,487

$4.97 PKR 1,375

8.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 PKR 369

$1.18 PKR 326

12.71%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 PKR 239

$0.70 PKR 192

22.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 295

$0.83 PKR 230

28.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 144

$0.60 PKR 165

-13.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 73.6

$0.31 PKR 86.1

-12.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 107

$0.36 PKR 99.5

8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.7

$0.48 PKR 131

-41.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 118

$0.35 PKR 96.2

22.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.99 PKR 550

$1.07 PKR 295

85.98%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 PKR 342

$0.60 PKR 166

106.67%

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 588

10.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 45.73

$0.18 PKR 50.8

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 PKR 5,965

$11.05 PKR 3,056

95.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 342

$0.88 PKR 242

40.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 206

$0.74 PKR 204

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 PKR 446

$1.83 PKR 506

-12.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 PKR 364

$1.34 PKR 371

-2.24%

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

$54.9K PKR 15.2M

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

205.93%

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

$23.7K PKR 6.5M

$23.7K PKR 6.6M

-0.32%

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

$104 PKR 28.6K

$125 PKR 34.6K

-17.22%

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

$6.11 PKR 1,689

$5.74 PKR 1,587

6.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.21 PKR 4,758

$16.23 PKR 4,487

6.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.65 PKR 9,302

$12.76 PKR 3,527

163.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.52 PKR 2,357

$7.53 PKR 2,083

13.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 PKR 1,358

$4.40 PKR 1,217

11.59%

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

$326 PKR 90.0K

$75.0 PKR 20.7K

333.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,917 PKR 1.4M

$2,068 PKR 571.7K

137.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.22 PKR 7,249

$17.74 PKR 4,904

47.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.05 PKR 9,689

$27.98 PKR 7,735

25.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 PKR 27.2K

$72.6 PKR 20.1K

35.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.45 PKR 11.2K

$32.21 PKR 8,906

25.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 PKR 72.1K

$125 PKR 34.6K

108.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 PKR 38.6K

$76.5 PKR 21.1K

82.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 PKR 154.0K

$307 PKR 84.9K

81.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 PKR 79.5K

$177 PKR 49.0K

62.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,691 PKR 467.4K

$696 PKR 192.5K

142.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$839 PKR 232.0K

$471 PKR 130.1K

78.27%

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 Sahiwal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$140 23%

Sahiwal

$77 15.4% 45.3% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$127 20.9%

Sahiwal

$147 29.5% 15.9% $20

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$103 17%

Sahiwal

$97 19.6% 5.4% $5.6

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$90 14.8%

Sahiwal

$68 13.6% 24.7% $22

Eating Out

Islamabad

$77 12.7%

Sahiwal

$72 14.4% 7.1% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$43 7.2%

Sahiwal

$22 4.3% 50.4% $22

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Sahiwal

$16 3.3% 39.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $261 in Islamabad versus $125 in Sahiwal. 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 $14 in Sahiwal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $103 vs $97 – making Sahiwal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Sahiwal

🕒 Local time

07:51 7:51 AM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

389,605

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Islamabad Sahiwal 340 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 Sahiwal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $911 per month in Islamabad and $747 in Sahiwal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sahiwal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $125 there versus $261 in Islamabad.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Islamabad, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Islamabad and $14 in Sahiwal. 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 $498 in Sahiwal, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

For expats, Sahiwal is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 18% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.