Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Sargodha

For one person, living is cheaper in Sargodha: $523 a month against $608 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
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Islamabad Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Sargodha
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Sargodha Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$608

/mo nomad

Sargodha

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$523

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Sargodha

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

A single person spends $608 per month in Islamabad vs $523 in Sargodha, rent included.

Islamabad $608
Sargodha $523

A couple spends around $950 per month in Islamabad vs $825 in Sargodha, rent included.

Islamabad $950
Sargodha $825

A family of three spends $1,292 per month in Islamabad vs $1,127 in Sargodha, rent included.

Islamabad $1,292
Sargodha $1,127

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 PKR 987

$3.68 PKR 1,017

-2.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.14 PKR 6,679

$23.22 PKR 6,424

3.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 PKR 1,484

$5.32 PKR 1,472

0.94%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 PKR 1,031

$3.64 PKR 1,006

2.47%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 PKR 1,949

$6.98 PKR 1,930

0.86%

Cappuccino

$2.67 PKR 739

$2.54 PKR 704

5.12%

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

$0.35 PKR 95.7

$0.32 PKR 87.4

9.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 PKR 66.6

$0.21 PKR 57.9

14.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 PKR 273

$1.00 PKR 277

-1.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 PKR 203

$0.78 PKR 215

-5.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

Eggs

$1.32 PKR 366

$1.22 PKR 337

8.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.97 PKR 1,653

$6.22 PKR 1,721

-4.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 PKR 838

$3.19 PKR 882

-5.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.52 PKR 1,528

$5.55 PKR 1,534

-0.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 PKR 374

$1.33 PKR 368

1.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 PKR 239

$0.82 PKR 226

4.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 287

$1.07 PKR 295

-2.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 151

$0.53 PKR 146

3.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 PKR 83.4

$0.27 PKR 73.7

11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.36 PKR 98.9

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 77.1

$0.28 PKR 76.6

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 118

$0.43 PKR 119

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

$1.24 PKR 342

0.81%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 PKR 729

$2.35 PKR 649

12.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 PKR 652

$2.32 PKR 641

1.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 46.20

$0.20 PKR 55.1

-15.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.61 PKR 5,978

$10.02 PKR 2,772

115.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 PKR 355

$1.23 PKR 340

4.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

$0.74 PKR 205

-5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 PKR 456

$1.68 PKR 464

-1.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 PKR 369

$1.34 PKR 370

-0.75%

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

$54.3K PKR 15.0M

$21.9K PKR 6.1M

148.07%

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

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

$23.2K PKR 6.4M

-0.30%

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

$103 PKR 28.5K

$102 PKR 28.2K

1.00%

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

$6.17 PKR 1,707

$6.06 PKR 1,677

1.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 PKR 4,802

$17.02 PKR 4,708

2.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.65 PKR 9,309

$14.97 PKR 4,140

124.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.62 PKR 2,384

$7.87 PKR 2,178

9.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 PKR 1,376

$4.77 PKR 1,319

4.19%

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

$326 PKR 90.2K

$42.18 PKR 11.7K

673.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K PKR 6.2M

$1,034 PKR 286.0K

2069.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.82 PKR 7,143

$26.16 PKR 7,236

-1.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.52 PKR 9,549

$34.62 PKR 9,578

-0.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.6 PKR 26.5K

$97.2 PKR 26.9K

-1.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.07 PKR 11.4K

$40.35 PKR 11.2K

1.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 PKR 68.5K

$135 PKR 37.5K

82.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.5K

$84.9 PKR 23.5K

63.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 PKR 151.8K

$267 PKR 73.8K

105.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 PKR 77.5K

$181 PKR 50.0K

54.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,655 PKR 457.9K

$811 PKR 224.2K

104.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$825 PKR 228.1K

$510 PKR 141.2K

61.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$384 PKR 106.1K

$177 PKR 49.1K

116.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

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

Last update for Islamabad: November 1, 2026

Last update for Sargodha: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$139 22.9%

Sargodha

$85 16.2% 39% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$126 20.8%

Sargodha

$125 23.9% 1.2% $1.5

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$104 17.1%

Sargodha

$105 20.2% 1.2% $1.3

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$89 14.6%

Sargodha

$89 17.1% 0.7% $0.6

Eating Out

Islamabad

$79 13%

Sargodha

$78 14.9% 1.3% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$44 7.2%

Sargodha

$25 4.7% 43.8% $19

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Sargodha

$16 3% 41.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $248 in Islamabad versus $135 in Sargodha. 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 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Islamabad versus $23 in Sargodha. Groceries tell a different story – $104 in Islamabad vs $105 in Sargodha – so Islamabad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Sargodha

🕒 Local time

06:37 6:37 AM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

507,817

💱 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 Sargodha 180 km

From you

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 Sargodha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $912 per month in Islamabad and $784 in Sargodha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sargodha, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $135 there versus $248 in Islamabad.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Islamabad and $23 in Sargodha. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 54% less in Sargodha. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $608 in Islamabad and $523 in Sargodha, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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