Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Sheikhupura

For one person, living is cheaper in Sheikhupura: $520 a month against $608 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 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 Sheikhupura
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Sheikhupura Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$608

/mo nomad

Sheikhupura

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Sheikhupura

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

A single person spends $608 per month in Islamabad vs $520 in Sheikhupura, rent included.

Islamabad $608
Sheikhupura $520

A couple spends around $950 per month in Islamabad vs $819 in Sheikhupura, rent included.

Islamabad $950
Sheikhupura $819

A family of three spends $1,292 per month in Islamabad vs $1,119 in Sheikhupura, rent included.

Islamabad $1,292
Sheikhupura $1,119

Islamabad costs about 17% more than Sheikhupura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Islamabad and Sheikhupura are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 55% lower, Sheikhupura 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 PKR 987

$3.57 PKR 986

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.14 PKR 6,679

$23.07 PKR 6,381

4.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 PKR 1,484

$5.55 PKR 1,534

-3.24%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 PKR 1,031

$3.53 PKR 976

5.67%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 PKR 1,949

$6.94 PKR 1,920

1.44%

Cappuccino

$2.67 PKR 739

$2.55 PKR 707

4.71%

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

$0.35 PKR 95.7

$0.32 PKR 88.3

9.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 PKR 66.6

$0.21 PKR 58.0

14.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 PKR 273

$0.99 PKR 274

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 PKR 203

$0.74 PKR 204

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

$1.26 PKR 348

2.38%

Eggs

$1.32 PKR 366

$1.28 PKR 353

3.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.97 PKR 1,653

$6.00 PKR 1,660

-0.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 PKR 838

$3.02 PKR 836

0.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.52 PKR 1,528

$5.34 PKR 1,476

3.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 PKR 374

$1.29 PKR 356

4.65%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 PKR 239

$0.87 PKR 239

-1.15%

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 74.0

11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.38 PKR 106

5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 77.1

$0.30 PKR 83.8

-6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 118

$0.39 PKR 109

10.26%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.00 PKR 552

$1.86 PKR 515

7.53%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 PKR 347

$1.23 PKR 342

1.63%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 PKR 729

$2.42 PKR 670

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 PKR 652

$2.34 PKR 646

0.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 46.20

$0.19 PKR 51.6

-10.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.61 PKR 5,978

$9.90 PKR 2,740

118.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 PKR 355

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

$0.68 PKR 189

2.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 PKR 456

$1.61 PKR 446

2.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 PKR 369

$1.36 PKR 377

-2.21%

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

$54.3K PKR 15.0M

$21.3K PKR 5.9M

154.48%

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

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

-0.00%

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

$103 PKR 28.5K

$101 PKR 28.0K

1.57%

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

$6.17 PKR 1,707

$5.94 PKR 1,644

3.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 PKR 4,802

$16.74 PKR 4,631

3.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.65 PKR 9,309

$14.72 PKR 4,073

128.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.62 PKR 2,384

$8.23 PKR 2,276

4.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 PKR 1,376

$4.76 PKR 1,315

4.41%

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

$326 PKR 90.2K

$43.17 PKR 11.9K

655.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K PKR 6.2M

$1,052 PKR 291.1K

2031.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.82 PKR 7,143

$26.44 PKR 7,313

-2.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.52 PKR 9,549

$34.46 PKR 9,533

0.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.6 PKR 26.5K

$98.3 PKR 27.2K

-2.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.07 PKR 11.4K

$41.10 PKR 11.4K

-0.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 PKR 68.5K

$135 PKR 37.2K

84.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.5K

$85.4 PKR 23.6K

62.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 PKR 151.8K

$266 PKR 73.6K

106.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 PKR 77.5K

$180 PKR 49.8K

55.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,655 PKR 457.9K

$816 PKR 225.8K

102.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$825 PKR 228.1K

$512 PKR 141.7K

60.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$384 PKR 106.1K

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 Sheikhupura: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$139 22.9%

Sheikhupura

$85 16.4% 38.6% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$126 20.8%

Sheikhupura

$124 23.9% 1.9% $2.4

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$104 17.1%

Sheikhupura

$103 19.7% 1.5% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$89 14.6%

Sheikhupura

$90 17.4% 1.7% $1.5

Eating Out

Islamabad

$79 13%

Sheikhupura

$78 15% 1.4% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$44 7.2%

Sheikhupura

$24 4.7% 44.4% $19

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Sheikhupura

$15 3% 43.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $248 in Islamabad versus $135 in Sheikhupura. 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 $24 in Islamabad versus $23 in Sheikhupura. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $104 vs $103 – making Sheikhupura the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Sheikhupura

🕒 Local time

04:49 4:49 AM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

473,129

💱 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 Sheikhupura 240 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 Sheikhupura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $912 per month in Islamabad and $779 in Sheikhupura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sheikhupura, 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 Sheikhupura. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $608 in Islamabad and $520 in Sheikhupura, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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