Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Sialkot

For one person, living is cheaper in Sialkot: $351 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Sialkot
Learn more

Sialkot Living Index

Jump to prices

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Sialkot

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Sialkot

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

A single person spends $599 per month in Islamabad vs $351 in Sialkot, rent included.

Islamabad $599
Sialkot $351

A couple spends around $930 per month in Islamabad vs $509 in Sialkot, rent included.

Islamabad $930
Sialkot $509

A family of three spends $1,261 per month in Islamabad vs $668 in Sialkot, rent included.

Islamabad $1,261
Sialkot $668

Islamabad costs about 71% more than Sialkot, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Islamabad and Sialkot are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 56% lower, Sialkot 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 PKR 1,004

$1.05 PKR 291

245.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.40 PKR 6,478

$7.30 PKR 2,021

220.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 PKR 1,534

$5.35 PKR 1,480

3.55%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 PKR 987

$3.59 PKR 994

-0.56%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 PKR 1,864

$2.85 PKR 789

136.14%

Cappuccino

$2.64 PKR 730

$1.64 PKR 455

60.98%

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

$0.32 PKR 89.6

$0.30 PKR 82.1

6.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.7

$0.21 PKR 58.2

9.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 PKR 259

$0.91 PKR 253

3.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 PKR 200

$0.60 PKR 166

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 361

$1.01 PKR 278

28.71%

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 339

$1.13 PKR 313

7.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 PKR 1,674

$4.13 PKR 1,142

46.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 PKR 855

$1.69 PKR 466

82.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.35 PKR 1,482

$5.41 PKR 1,498

-1.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 350

$1.13 PKR 312

11.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 241

$0.52 PKR 145

67.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 288

$0.75 PKR 207

38.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 146

$0.56 PKR 156

-5.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 81.2

$0.27 PKR 74.2

7.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 99.4

$0.39 PKR 107

-7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.4

$0.30 PKR 83.9

-6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 PKR 108

$0.39 PKR 109

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.95 PKR 539

$1.48 PKR 410

31.76%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 331

$1.06 PKR 293

12.26%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 PKR 743

$2.69 PKR 745

-0.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 PKR 619

$2.31 PKR 640

-3.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 43.07

$0.18 PKR 50.9

-11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 PKR 5,905

$10.92 PKR 3,022

95.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 344

$1.22 PKR 339

1.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 204

$0.38 PKR 106

94.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 PKR 442

$1.63 PKR 452

-1.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 PKR 378

$1.21 PKR 334

13.22%

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

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

$19.7K PKR 5.4M

177.15%

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

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

-0.23%

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

$103 PKR 28.6K

$100 PKR 27.7K

3.22%

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

$5.99 PKR 1,658

$5.84 PKR 1,617

2.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.15 PKR 4,746

$16.83 PKR 4,659

1.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.20 PKR 7,806

$7.15 PKR 1,978

294.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.47 PKR 2,344

$5.53 PKR 1,529

53.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.43 PKR 1,226

$4.42 PKR 1,225

0.23%

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

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

$20.03 PKR 5,545

277.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

$268 PKR 74.1K

1769.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.72 PKR 7,118

$14.33 PKR 3,965

79.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.48 PKR 9,543

$16.83 PKR 4,657

104.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

$27.28 PKR 7,550

250.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

$21.47 PKR 5,943

92.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 PKR 76.5K

$49.43 PKR 13.7K

459.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.3K

$32.62 PKR 9,029

324.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 PKR 158.2K

$109 PKR 30.1K

425.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 PKR 74.9K

$65.6 PKR 18.2K

312.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$836 PKR 231.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$380 PKR 105.2K

$153 PKR 42.3K

148.80%

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: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sialkot: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$139 23.1%

Sialkot

$33 9.3% 76.5% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$126 21.1%

Sialkot

$123 35% 2.9% $3.7

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$102 17%

Sialkot

$83 23.6% 18.9% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$89 14.8%

Sialkot

$36 10.2% 59.4% $53

Eating Out

Islamabad

$80 13.3%

Sialkot

$46 13.2% 41.9% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$37 6.2%

Sialkot

$16 4.6% 56.8% $21

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Sialkot

$15 4.2% 45% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $276 in Islamabad versus $49.43 in Sialkot. 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 149% 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 $7.00 in Sialkot. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $102 vs $83.0 – making Sialkot the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Sialkot

🕒 Local time

04:42 4:42 AM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

655,852

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Islamabad Sialkot 190 km

From you

Islamabad
Sialkot

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 Sialkot: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 71%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $899 per month in Islamabad and $527 in Sialkot. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 23% more in Islamabad, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Islamabad and $7.00 in Sialkot. 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 $599 in Islamabad and $351 in Sialkot, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Sialkot – 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 Sialkot. 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.