Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Skardu

For one person, living is cheaper in Skardu: $426 a month against $602 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 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
22

Cost of Living Index in Skardu
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Skardu Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$602

/mo nomad

Skardu

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Skardu

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

A single person spends $602 per month in Islamabad vs $426 in Skardu, rent included.

Islamabad $602
Skardu $426

A couple spends around $937 per month in Islamabad vs $636 in Skardu, rent included.

Islamabad $937
Skardu $636

A family of three spends $1,272 per month in Islamabad vs $847 in Skardu, rent included.

Islamabad $1,272
Skardu $847

Islamabad costs about 41% more than Skardu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Islamabad and Skardu are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 56% lower, Skardu 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.52 PKR 975

$1.84 PKR 509

91.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.86 PKR 6,326

$11.31 PKR 3,132

102.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 PKR 1,458

$4.65 PKR 1,286

13.33%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 PKR 1,030

$2.72 PKR 753

36.76%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 PKR 1,855

$5.11 PKR 1,415

31.12%

Cappuccino

$2.63 PKR 727

$1.68 PKR 464

56.55%

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

$0.33 PKR 90.5

$0.31 PKR 84.5

6.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.1

$0.18 PKR 50.3

16.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 PKR 262

$0.86 PKR 238

10.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 PKR 216

$0.59 PKR 164

32.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

$1.16 PKR 320

11.21%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 335

$1.20 PKR 333

0.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 PKR 1,748

$5.40 PKR 1,494

17.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 PKR 869

$2.50 PKR 691

25.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.51 PKR 1,525

$5.02 PKR 1,389

9.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 PKR 351

$1.10 PKR 305

15.45%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 PKR 227

$0.54 PKR 149

51.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 295

$0.79 PKR 220

35.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 152

$0.55 PKR 153

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 74.4

$0.28 PKR 76.3

-3.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 106

$0.35 PKR 97.5

8.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 PKR 83.7

$0.46 PKR 127

-34.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.38 PKR 104

5.26%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.99 PKR 550

$1.59 PKR 441

25.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 328

$1.07 PKR 295

11.21%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 PKR 718

$2.04 PKR 563

26.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.31 PKR 639

$2.10 PKR 580

10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 54.2

$0.16 PKR 45.37

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.41 PKR 5,925

$9.06 PKR 2,509

136.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.24 PKR 343

0.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

$0.71 PKR 196

-1.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 PKR 440

$1.83 PKR 506

-13.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 PKR 377

$1.18 PKR 327

15.25%

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

$54.4K PKR 15.1M

$19.1K PKR 5.3M

185.38%

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

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

$26.2K PKR 7.3M

-10.25%

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

$100 PKR 27.8K

$87.8 PKR 24.3K

14.32%

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

$6.12 PKR 1,694

$3.60 PKR 996

70.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.33 PKR 4,795

$13.36 PKR 3,697

29.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.40 PKR 7,861

$15.33 PKR 4,243

85.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.87 PKR 2,456

$7.98 PKR 2,208

11.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.82 PKR 1,335

$4.88 PKR 1,351

-1.23%

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

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$47.71 PKR 13.2K

54.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,109 PKR 1.4M

$1,082 PKR 299.5K

372.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.32 PKR 7,284

$19.16 PKR 5,304

37.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.60 PKR 9,854

$24.54 PKR 6,793

45.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 PKR 27.2K

$59.7 PKR 16.5K

64.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.95 PKR 11.3K

$34.15 PKR 9,451

19.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 PKR 74.4K

$128 PKR 35.4K

110.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 PKR 38.9K

$78.3 PKR 21.7K

79.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 PKR 159.8K

$250 PKR 69.3K

130.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 PKR 77.2K

$139 PKR 38.4K

100.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,679 PKR 464.8K

$1,070 PKR 296.0K

57.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$847 PKR 234.4K

$494 PKR 136.8K

71.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$388 PKR 107.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

0.62%

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

Last update for Islamabad: October 19, 2026

Last update for Skardu: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$141 23.4%

Skardu

$78 18.4% 44.3% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$124 20.6%

Skardu

$105 24.6% 15.4% $19

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$104 17.3%

Skardu

$90 21.2% 13.4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$90 15%

Skardu

$62 14.5% 31.6% $29

Eating Out

Islamabad

$78 12.9%

Skardu

$51 11.9% 34.7% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$38 6.3%

Skardu

$25 5.9% 34.1% $13

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Skardu

$15 3.4% 46.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $269 in Islamabad versus $128 in Skardu. 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 $23.00 in Islamabad versus $11.00 in Skardu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $104 vs $90.0 – making Skardu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Skardu

🕒 Local time

18:59 6:59 PM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

260,000

💱 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 Skardu 300 km

From you

Islamabad
Skardu

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 Skardu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 41%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $903 per month in Islamabad and $638 in Skardu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 16% 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 $11.00 in Skardu. 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 $602 in Islamabad and $426 in Skardu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Skardu – 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 Skardu. 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.