Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Swabi

For one person, living is cheaper in Swabi: $511 a month against $602 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 Swabi
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Swabi Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$602

/mo nomad

Swabi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Swabi

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

A single person spends $602 per month in Islamabad vs $511 in Swabi, rent included.

Islamabad $602
Swabi $511

A couple spends around $937 per month in Islamabad vs $801 in Swabi, rent included.

Islamabad $937
Swabi $801

A family of three spends $1,272 per month in Islamabad vs $1,091 in Swabi, rent included.

Islamabad $1,272
Swabi $1,091

Islamabad costs about 18% more than Swabi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Islamabad and Swabi are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 56% lower, Swabi 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.52 PKR 975

$3.51 PKR 971

0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.86 PKR 6,326

$23.47 PKR 6,497

-2.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 PKR 1,458

$5.53 PKR 1,531

-4.70%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 PKR 1,030

$3.65 PKR 1,010

1.92%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 PKR 1,855

$7.02 PKR 1,942

-4.56%

Cappuccino

$2.63 PKR 727

$2.69 PKR 745

-2.23%

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

$0.33 PKR 90.5

$0.36 PKR 98.6

-8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.1

$0.23 PKR 63.8

-8.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 PKR 262

$0.93 PKR 258

2.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 PKR 216

$0.72 PKR 200

8.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

$1.26 PKR 348

2.38%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 335

$1.20 PKR 333

0.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 PKR 1,748

$6.05 PKR 1,674

4.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 PKR 869

$3.13 PKR 866

0.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.51 PKR 1,525

$5.39 PKR 1,491

2.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 PKR 351

$1.28 PKR 354

-0.78%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 PKR 227

$0.83 PKR 229

-1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 295

$1.07 PKR 296

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 152

$0.52 PKR 145

5.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 74.4

$0.29 PKR 80.4

-6.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 106

$0.36 PKR 99.2

5.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 PKR 83.7

$0.28 PKR 76.7

7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.42 PKR 117

-4.76%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.99 PKR 550

$1.79 PKR 496

11.17%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 328

$1.25 PKR 346

-4.80%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 PKR 718

$2.38 PKR 658

8.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.31 PKR 639

$2.32 PKR 643

-0.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 54.2

$0.16 PKR 43.30

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.41 PKR 5,925

$9.75 PKR 2,697

119.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.28 PKR 356

-2.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

$0.69 PKR 190

1.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 PKR 440

$1.60 PKR 442

-0.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 PKR 377

$1.39 PKR 384

-2.16%

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

$54.4K PKR 15.1M

$21.6K PKR 6.0M

151.27%

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

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

$24.0K PKR 6.6M

-1.86%

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

$100 PKR 27.8K

$101 PKR 27.8K

-0.14%

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

$6.12 PKR 1,694

$6.11 PKR 1,691

0.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.33 PKR 4,795

$17.33 PKR 4,796

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.40 PKR 7,861

$15.07 PKR 4,171

88.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.87 PKR 2,456

$7.87 PKR 2,177

12.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.82 PKR 1,335

$4.27 PKR 1,183

12.88%

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

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

-0.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,109 PKR 1.4M

$1,021 PKR 282.4K

400.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.32 PKR 7,284

$26.59 PKR 7,360

-1.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.60 PKR 9,854

$35.19 PKR 9,739

1.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 PKR 27.2K

$97.0 PKR 26.9K

1.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.95 PKR 11.3K

$40.28 PKR 11.1K

1.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 PKR 74.4K

$124 PKR 34.4K

116.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 PKR 38.9K

$76.9 PKR 21.3K

82.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 PKR 159.8K

$251 PKR 69.5K

129.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 PKR 77.2K

$152 PKR 42.0K

83.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,679 PKR 464.8K

$928 PKR 256.9K

80.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$847 PKR 234.4K

$474 PKR 131.1K

78.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$388 PKR 107.4K

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 19, 2026

Last update for Swabi: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$141 23.4%

Swabi

$77 15.1% 45.3% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$124 20.6%

Swabi

$124 24.3% 0.1% $0.1

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$104 17.3%

Swabi

$102 20% 1.9% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$90 15%

Swabi

$90 17.5% 1% $0.9

Eating Out

Islamabad

$78 12.9%

Swabi

$79 15.5% 2.1% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$38 6.3%

Swabi

$24 4.6% 37.9% $14

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Swabi

$15 3% 44% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $269 in Islamabad versus $124 in Swabi. 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 $23.00 in Swabi. Groceries tell a different story – $104 in Islamabad vs $102 in Swabi – so Swabi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Swabi

🕒 Local time

17:32 5:32 PM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

123,412

💱 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

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Between locations

Islamabad Swabi 73 km

From you

Islamabad
Swabi

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 Swabi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $903 per month in Islamabad and $766 in Swabi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 2% 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 $23.00 in Swabi. 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 $602 in Islamabad and $511 in Swabi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Swabi – 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 Swabi. 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.