Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Swat

For one person, living is cheaper in Swat: $473 a month against $602 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
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Islamabad Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Swat
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Swat Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$602

/mo nomad

Swat

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$473

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Swat

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

A single person spends $602 per month in Islamabad vs $473 in Swat, rent included.

Islamabad $602
Swat $473

A couple spends around $937 per month in Islamabad vs $748 in Swat, rent included.

Islamabad $937
Swat $748

A family of three spends $1,272 per month in Islamabad vs $1,023 in Swat, rent included.

Islamabad $1,272
Swat $1,023

Islamabad costs about 27% more than Swat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Islamabad and Swat are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 56% lower, Swat 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.52 PKR 975

$3.69 PKR 1,021

-4.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.86 PKR 6,326

$23.41 PKR 6,478

-2.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 PKR 1,458

$3.67 PKR 1,015

43.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 PKR 1,030

$3.71 PKR 1,028

0.27%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 PKR 1,855

$6.82 PKR 1,887

-1.76%

Cappuccino

$2.63 PKR 727

$2.65 PKR 732

-0.75%

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

$0.33 PKR 90.5

$0.35 PKR 97.0

-5.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.1

$0.23 PKR 63.7

-8.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 PKR 262

$0.93 PKR 258

2.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 PKR 216

$0.41 PKR 113

90.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

$1.24 PKR 342

4.03%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 335

$1.21 PKR 336

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 PKR 1,748

$6.27 PKR 1,737

0.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 PKR 869

$3.03 PKR 839

3.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.51 PKR 1,525

$5.50 PKR 1,522

0.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 PKR 351

$1.30 PKR 359

-2.31%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 PKR 227

$0.86 PKR 239

-4.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 295

$1.08 PKR 299

-0.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 152

$0.52 PKR 143

5.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 74.4

$0.29 PKR 80.5

-6.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 106

$0.35 PKR 98.0

8.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 PKR 83.7

$0.28 PKR 76.8

7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.43 PKR 119

-6.98%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.99 PKR 550

$1.86 PKR 514

6.99%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 328

$1.20 PKR 333

-0.83%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 PKR 718

$2.38 PKR 657

8.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.31 PKR 639

$2.24 PKR 621

3.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 54.2

$0.16 PKR 42.93

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.41 PKR 5,925

$9.56 PKR 2,645

123.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.28 PKR 355

-2.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

$0.76 PKR 209

-7.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 PKR 440

$1.61 PKR 444

-1.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 PKR 377

$1.31 PKR 364

3.82%

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

$54.4K PKR 15.1M

$21.6K PKR 6.0M

151.34%

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

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

0.12%

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

$100 PKR 27.8K

$103 PKR 28.4K

-2.07%

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

$6.12 PKR 1,694

$5.50 PKR 1,522

11.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.33 PKR 4,795

$17.00 PKR 4,704

1.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.40 PKR 7,861

$15.14 PKR 4,189

87.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.87 PKR 2,456

$8.10 PKR 2,242

9.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.82 PKR 1,335

$4.36 PKR 1,207

10.55%

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

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$42.55 PKR 11.8K

72.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,109 PKR 1.4M

$1,034 PKR 286.3K

393.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.32 PKR 7,284

$25.97 PKR 7,189

1.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.60 PKR 9,854

$35.11 PKR 9,718

1.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 PKR 27.2K

$25.47 PKR 7,048

285.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.95 PKR 11.3K

$40.04 PKR 11.1K

2.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 PKR 74.4K

$128 PKR 35.3K

110.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 PKR 38.9K

$77.5 PKR 21.5K

81.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 PKR 159.8K

$290 PKR 80.2K

99.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 PKR 77.2K

$168 PKR 46.4K

66.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,679 PKR 464.8K

$867 PKR 240.1K

93.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$847 PKR 234.4K

$477 PKR 132.1K

77.46%

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 Swat: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$141 23.4%

Swat

$78 16.4% 44.8% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$124 20.6%

Swat

$125 26.4% 0.9% $1.2

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$104 17.3%

Swat

$100 21.2% 4% $4.2

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$90 15%

Swat

$57 12% 37% $33

Eating Out

Islamabad

$78 12.9%

Swat

$75 15.8% 4% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$38 6.3%

Swat

$24 5% 37.3% $14

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Swat

$15 3.2% 43.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $269 in Islamabad versus $128 in Swat. 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 Swat. Groceries tell a different story – $104 in Islamabad vs $100 in Swat – so Swat wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Swat

🕒 Local time

22:46 10:46 PM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

💱 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 Swat 140 km

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Islamabad
Swat

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 Swat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $903 per month in Islamabad and $710 in Swat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 4% 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 Swat. 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 $473 in Swat, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Swat – 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 Swat. 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.