Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Wah

For one person, living is cheaper in Wah: $417 a month against $602 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 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
20

Cost of Living Index in Wah
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Wah Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$602

/mo nomad

Wah

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$417

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Wah

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

A single person spends $602 per month in Islamabad vs $417 in Wah, rent included.

Islamabad $602
Wah $417

A couple spends around $937 per month in Islamabad vs $635 in Wah, rent included.

Islamabad $937
Wah $635

A family of three spends $1,272 per month in Islamabad vs $853 in Wah, rent included.

Islamabad $1,272
Wah $853

Islamabad costs about 44% more than Wah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.52 PKR 975

$1.86 PKR 514

89.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.86 PKR 6,326

$10.65 PKR 2,946

114.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 PKR 1,458

$5.57 PKR 1,541

-5.39%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 PKR 1,030

$2.47 PKR 684

50.61%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 PKR 1,855

$2.14 PKR 593

213.08%

Cappuccino

$2.63 PKR 727

$1.24 PKR 344

112.10%

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

$0.33 PKR 90.5

$0.33 PKR 92.0

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.1

$0.26 PKR 72.2

-19.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 PKR 262

$0.76 PKR 211

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 PKR 216

$0.60 PKR 166

30.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

$1.26 PKR 349

2.38%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 335

$1.21 PKR 334

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 PKR 1,748

$8.51 PKR 2,355

-25.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 PKR 869

$2.50 PKR 692

25.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.51 PKR 1,525

$4.00 PKR 1,107

37.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 PKR 351

$1.11 PKR 307

14.41%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 PKR 227

$0.63 PKR 174

30.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 295

$0.58 PKR 160

84.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 152

$0.63 PKR 175

-12.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 74.4

$0.30 PKR 84.2

-10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 106

$0.47 PKR 131

-19.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 PKR 83.7

$0.42 PKR 116

-28.57%

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

$0.57 PKR 157

249.12%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 328

$0.56 PKR 154

112.50%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 PKR 718

$0.70 PKR 194

270.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.31 PKR 639

$1.41 PKR 390

63.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 54.2

$0.15 PKR 42.83

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.41 PKR 5,925

$9.97 PKR 2,761

114.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.10 PKR 304

13.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

$1.05 PKR 291

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 PKR 440

$2.86 PKR 791

-44.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 PKR 377

$1.17 PKR 323

16.24%

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

$54.4K PKR 15.1M

$23.7K PKR 6.5M

129.90%

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

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

$23.0K PKR 6.4M

2.16%

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

$100 PKR 27.8K

$66.8 PKR 18.5K

50.41%

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

$6.12 PKR 1,694

$5.70 PKR 1,577

7.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.33 PKR 4,795

$14.27 PKR 3,951

21.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.40 PKR 7,861

$14.99 PKR 4,149

89.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.87 PKR 2,456

$7.84 PKR 2,170

13.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.82 PKR 1,335

$7.44 PKR 2,058

-35.22%

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

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$26.43 PKR 7,315

178.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,109 PKR 1.4M

$2,033 PKR 562.7K

151.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.32 PKR 7,284

$19.26 PKR 5,331

36.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.60 PKR 9,854

$26.79 PKR 7,415

32.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 PKR 27.2K

$54.9 PKR 15.2K

78.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.95 PKR 11.3K

$30.15 PKR 8,345

35.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 PKR 74.4K

$127 PKR 35.1K

112.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 PKR 38.9K

$78.7 PKR 21.8K

78.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 PKR 159.8K

$250 PKR 69.3K

130.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 PKR 77.2K

$147 PKR 40.7K

89.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,679 PKR 464.8K

$923 PKR 255.4K

82.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$847 PKR 234.4K

$483 PKR 133.6K

75.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$388 PKR 107.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

11.83

10.57%

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

Last update for Islamabad: October 19, 2026

Last update for Wah: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$141 23.4%

Wah

$79 18.9% 44% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$124 20.6%

Wah

$87 20.8% 30% $37

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$104 17.3%

Wah

$97 23.3% 7% $7.3

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$90 15%

Wah

$59 14.1% 34.8% $31

Eating Out

Islamabad

$78 12.9%

Wah

$49 11.7% 37.1% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$38 6.3%

Wah

$30 7.2% 21.5% $8.2

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Wah

$17 4.1% 37.1% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $269 in Islamabad versus $127 in Wah. 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 Wah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $104 vs $97.0 – making Wah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇵🇰 Wah

🕒 Local time

00:14 12:14 AM

Same time as Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

400,733

💱 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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Islamabad Wah 33 km

From you

Islamabad
Wah

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 Wah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $903 per month in Islamabad and $626 in Wah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 8% 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 Wah. 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 $417 in Wah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Wah – 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 Wah. 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.