Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jhang and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Jhang: $506 a month against $608 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Jhang, Pakistan
Islamabad, Pakistan
Jhang
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$506
/mo nomad
Islamabad
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$608
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jhang and in Islamabad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Jhang and in Islamabad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $506 per month in Jhang vs $608 in Islamabad, rent included.

  • Jhang $506
  • Islamabad $608

A couple spends around $762 per month in Jhang vs $950 in Islamabad, rent included.

  • Jhang $762
  • Islamabad $950

A family of three spends $1,017 per month in Jhang vs $1,292 in Islamabad, rent included.

  • Jhang $1,017
  • Islamabad $1,292

Jhang is about 17% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Jhang and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Jhang 63% lower, Islamabad 55% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Jhang
Islamabad
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.47 PKR 683
$3.57 PKR 987
-30.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$14.51 PKR 4,013
$24.14 PKR 6,679
-39.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.88 PKR 1,625
$5.37 PKR 1,484
9.50%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.67 PKR 1,015
$3.73 PKR 1,031
-1.61%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.56 PKR 1,537
$7.04 PKR 1,949
-21.02%
Cappuccino
$2.63 PKR 729
$2.67 PKR 739
-1.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40 PKR 111
$0.35 PKR 95.7
14.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.24 PKR 66.0
$0.24 PKR 66.6
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Jhang
Islamabad
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.95 PKR 264
$0.99 PKR 273
-4.04%
White Bread (500g)
$0.75 PKR 207
$0.74 PKR 203
1.35%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.23 PKR 340
$1.29 PKR 358
-4.65%
Eggs
$1.18 PKR 327
$1.32 PKR 366
-10.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.14 PKR 1,698
$5.97 PKR 1,653
2.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.56 PKR 707
$3.03 PKR 838
-15.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.92 PKR 1,362
$5.52 PKR 1,528
-10.87%
Apples (1kg)
$1.18 PKR 327
$1.35 PKR 374
-12.59%
Banana (1kg)
$0.70 PKR 194
$0.86 PKR 239
-18.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.90 PKR 249
$1.04 PKR 287
-13.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.59 PKR 164
$0.55 PKR 151
7.27%
Potato (1kg)
$0.29 PKR 78.9
$0.30 PKR 83.4
-3.33%
Onion (1kg)
$0.38 PKR 106
$0.40 PKR 110
-5.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.47 PKR 131
$0.28 PKR 77.1
67.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.35 PKR 96.8
$0.43 PKR 118
-18.60%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$1.07 PKR 295
$2.00 PKR 552
-46.50%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.62 PKR 171
$1.25 PKR 347
-50.40%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 PKR 471
$2.64 PKR 729
-35.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.12 PKR 588
$2.36 PKR 652
-10.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Jhang
Islamabad
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.16 PKR 43.82
$0.17 PKR 46.20
-5.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.63 PKR 2,665
$21.61 PKR 5,978
-55.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.92 PKR 256
$1.28 PKR 355
-28.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.70 PKR 194
$0.70 PKR 194
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.85 PKR 512
$1.65 PKR 456
12.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.40 PKR 388
$1.33 PKR 369
5.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.2K PKR 5.0M
$54.3K PKR 15.0M
-66.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.4K PKR 6.7M
$23.1K PKR 6.4M
5.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jhang
Islamabad
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$124 PKR 34.4K
$103 PKR 28.5K
20.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.63 PKR 1,559
$6.17 PKR 1,707
-8.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.19 PKR 4,478
$17.36 PKR 4,802
-6.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Jhang
Islamabad
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$14.74 PKR 4,079
$33.65 PKR 9,309
-56.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.31 PKR 2,300
$8.62 PKR 2,384
-3.60%
Cinema Ticket
$4.28 PKR 1,184
$4.97 PKR 1,376
-13.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Jhang
Islamabad
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$74.6 PKR 20.6K
$326 PKR 90.2K
-77.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,030 PKR 561.6K
$22.4K PKR 6.2M
-90.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Jhang
Islamabad
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$17.99 PKR 4,976
$25.82 PKR 7,143
-30.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.98 PKR 7,740
$34.52 PKR 9,549
-18.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.3 PKR 20.0K
$95.6 PKR 26.5K
-24.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$33.23 PKR 9,194
$41.07 PKR 11.4K
-19.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Jhang
Islamabad
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$137 PKR 37.9K
$248 PKR 68.5K
-44.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$85.1 PKR 23.6K
$139 PKR 38.5K
-38.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$266 PKR 73.5K
$549 PKR 151.8K
-51.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$181 PKR 50.1K
$280 PKR 77.5K
-35.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$833 PKR 230.4K
$1,655 PKR 457.9K
-49.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$509 PKR 140.8K
$825 PKR 228.1K
-38.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Jhang
Islamabad
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$384 PKR 106.1K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
14.05
13.08
7.42%

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

Last update for Jhang: November 1, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jhang
$146
Islamabad
$126 13.5% $20
Groceries & Markets
Jhang
$97
Islamabad
$104 7.2% $7
Accommodation & Living
Jhang
$85
Islamabad
$139 63.5% $54
Eating Out
Jhang
$72
Islamabad
$79 10.5% $7.5
Clothing & Footwear
Jhang
$68
Islamabad
$89 30.1% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Jhang
$23
Islamabad
$44 87.1% $20
Getting Around
Jhang
$15
Islamabad
$27 84.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $137 in Jhang versus $248 in Islamabad. 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 $15 in Jhang versus $24 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $97 vs $104 – making Jhang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇰 Jhang
🇵🇰 Islamabad
🕒 Local time
00:50 12:50 AM
00:50 12:50 AM
Same time as Jhang
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
414,131
1,009,832 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Jhang Islamabad 280 km
From you
  • Jhang
  • Islamabad

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
Jhang vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jhang cheaper than Islamabad?
Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $759 per month in Jhang and $912 in Islamabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Jhang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $137 there versus $248 in Islamabad.
How do food prices compare in Jhang and in Islamabad?
Groceries cost about 7% more in Islamabad, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Jhang or in Islamabad?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $15 in Jhang and $24 in Islamabad. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough for either Jhang or Islamabad?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $506 in Jhang and $608 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Jhang or Islamabad more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Jhang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Jhang is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 17% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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