Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jhelum and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Jhelum: $382 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Jhelum
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Jhelum Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index

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Jhelum

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$382

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jhelum 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 Jhelum and in Islamabad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $382 per month in Jhelum vs $599 in Islamabad, rent included.

Jhelum $382
Islamabad $599

A couple spends around $584 per month in Jhelum vs $930 in Islamabad, rent included.

Jhelum $584
Islamabad $930

A family of three spends $785 per month in Jhelum vs $1,261 in Islamabad, rent included.

Jhelum $785
Islamabad $1,261

Jhelum is about 36% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Jhelum and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Jhelum 72% lower, Islamabad 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.79 PKR 496

$3.63 PKR 1,004

-50.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.87 PKR 3,007

$23.40 PKR 6,478

-53.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.30 PKR 1,468

$5.54 PKR 1,534

-4.33%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 PKR 710

$3.57 PKR 987

-28.29%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 PKR 593

$6.73 PKR 1,864

-68.20%

Cappuccino

$1.51 PKR 418

$2.64 PKR 730

-42.80%

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

$0.47 PKR 129

$0.32 PKR 89.6

46.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 PKR 82.0

$0.23 PKR 63.7

30.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 PKR 187

$0.94 PKR 259

-27.66%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 PKR 170

$0.72 PKR 200

-13.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 347

$1.30 PKR 361

-3.85%

Eggs

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.22 PKR 339

2.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.72 PKR 753

$6.05 PKR 1,674

-55.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.38 PKR 659

$3.09 PKR 855

-22.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.61 PKR 721

$5.35 PKR 1,482

-51.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 PKR 307

$1.26 PKR 350

-11.90%

Banana (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 96.8

$0.87 PKR 241

-59.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.62 PKR 171

$1.04 PKR 288

-40.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 PKR 162

$0.53 PKR 146

11.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 PKR 83.3

$0.29 PKR 81.2

3.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 96.4

$0.36 PKR 99.4

-2.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$0.28 PKR 76.4

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 120

$0.39 PKR 108

10.26%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.87 PKR 517

$1.95 PKR 539

-4.10%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 PKR 143

$1.19 PKR 331

-56.30%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 PKR 658

$2.68 PKR 743

-11.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.42 PKR 392

$2.24 PKR 619

-36.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 PKR 49.26

$0.16 PKR 43.07

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.15 PKR 2,534

$21.34 PKR 5,905

-57.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 PKR 291

$1.24 PKR 344

-15.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 PKR 305

$0.74 PKR 204

48.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 PKR 781

$1.60 PKR 442

76.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 PKR 326

$1.37 PKR 378

-13.87%

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

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

-57.57%

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

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

-3.22%

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

$66.5 PKR 18.4K

$103 PKR 28.6K

-35.58%

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

$5.75 PKR 1,592

$5.99 PKR 1,658

-4.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.71 PKR 4,071

$17.15 PKR 4,746

-14.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.14 PKR 4,191

$28.20 PKR 7,806

-46.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.50 PKR 2,354

$8.47 PKR 2,344

0.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.07 PKR 1,956

$4.43 PKR 1,226

59.59%

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

$26.62 PKR 7,367

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

-64.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,986 PKR 549.7K

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

-60.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.84 PKR 5,214

$25.72 PKR 7,118

-26.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.91 PKR 7,449

$34.48 PKR 9,543

-21.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.4 PKR 15.1K

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

-43.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.21 PKR 8,362

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

-26.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$114 PKR 31.6K

$276 PKR 76.5K

-58.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$66.7 PKR 18.5K

$139 PKR 38.3K

-51.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 PKR 72.9K

$572 PKR 158.2K

-53.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$135 PKR 37.4K

$270 PKR 74.9K

-50.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$956 PKR 264.7K

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

-41.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$551 PKR 152.5K

$836 PKR 231.5K

-34.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$380 PKR 105.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.83

13.08

-9.56%

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

Last update for Jhelum: October 10, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jhelum

$87 22.8%

Islamabad

$126 21.1% 45.3% $39

Groceries & Markets

Jhelum

$72 18.9%

Islamabad

$102 17% 41.1% $30

Accommodation & Living

Jhelum

$67 17.5%

Islamabad

$139 23.1% 108% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Jhelum

$59 15.4%

Islamabad

$89 14.8% 51.1% $30

Eating Out

Jhelum

$51 13.5%

Islamabad

$80 13.3% 54.6% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Jhelum

$29 7.7%

Islamabad

$37 6.2% 26.6% $7.8

Getting Around

Jhelum

$16 4.3%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 63.6% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $114 in Jhelum versus $276 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 $11.00 in Jhelum versus $23.00 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $72.0 vs $102 – making Jhelum the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Jhelum

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

03:42 3:42 AM

Same time as Jhelum

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

190,425

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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Jhelum Islamabad 100 km

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Jhelum
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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

Jhelum vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 57%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $573 per month in Jhelum and $899 in Islamabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 41% 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 $11.00 in Jhelum and $23.00 in Islamabad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $382 in Jhelum and $599 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Jhelum – 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 Jhelum. 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.