Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jhelum and Rawalpindi

For one person, living is cheaper in Jhelum: $382 a month against $498 in Rawalpindi, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Jhelum
Learn more

Jhelum Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Rawalpindi
Learn more

Rawalpindi Living Index

Jump to prices

Jhelum

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$382

/mo nomad

Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$498

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jhelum and in Rawalpindi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $382 in Jhelum versus $498 in Rawalpindi.

Jhelum $382
Rawalpindi $498

Estimated couple costs with rent: $584 in Jhelum versus $784 in Rawalpindi.

Jhelum $584
Rawalpindi $784

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $785 in Jhelum versus $1,070 in Rawalpindi.

Jhelum $785
Rawalpindi $1,070

Living in Jhelum costs roughly 23% less than in Rawalpindi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jhelum 72% lower, Rawalpindi 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.79 PKR 496

$2.04 PKR 565

-12.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.87 PKR 3,007

$16.20 PKR 4,484

-32.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.30 PKR 1,468

$5.79 PKR 1,602

-8.46%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 PKR 710

$1.78 PKR 492

43.82%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 PKR 593

$3.47 PKR 962

-38.33%

Cappuccino

$1.51 PKR 418

$1.94 PKR 537

-22.16%

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

$0.47 PKR 129

$0.44 PKR 121

6.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 PKR 82.0

$0.23 PKR 63.3

30.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 PKR 187

$0.90 PKR 249

-24.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 PKR 170

$0.59 PKR 162

5.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 347

$1.22 PKR 337

2.46%

Eggs

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.14 PKR 316

9.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.72 PKR 753

$6.38 PKR 1,765

-57.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.38 PKR 659

$3.38 PKR 935

-29.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.61 PKR 721

$5.22 PKR 1,446

-50.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 PKR 307

$1.14 PKR 316

-2.63%

Banana (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 96.8

$0.89 PKR 245

-60.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.62 PKR 171

$1.22 PKR 337

-49.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 PKR 162

$0.56 PKR 156

5.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 PKR 83.3

$0.35 PKR 97.7

-14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 96.4

$0.46 PKR 127

-23.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$0.33 PKR 91.5

27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 120

$0.42 PKR 117

2.38%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.87 PKR 517

$16.44 PKR 4,551

-88.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 PKR 143

$1.21 PKR 335

-57.02%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 PKR 658

$2.45 PKR 677

-2.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.42 PKR 392

$1.98 PKR 548

-28.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 PKR 49.26

$0.17 PKR 46.63

5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.15 PKR 2,534

$10.08 PKR 2,791

-9.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 PKR 291

$0.88 PKR 244

19.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 PKR 305

$0.35 PKR 95.8

214.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 PKR 781

$3.09 PKR 856

-8.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 PKR 326

$1.23 PKR 341

-4.07%

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

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

$18.7K PKR 5.2M

23.55%

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

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

$24.5K PKR 6.8M

-5.77%

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

$66.5 PKR 18.4K

$115 PKR 31.8K

-42.02%

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

$5.75 PKR 1,592

$5.74 PKR 1,590

0.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.71 PKR 4,071

$18.80 PKR 5,204

-21.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.14 PKR 4,191

$12.17 PKR 3,369

24.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.50 PKR 2,354

$7.40 PKR 2,048

14.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.07 PKR 1,956

$4.38 PKR 1,211

61.42%

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

$26.62 PKR 7,367

$49.65 PKR 13.7K

-46.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,986 PKR 549.7K

$1,044 PKR 288.9K

90.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.84 PKR 5,214

$17.65 PKR 4,886

6.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.91 PKR 7,449

$32.02 PKR 8,862

-15.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.4 PKR 15.1K

$93.4 PKR 25.9K

-41.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.21 PKR 8,362

$35.64 PKR 9,863

-15.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$114 PKR 31.6K

$204 PKR 56.5K

-44.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$66.7 PKR 18.5K

$81.6 PKR 22.6K

-18.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 PKR 72.9K

$418 PKR 115.6K

-36.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$135 PKR 37.4K

$222 PKR 61.5K

-39.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$956 PKR 264.7K

$1,197 PKR 331.2K

-20.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$551 PKR 152.5K

$451 PKR 124.8K

22.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 PKR 47.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.83

22.81

-48.14%

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

Last update for Jhelum: October 10, 2026

Last update for Rawalpindi: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jhelum

$87 22.8%

Rawalpindi

$139 28% 60.1% $52

Groceries & Markets

Jhelum

$72 18.9%

Rawalpindi

$103 20.7% 42.5% $31

Accommodation & Living

Jhelum

$67 17.5%

Rawalpindi

$82 16.4% 22.3% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Jhelum

$59 15.4%

Rawalpindi

$80 16.1% 37.1% $22

Eating Out

Jhelum

$51 13.5%

Rawalpindi

$60 12% 16% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Jhelum

$29 7.7%

Rawalpindi

$21 4.2% 28.5% $8.3

Getting Around

Jhelum

$16 4.3%

Rawalpindi

$13 2.7% 18.7% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $114 in Jhelum and $204 in Rawalpindi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $11.00 in Jhelum vs $16.00 in Rawalpindi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $72.0 vs $103 per month, with Jhelum cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Jhelum

🇵🇰 Rawalpindi

🕒 Local time

03:25 3:25 AM

Same time as Jhelum

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

190,425

2,098,231

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Jhelum Rawalpindi 97 km

From you

Jhelum
Rawalpindi

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

Jhelum vs Rawalpindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jhelum is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $573 in Jhelum and $748 in Rawalpindi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $114 in Jhelum versus $204 in Rawalpindi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Rawalpindi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Jhelum – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $16.00 in Rawalpindi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Jhelum gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Jhelum and Rawalpindi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Jhelum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Rawalpindi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.