Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index

Jump to prices

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $482 per month in Karachi vs $599 in Islamabad, rent included.

Karachi $482
Islamabad $599

A couple spends around $750 per month in Karachi vs $930 in Islamabad, rent included.

Karachi $750
Islamabad $930

A family of three spends $1,018 per month in Karachi vs $1,261 in Islamabad, rent included.

Karachi $1,018
Islamabad $1,261

Karachi is about 20% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Karachi and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Karachi 64% lower, Islamabad 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$3.63 PKR 1,004

-41.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,680

$23.40 PKR 6,478

-43.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,508

$5.54 PKR 1,534

-1.62%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 607

$3.57 PKR 987

-38.66%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 PKR 2,005

$6.73 PKR 1,864

7.58%

Cappuccino

$2.09 PKR 579

$2.64 PKR 730

-20.83%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.32 PKR 89.6

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

$0.23 PKR 63.7

13.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$0.94 PKR 259

-2.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$0.72 PKR 200

-22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$1.30 PKR 361

-3.85%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.22 PKR 339

0.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,570

$6.05 PKR 1,674

-6.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 876

$3.09 PKR 855

2.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,737

$5.35 PKR 1,482

17.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$1.26 PKR 350

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 148

$0.87 PKR 241

-39.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$1.04 PKR 288

-3.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$0.53 PKR 146

5.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.4

$0.29 PKR 81.2

13.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$0.36 PKR 99.4

-5.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$0.28 PKR 76.4

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.39 PKR 108

12.82%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.95 PKR 539

-35.90%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 PKR 365

$1.19 PKR 331

10.92%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 PKR 670

$2.68 PKR 743

-9.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 PKR 509

$2.24 PKR 619

-17.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

$0.16 PKR 43.07

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

$21.34 PKR 5,905

-53.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$1.24 PKR 344

-25.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$0.74 PKR 204

-5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 597

$1.60 PKR 442

35.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$1.37 PKR 378

0.73%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

-67.15%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

13.52%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$103 PKR 28.6K

9.87%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,648

$5.99 PKR 1,658

-0.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,642

$17.15 PKR 4,746

-23.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,965

$28.20 PKR 7,806

-23.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,044

$8.47 PKR 2,344

115.23%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,165

$4.43 PKR 1,226

-4.97%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

-31.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

-61.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,858

$25.72 PKR 7,118

-31.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,506

$34.48 PKR 9,543

-31.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

-27.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

-1.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.7K

$276 PKR 76.5K

-57.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$139 PKR 38.3K

-46.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

$572 PKR 158.2K

-37.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

$270 PKR 74.9K

-30.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

-34.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.1K

$836 PKR 231.5K

-42.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$380 PKR 105.2K

-51.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

13.08

0.99%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

Islamabad

$126 21.1% 4.6% $6.2

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

Islamabad

$102 17% 0.8% $0.8

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Islamabad

$139 23.1% 88.2% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

Islamabad

$89 14.8% 30.9% $21

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Islamabad

$80 13.3% 30.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

Islamabad

$37 6.2% 23.7% $7.1

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 73.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $118 in Karachi 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.

Salaries run about 108% higher in Islamabad, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Karachi versus $23.00 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $101 vs $102 – making Karachi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

17:23 5:23 PM

Same time as Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

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

On the map

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Between locations

Karachi Islamabad 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
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

Karachi vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $723 per month in Karachi 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 Karachi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% 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 $13.00 in Karachi and $23.00 in Islamabad. 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 $482 in Karachi and $599 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Karachi – 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 Karachi. 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.