Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karak and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Karak: $434 a month against $602 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Karak
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Karak Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
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Islamabad Living Index

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Karak

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$434

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$602

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $434 per month in Karak vs $602 in Islamabad, rent included.

Karak $434
Islamabad $602

A couple spends around $636 per month in Karak vs $937 in Islamabad, rent included.

Karak $636
Islamabad $937

A family of three spends $838 per month in Karak vs $1,272 in Islamabad, rent included.

Karak $838
Islamabad $1,272

Karak is about 28% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Karak and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Karak 68% lower, Islamabad 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$0.70 PKR 193

$3.52 PKR 975

-80.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.41 PKR 2,050

$22.86 PKR 6,326

-67.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 PKR 1,489

$5.27 PKR 1,458

2.09%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 PKR 203

$3.72 PKR 1,030

-80.38%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 PKR 1,939

$6.70 PKR 1,855

4.63%

Cappuccino

$0.57 PKR 157

$2.63 PKR 727

-78.33%

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

$0.36 PKR 98.5

$0.33 PKR 90.5

9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.9

$0.21 PKR 58.1

9.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 PKR 258

$0.95 PKR 262

-2.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 PKR 145

$0.78 PKR 216

-32.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 PKR 292

$1.29 PKR 358

-18.60%

Eggs

$1.10 PKR 304

$1.21 PKR 335

-9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.78 PKR 492

$6.32 PKR 1,748

-71.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.93 PKR 810

$3.14 PKR 869

-6.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.41 PKR 1,221

$5.51 PKR 1,525

-19.96%

Apples (1kg)

$0.69 PKR 192

$1.27 PKR 351

-45.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 153

$0.82 PKR 227

-32.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 PKR 207

$1.07 PKR 295

-29.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 144

$0.55 PKR 152

-5.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 80.5

$0.27 PKR 74.4

7.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 106

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.17 PKR 48.32

$0.30 PKR 83.7

-43.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 PKR 65.8

$0.40 PKR 110

-40.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.86 PKR 515

$1.99 PKR 550

-6.53%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 331

$1.19 PKR 328

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 PKR 652

$2.59 PKR 718

-9.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 PKR 645

$2.31 PKR 639

0.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 PKR 51.7

$0.20 PKR 54.2

-5.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.86 PKR 2,730

$21.41 PKR 5,925

-53.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.25 PKR 346

-1.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 PKR 438

$1.59 PKR 440

-0.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 381

$1.36 PKR 377

1.47%

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

$21.8K PKR 6.0M

$54.4K PKR 15.1M

-59.97%

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

$24.3K PKR 6.7M

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

3.30%

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

$101 PKR 27.9K

$100 PKR 27.8K

0.26%

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

$6.03 PKR 1,669

$6.12 PKR 1,694

-1.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.84 PKR 4,660

$17.33 PKR 4,795

-2.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.67 PKR 4,061

$28.40 PKR 7,861

-48.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.25 PKR 2,282

$8.87 PKR 2,456

-6.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 PKR 1,172

$4.82 PKR 1,335

-12.03%

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

$76.0 PKR 21.0K

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

3.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,060 PKR 293.3K

$5,109 PKR 1.4M

-79.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.54 PKR 7,346

$26.32 PKR 7,284

0.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 PKR 9,753

$35.60 PKR 9,854

-1.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.5 PKR 27.0K

$98.1 PKR 27.2K

-0.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.37 PKR 11.4K

$40.95 PKR 11.3K

1.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$128 PKR 35.5K

$269 PKR 74.4K

-52.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$77.1 PKR 21.3K

$141 PKR 38.9K

-45.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$258 PKR 71.3K

$577 PKR 159.8K

-55.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 PKR 40.8K

$279 PKR 77.2K

-47.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$922 PKR 255.1K

$1,679 PKR 464.8K

-45.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$486 PKR 134.5K

$847 PKR 234.4K

-42.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$388 PKR 107.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

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

Last update for Karak: October 19, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karak

$124 28.5%

Islamabad

$124 20.6% 0.3% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Karak

$90 20.8%

Islamabad

$90 15% 0.2% $0.1

Accommodation & Living

Karak

$77 17.8%

Islamabad

$141 23.4% 82.3% $63

Groceries & Markets

Karak

$74 17%

Islamabad

$104 17.3% 41% $30

Eating Out

Karak

$31 7.1%

Islamabad

$78 12.9% 152% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Karak

$23 5.3%

Islamabad

$38 6.3% 64.4% $15

Getting Around

Karak

$15 3.5%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 75.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $128 in Karak versus $269 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 $7.00 in Karak versus $23.00 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $74.0 vs $104 – making Karak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karak

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

15:50 3:50 PM

Same time as Karak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,149

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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Karak Islamabad 190 km

From you

Karak
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

Karak vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $651 per month in Karak and $903 in Islamabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karak, 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 $7.00 in Karak and $23.00 in Islamabad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $434 in Karak and $602 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Karak – 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 Karak. 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.