Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lahore and Abbottabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Abbottabad: $315 a month against $516 in Lahore, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Lahore
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Lahore Living Index
15

Cost of Living Index in Abbottabad
Learn more

Abbottabad Living Index

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Lahore

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$516

/mo nomad

Abbottabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$315

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lahore and in Abbottabad

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

A single person spends $516 per month in Lahore vs $315 in Abbottabad, rent included.

Lahore $516
Abbottabad $315

A couple spends around $784 per month in Lahore vs $469 in Abbottabad, rent included.

Lahore $784
Abbottabad $469

A family of three spends $1,052 per month in Lahore vs $624 in Abbottabad, rent included.

Lahore $1,052
Abbottabad $624

Lahore costs about 64% more than Abbottabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Lahore and Abbottabad are more affordable than the global median – Lahore 62% lower, Abbottabad 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.56 PKR 708

$1.84 PKR 508

39.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.40 PKR 3,985

$8.79 PKR 2,434

63.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.83 PKR 1,615

$5.28 PKR 1,462

10.42%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 PKR 998

$2.22 PKR 614

62.16%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.40 PKR 1,493

$1.86 PKR 515

190.32%

Cappuccino

$2.66 PKR 735

$1.16 PKR 321

129.31%

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

$0.38 PKR 106

$0.32 PKR 87.8

18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.7

$0.17 PKR 47.75

35.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$0.82 PKR 228

12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 PKR 217

$0.97 PKR 269

-19.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.08 PKR 300

13.89%

Eggs

$1.16 PKR 321

$1.20 PKR 332

-3.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.14 PKR 1,698

$3.49 PKR 967

75.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.62 PKR 724

$2.33 PKR 646

12.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.83 PKR 1,336

$5.86 PKR 1,623

-17.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 PKR 327

$1.07 PKR 295

10.28%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 PKR 192

$0.92 PKR 253

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 240

$0.86 PKR 239

1.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 PKR 179

$0.46 PKR 128

41.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.32 PKR 88.9

$0.26 PKR 72.1

23.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 PKR 109

$0.47 PKR 131

-14.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 PKR 141

$0.53 PKR 146

-3.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 PKR 95.6

$0.32 PKR 89.4

9.37%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.07 PKR 296

$5.01 PKR 1,387

-78.64%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 PKR 180

$0.75 PKR 208

-13.33%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 PKR 455

$0.69 PKR 191

137.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 PKR 607

$1.63 PKR 452

34.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 55.7

$0.21 PKR 57.1

-4.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.44 PKR 1,506

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 254

$1.10 PKR 305

-16.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

$0.35 PKR 96.0

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.78 PKR 492

$1.49 PKR 412

19.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 PKR 371

$1.23 PKR 341

8.94%

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

$18.0K PKR 5.0M

$21.9K PKR 6.1M

-17.57%

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

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

2.43%

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

$128 PKR 35.4K

$55.2 PKR 15.3K

131.31%

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

$5.46 PKR 1,512

$3.55 PKR 984

53.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.41 PKR 4,542

$12.75 PKR 3,528

28.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.38 PKR 6,194

$9.23 PKR 2,556

142.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.32 PKR 3,134

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 PKR 1,185

$1.95 PKR 541

119.49%

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

$51.2 PKR 14.2K

$27.09 PKR 7,498

88.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,067 PKR 572.2K

$533 PKR 147.5K

287.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.08 PKR 5,003

$7.44 PKR 2,060

143.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.28 PKR 7,827

$7.10 PKR 1,965

298.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 PKR 20.1K

$50.1 PKR 13.9K

44.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.39 PKR 8,966

$10.73 PKR 2,969

201.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$166 PKR 45.8K

$81.2 PKR 22.5K

103.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$87.4 PKR 24.2K

$55.3 PKR 15.3K

58.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$350 PKR 96.9K

$164 PKR 45.4K

113.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 PKR 55.7K

$83.1 PKR 23.0K

141.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$786 PKR 217.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$592 PKR 163.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$199 PKR 55.2K

$187 PKR 51.7K

6.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.05

27.73%

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

Last update for Lahore: October 17, 2026

Last update for Abbottabad: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lahore

$150 29%

Abbottabad

$72 22.7% 52.2% $78

Groceries & Markets

Lahore

$97 18.8%

Abbottabad

$91 28.9% 6.3% $6.1

Accommodation & Living

Lahore

$87 16.9%

Abbottabad

$55 17.6% 36.7% $32

Eating Out

Lahore

$72 14%

Abbottabad

$46 14.7% 35.8% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Lahore

$68 13.2%

Abbottabad

$34 10.8% 50.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Lahore

$31 6%

Abbottabad

$13 4.2% 57.5% $18

Getting Around

Lahore

$11 2.1%

Abbottabad

$3.7 * 1.2% 65.7% $7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $166 in Lahore versus $81.2 in Abbottabad. 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 7% higher in Lahore, 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 $14.00 in Lahore versus $9.00 in Abbottabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $97.0 vs $91.0 – making Abbottabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Lahore

🇵🇰 Abbottabad

🕒 Local time

19:17 7:17 PM

Same time as Lahore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,126,285

208,491

💱 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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Lahore Abbottabad 300 km

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Lahore
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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

Lahore vs Abbottabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lahore costs about 64% more than Abbottabad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $774 per month in Lahore and $473 in Abbottabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $14.00 in Lahore and $9.00 in Abbottabad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Lahore, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $516 in Lahore and $315 in Abbottabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Abbottabad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Abbottabad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lahore makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.