Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lahore and Bahawalpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Bahawalpur: $290 a month against $516 in Lahore, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Lahore
Learn more

Lahore Living Index
14

Cost of Living Index in Bahawalpur
Learn more

Bahawalpur Living Index

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Lahore

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$516

/mo nomad

Bahawalpur

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$290

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lahore and in Bahawalpur

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $516 in Lahore versus $290 in Bahawalpur.

Lahore $516
Bahawalpur $290

Estimated couple costs with rent: $785 in Lahore versus $504 in Bahawalpur.

Lahore $785
Bahawalpur $504

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,054 in Lahore versus $717 in Bahawalpur.

Lahore $1,054
Bahawalpur $717

Living in Lahore is roughly 78% more expensive than in Bahawalpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lahore 62% lower, Bahawalpur 79% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.55 PKR 705

$1.80 PKR 498

41.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.61 PKR 4,043

$7.39 PKR 2,047

97.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.75 PKR 1,590

$4.54 PKR 1,256

26.65%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 PKR 970

$2.60 PKR 719

34.62%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 PKR 1,465

$2.20 PKR 609

140.45%

Cappuccino

$2.66 PKR 736

$1.51 PKR 417

76.16%

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

$0.41 PKR 114

$0.31 PKR 84.6

32.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 PKR 69.4

$0.21 PKR 58.0

19.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 PKR 269

$0.55 PKR 151

76.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 PKR 202

$0.56 PKR 154

30.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 332

$1.02 PKR 283

17.65%

Eggs

$1.15 PKR 318

$0.89 PKR 247

29.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.16 PKR 1,705

$5.34 PKR 1,477

15.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.63 PKR 727

$2.60 PKR 719

1.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.98 PKR 1,378

$4.17 PKR 1,155

19.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 PKR 328

$1.06 PKR 292

11.32%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 PKR 177

$0.52 PKR 144

23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.84 PKR 232

$0.56 PKR 156

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 PKR 177

$0.53 PKR 146

20.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.32 PKR 88.7

$0.30 PKR 84.3

6.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 101

$0.47 PKR 130

-23.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 PKR 132

$0.62 PKR 172

-22.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 PKR 96.6

$0.37 PKR 103

-5.41%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.05 PKR 291

$0.56 PKR 155

87.50%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 PKR 177

$0.53 PKR 145

20.75%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 PKR 462

$0.70 PKR 193

138.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 PKR 592

$1.41 PKR 389

51.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 PKR 48.50

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.38 PKR 1,490

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 PKR 257

$1.09 PKR 302

-14.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$1.10 PKR 304

-36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 PKR 510

$2.86 PKR 791

-35.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PKR 374

$1.20 PKR 333

12.50%

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

$18.2K PKR 5.0M

$23.8K PKR 6.6M

-23.41%

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

$25.2K PKR 7.0M

$21.6K PKR 6.0M

16.27%

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

$129 PKR 35.6K

$68.0 PKR 18.8K

89.35%

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

$5.47 PKR 1,514

$4.60 PKR 1,274

18.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.58 PKR 4,590

$11.58 PKR 3,206

43.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.55 PKR 6,240

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 PKR 3,022

$10.67 PKR 2,953

2.34%

Cinema Ticket

$4.20 PKR 1,163

$7.09 PKR 1,963

-40.76%

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

$48.64 PKR 13.5K

$23.83 PKR 6,596

104.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,013 PKR 557.0K

$646 PKR 178.7K

211.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.94 PKR 4,964

$16.54 PKR 4,578

8.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.60 PKR 7,638

$21.85 PKR 6,047

26.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 PKR 20.6K

$53.5 PKR 14.8K

38.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.12 PKR 9,167

$29.37 PKR 8,127

12.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$167 PKR 46.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.0 PKR 23.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 PKR 98.0K

$252 PKR 69.8K

40.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 PKR 55.5K

$126 PKR 34.8K

59.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$800 PKR 221.3K

$3,483 PKR 964.1K

-77.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$606 PKR 167.6K

$758 PKR 209.8K

-20.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$201 PKR 55.6K

$138 PKR 38.1K

45.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.05

11.83

18.77%

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

Last update for Lahore: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bahawalpur: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lahore

$151 29.2%

Bahawalpur

$84 29% 44.2% $67

Groceries & Markets

Lahore

$97 18.8%

Bahawalpur

$82 28.4% 15.2% $15

Accommodation & Living

Lahore

$86 16.7%

Bahawalpur

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Lahore

$72 14%

Bahawalpur

$48 16.6% 33.3% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Lahore

$69 13.3%

Bahawalpur

$55 18.8% 20.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Lahore

$31 6%

Bahawalpur

$14 * 4.9% 54.2% $17

Getting Around

Lahore

$11 2%

Bahawalpur

$6.6 * 2.3% 37.3% $3.9

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

Cost Breakdown

Lahore pays 46% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $15.00 in Lahore vs $7.00 in Bahawalpur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $97.0 vs $82.0 per month, with Bahawalpur cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Lahore

🇵🇰 Bahawalpur

🕒 Local time

04:56 4:56 AM

Same time as Lahore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,126,285

762,111

💱 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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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 Bahawalpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bahawalpur wins on cost – living expenses run 78% lower than in Lahore. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bahawalpur the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 46% higher in Lahore, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Lahore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $516 per month in Lahore versus $290 in Bahawalpur – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Bahawalpur 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.

Expats usually find Bahawalpur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Lahore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.