Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lahore and Jhelum

For one person, living is cheaper in Jhelum: $382 a month against $516 in Lahore, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Lahore
Learn more

Lahore Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Jhelum
Learn more

Jhelum Living Index

Jump to prices

Lahore

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$516

/mo nomad

Jhelum

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$382

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lahore and in Jhelum

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $516 in Lahore versus $382 in Jhelum.

Lahore $516
Jhelum $382

Estimated couple costs with rent: $785 in Lahore versus $584 in Jhelum.

Lahore $785
Jhelum $584

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,054 in Lahore versus $785 in Jhelum.

Lahore $1,054
Jhelum $785

Living in Lahore is roughly 35% more expensive than in Jhelum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lahore 62% lower, Jhelum 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.55 PKR 705

$1.79 PKR 496

42.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.61 PKR 4,043

$10.87 PKR 3,007

34.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.75 PKR 1,590

$5.30 PKR 1,468

8.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 PKR 970

$2.56 PKR 710

36.72%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 PKR 1,465

$2.14 PKR 593

147.20%

Cappuccino

$2.66 PKR 736

$1.51 PKR 418

76.16%

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

$0.41 PKR 114

$0.47 PKR 129

-12.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 PKR 69.4

$0.30 PKR 82.0

-16.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 PKR 269

$0.68 PKR 187

42.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 PKR 202

$0.62 PKR 170

17.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 332

$1.25 PKR 347

-4.00%

Eggs

$1.15 PKR 318

$1.25 PKR 346

-8.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.16 PKR 1,705

$2.72 PKR 753

126.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.63 PKR 727

$2.38 PKR 659

10.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.98 PKR 1,378

$2.61 PKR 721

90.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 PKR 328

$1.11 PKR 307

6.31%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 PKR 177

$0.35 PKR 96.8

82.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.84 PKR 232

$0.62 PKR 171

35.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 PKR 177

$0.59 PKR 162

8.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.32 PKR 88.7

$0.30 PKR 83.3

6.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 101

$0.35 PKR 96.4

2.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 PKR 132

$0.42 PKR 116

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 PKR 96.6

$0.43 PKR 120

-18.60%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.05 PKR 291

$1.87 PKR 517

-43.85%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 PKR 177

$0.52 PKR 143

23.08%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 PKR 462

$2.38 PKR 658

-29.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 PKR 592

$1.42 PKR 392

50.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 PKR 48.50

$0.18 PKR 49.26

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.38 PKR 1,490

$9.15 PKR 2,534

-41.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 PKR 257

$1.05 PKR 291

-11.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$1.10 PKR 305

-36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 PKR 510

$2.82 PKR 781

-34.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PKR 374

$1.18 PKR 326

14.41%

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

$18.2K PKR 5.0M

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

-21.24%

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

$25.2K PKR 7.0M

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

8.95%

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

$129 PKR 35.6K

$66.5 PKR 18.4K

93.51%

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

$5.47 PKR 1,514

$5.75 PKR 1,592

-4.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.58 PKR 4,590

$14.71 PKR 4,071

12.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.55 PKR 6,240

$15.14 PKR 4,191

48.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 PKR 3,022

$8.50 PKR 2,354

28.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.20 PKR 1,163

$7.07 PKR 1,956

-40.59%

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

$48.64 PKR 13.5K

$26.62 PKR 7,367

82.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,013 PKR 557.0K

$1,986 PKR 549.7K

1.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.94 PKR 4,964

$18.84 PKR 5,214

-4.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.60 PKR 7,638

$26.91 PKR 7,449

2.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 PKR 20.6K

$54.4 PKR 15.1K

36.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.12 PKR 9,167

$30.21 PKR 8,362

9.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$167 PKR 46.2K

$114 PKR 31.6K

46.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.0 PKR 23.8K

$66.7 PKR 18.5K

28.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 PKR 98.0K

$263 PKR 72.9K

34.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 PKR 55.5K

$135 PKR 37.4K

48.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$800 PKR 221.3K

$956 PKR 264.7K

-16.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$606 PKR 167.6K

$551 PKR 152.5K

9.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$201 PKR 55.6K

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 Jhelum: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lahore

$151 29.2%

Jhelum

$87 22.8% 42.3% $64

Groceries & Markets

Lahore

$97 18.8%

Jhelum

$72 18.9% 25.5% $25

Accommodation & Living

Lahore

$86 16.7%

Jhelum

$67 17.5% 22.4% $19

Eating Out

Lahore

$72 14%

Jhelum

$51 13.5% 28.8% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Lahore

$69 13.3%

Jhelum

$59 15.4% 14.8% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Lahore

$31 6%

Jhelum

$29 7.7% 5.4% $1.7

Getting Around

Lahore

$11 2%

Jhelum

$16 4.3% 56.6% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $167 in Lahore and $114 in Jhelum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $15.00 in Lahore vs $11.00 in Jhelum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $97.0 vs $72.0 per month, with Jhelum cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Lahore

🇵🇰 Jhelum

🕒 Local time

03:40 3:40 AM

Same time as Lahore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,126,285

190,425

💱 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

Lahore Jhelum 160 km

From you

Lahore
Jhelum

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 Jhelum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jhelum is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $775 in Lahore and $573 in Jhelum 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: $167 in Lahore versus $114 in Jhelum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Lahore. 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 $15.00 in Lahore. 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, Lahore and Jhelum 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 35% less than in Lahore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.