Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lahore and Lucknow

For one person, living is cheaper in Lucknow: $396 a month against $520 in Lahore, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 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 Lucknow
Learn more

Lucknow Living Index

Jump to prices

Lahore

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$520

/mo nomad

Lucknow

🇮🇳 India

$396

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lahore and in Lucknow

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $520 in Lahore versus $396 in Lucknow.

Lahore $520
Lucknow $396

Estimated couple costs with rent: $787 in Lahore versus $621 in Lucknow.

Lahore $787
Lucknow $621

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,053 in Lahore versus $846 in Lucknow.

Lahore $1,053
Lucknow $846

Living in Lahore is roughly 32% more expensive than in Lucknow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lahore 62% lower, Lucknow 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.59 PKR 716

$1.86 ₹176

39.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.71 PKR 4,071

$10.62 ₹1,009

38.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 PKR 1,604

$3.23 ₹307

79.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 PKR 995

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 PKR 1,462

Cappuccino

$2.50 PKR 693

$1.57 ₹149

59.24%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.44 ₹41.97

-9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 72.2

$0.13 ₹12.29

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 ₹148

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₹214

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 PKR 271

$0.70 ₹66.6

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 PKR 206

$0.47 ₹44.92

57.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 PKR 327

$0.59 ₹55.9

100.00%

Eggs

$1.20 PKR 333

$1.02 ₹96.4

17.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.14 PKR 1,699

$3.32 ₹315

84.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.54 PKR 703

$2.51 ₹239

1.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.74 PKR 1,311

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 PKR 330

$1.79 ₹170

-33.52%

Banana (1kg)

$0.65 PKR 180

$0.66 ₹63.1

-1.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 PKR 230

$0.96 ₹91.0

-13.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 PKR 176

$0.47 ₹44.75

36.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 78.9

$0.30 ₹28.11

-3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 98.9

$0.42 ₹39.45

-14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 PKR 133

$0.42 ₹39.88

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 PKR 96.8

$0.30 ₹28.36

16.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.05 PKR 291

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 PKR 179

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 PKR 457

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 PKR 594

$4.90 ₹465

-56.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 ₹814

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₹158

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₹249

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.72 ₹543

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 PKR 50.6

$0.43 ₹41.10

-58.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.42 PKR 1,777

$9.07 ₹861

-29.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 PKR 256

$0.98 ₹93.4

-5.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

$0.20 ₹18.95

250.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.77 PKR 491

$1.14 ₹108

55.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 PKR 384

$1.14 ₹108

21.93%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$11.1K ₹1.1M

61.54%

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

$24.3K PKR 6.7M

$22.0K ₹2.1M

10.68%

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

$126 PKR 35.0K

$54.2 ₹5,149

133.14%

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

$5.47 PKR 1,513

$3.74 ₹356

46.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.39 PKR 4,535

$8.66 ₹822

89.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.48 PKR 5,665

$15.88 ₹1,508

28.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.32 PKR 3,131

$6.69 ₹635

69.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.35 PKR 1,203

$3.20 ₹304

35.94%

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

$74.0 PKR 20.5K

$38.90 ₹3,693

90.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,052 PKR 567.6K

$979 ₹92.9K

109.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.12 PKR 5,014

$23.41 ₹2,223

-22.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.03 PKR 7,757

$25.07 ₹2,381

11.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 PKR 20.6K

$38.75 ₹3,679

92.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.44 PKR 9,252

$25.60 ₹2,431

30.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$167 PKR 46.3K

$133 ₹12.6K

26.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$95.1 PKR 26.3K

$87.7 ₹8,324

8.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$359 PKR 99.2K

$356 ₹33.8K

0.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$206 PKR 57.1K

$212 ₹20.1K

-2.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$827 PKR 228.9K

$1,124 ₹106.7K

-26.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$568 PKR 157.2K

$606 ₹57.5K

-6.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$198 PKR 54.9K

$331 ₹31.5K

-40.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.05

8.53

64.71%

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

Last update for Lahore: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lucknow: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lahore

$148 28.5%

Lucknow

$67 16.8% 55.1% $82

Groceries & Markets

Lahore

$96 18.5%

Lucknow

$98 24.7% 1.4% $1.3

Accommodation & Living

Lahore

$95 18.3%

Lucknow

$88 22.2% 7.8% $7.4

Eating Out

Lahore

$71 13.6%

Lucknow

$58 14.7% 18% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Lahore

$69 13.3%

Lucknow

$51 12.8% 26.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Lahore

$29 5.6%

Lucknow

$22 5.6% 23.6% $6.9

Getting Around

Lahore

$12 2.2%

Lucknow

$13 3.2% 10.5% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $167 in Lahore and $133 in Lucknow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lucknow pays 67% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $15 in Lahore vs $11 in Lucknow. Groceries flip the comparison at $96 vs $98, with Lahore cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Lahore

🇮🇳 Lucknow

🕒 Local time

20:39 8:39 PM

21:09 9:09 PM

30 min ahead of Lahore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,126,285

4,588,455

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 309 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lahore Lucknow 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lahore
Lucknow

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 Lucknow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $520 in Lahore and $396 in Lucknow, so Lucknow is about 24% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 40% lower in Lahore. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $167 in Lahore versus $133 in Lucknow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lahore runs roughly 29% less than in Lucknow. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $520 per month in Lahore versus $396 in Lucknow – Lucknow is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Lucknow gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Lucknow is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lahore, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.