Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lahore and Peshawar

For one person, living is cheaper in Peshawar: $437 a month against $516 in Lahore, rent and utilities included – about $950 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
21

Cost of Living Index in Peshawar
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Peshawar Living Index

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Lahore

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$516

/mo nomad

Peshawar

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$437

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lahore and in Peshawar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $516 in Lahore versus $437 in Peshawar.

Lahore $516
Peshawar $437

Estimated couple costs with rent: $785 in Lahore versus $629 in Peshawar.

Lahore $785
Peshawar $629

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,054 in Lahore versus $821 in Peshawar.

Lahore $1,054
Peshawar $821

Living in Lahore is roughly 18% more expensive than in Peshawar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lahore 62% lower, Peshawar 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.55 PKR 705

$2.40 PKR 663

6.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.61 PKR 4,043

$8.79 PKR 2,432

66.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.75 PKR 1,590

$5.28 PKR 1,460

8.90%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 PKR 970

$2.19 PKR 607

59.82%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 PKR 1,465

$2.94 PKR 814

79.93%

Cappuccino

$2.66 PKR 736

$2.61 PKR 722

1.92%

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

$0.41 PKR 114

$0.36 PKR 98.8

13.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 PKR 69.4

$0.20 PKR 55.2

25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 PKR 269

$0.98 PKR 270

-1.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 PKR 202

$0.76 PKR 212

-3.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 332

$1.05 PKR 292

14.29%

Eggs

$1.15 PKR 318

$1.06 PKR 294

8.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.16 PKR 1,705

$3.51 PKR 972

75.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.63 PKR 727

$3.04 PKR 840

-13.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.98 PKR 1,378

$3.80 PKR 1,051

31.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 PKR 328

$1.18 PKR 327

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 PKR 177

$0.55 PKR 153

16.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.84 PKR 232

$0.58 PKR 161

44.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 PKR 177

$0.56 PKR 155

14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.32 PKR 88.7

$0.29 PKR 80.3

10.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 101

$0.33 PKR 92.4

9.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 PKR 132

$0.28 PKR 77.1

71.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 PKR 96.6

$0.27 PKR 75.1

29.63%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.05 PKR 291

$2.02 PKR 558

-48.02%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 PKR 177

$0.71 PKR 196

-9.86%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 PKR 462

$0.74 PKR 205

125.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 PKR 592

$1.78 PKR 492

20.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 PKR 48.50

$0.23 PKR 63.8

-21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.38 PKR 1,490

$12.53 PKR 3,467

-57.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 PKR 257

$1.06 PKR 295

-12.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$0.69 PKR 190

1.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 PKR 510

$1.46 PKR 405

26.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PKR 374

$1.21 PKR 336

11.57%

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

$18.2K PKR 5.0M

$22.2K PKR 6.1M

-17.85%

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

$25.2K PKR 7.0M

$24.0K PKR 6.6M

4.91%

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

$129 PKR 35.6K

$100 PKR 27.8K

28.27%

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

$5.47 PKR 1,514

$6.11 PKR 1,691

-10.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.58 PKR 4,590

$14.22 PKR 3,935

16.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.55 PKR 6,240

$15.46 PKR 4,280

45.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 PKR 3,022

$6.15 PKR 1,701

77.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.20 PKR 1,163

$2.01 PKR 557

108.96%

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

$48.64 PKR 13.5K

$46.31 PKR 12.8K

5.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,013 PKR 557.0K

$5,106 PKR 1.4M

-60.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.94 PKR 4,964

$7.09 PKR 1,962

153.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.60 PKR 7,638

$16.28 PKR 4,507

69.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 PKR 20.6K

$49.87 PKR 13.8K

49.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.12 PKR 9,167

$40.01 PKR 11.1K

-17.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$167 PKR 46.2K

$127 PKR 35.2K

31.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.0 PKR 23.8K

$76.2 PKR 21.1K

12.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 PKR 98.0K

$202 PKR 55.8K

75.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 PKR 55.5K

$118 PKR 32.7K

69.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$800 PKR 221.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$606 PKR 167.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$201 PKR 55.6K

$147 PKR 40.6K

36.89%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Peshawar: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lahore

$151 29.2%

Peshawar

$121 27.6% 20% $30

Groceries & Markets

Lahore

$97 18.8%

Peshawar

$83 19.1% 14.2% $14

Accommodation & Living

Lahore

$86 16.7%

Peshawar

$76 17.4% 11.5% $9.9

Eating Out

Lahore

$72 14%

Peshawar

$69 15.7% 5.1% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Lahore

$69 13.3%

Peshawar

$51 11.7% 26% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Lahore

$31 6%

Peshawar

$19 4.5% 37% $11

Getting Around

Lahore

$11 2%

Peshawar

$18 4.1% 71% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $167 in Lahore and $127 in Peshawar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lahore pays 37% 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 $9.00 in Peshawar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $97.0 vs $83.0 per month, with Peshawar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Lahore

🇵🇰 Peshawar

🕒 Local time

22:36 10:36 PM

Same time as Lahore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,126,285

1,970,042

💱 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 Peshawar 370 km

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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 Peshawar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lahore and Peshawar differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($516 vs $437 including rent). Peshawar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 37% higher in Lahore, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $167 in Lahore versus $127 in Peshawar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Lahore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Peshawar – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $15.00 in Lahore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Peshawar 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 Peshawar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Lahore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.