Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lahore and Skardu

For one person, living is cheaper in Skardu: $426 a month against $516 in Lahore, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Lahore
Learn more

Lahore Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Skardu
Learn more

Skardu Living Index

Jump to prices

Lahore

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$516

/mo nomad

Skardu

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lahore and in Skardu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $516 in Lahore versus $426 in Skardu.

Lahore $516
Skardu $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $784 in Lahore versus $636 in Skardu.

Lahore $784
Skardu $636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,052 in Lahore versus $847 in Skardu.

Lahore $1,052
Skardu $847

Living in Lahore is roughly 21% more expensive than in Skardu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lahore 62% lower, Skardu 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.56 PKR 708

$1.84 PKR 509

39.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.40 PKR 3,985

$11.31 PKR 3,132

27.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.83 PKR 1,615

$4.65 PKR 1,286

25.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 PKR 998

$2.72 PKR 753

32.35%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.40 PKR 1,493

$5.11 PKR 1,415

5.68%

Cappuccino

$2.66 PKR 735

$1.68 PKR 464

58.33%

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

$0.38 PKR 106

$0.31 PKR 84.5

22.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.7

$0.18 PKR 50.3

27.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$0.86 PKR 238

6.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 PKR 217

$0.59 PKR 164

32.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.16 PKR 320

6.03%

Eggs

$1.16 PKR 321

$1.20 PKR 333

-3.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.14 PKR 1,698

$5.40 PKR 1,494

13.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.62 PKR 724

$2.50 PKR 691

4.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.83 PKR 1,336

$5.02 PKR 1,389

-3.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 PKR 327

$1.10 PKR 305

7.27%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 PKR 192

$0.54 PKR 149

27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 240

$0.79 PKR 220

10.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 PKR 179

$0.55 PKR 153

18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.32 PKR 88.9

$0.28 PKR 76.3

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 PKR 109

$0.35 PKR 97.5

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 PKR 141

$0.46 PKR 127

10.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 PKR 95.6

$0.38 PKR 104

-7.89%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.07 PKR 296

$1.59 PKR 441

-32.70%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 PKR 180

$1.07 PKR 295

-39.25%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 PKR 455

$2.04 PKR 563

-19.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 PKR 607

$2.10 PKR 580

4.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 55.7

$0.16 PKR 45.37

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.44 PKR 1,506

$9.06 PKR 2,509

-39.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 254

$1.24 PKR 343

-25.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

$0.71 PKR 196

-1.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.78 PKR 492

$1.83 PKR 506

-2.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 PKR 371

$1.18 PKR 327

13.56%

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

$18.0K PKR 5.0M

$19.1K PKR 5.3M

-5.32%

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

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

$26.2K PKR 7.3M

-9.82%

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

$128 PKR 35.4K

$87.8 PKR 24.3K

45.45%

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

$5.46 PKR 1,512

$3.60 PKR 996

51.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.41 PKR 4,542

$13.36 PKR 3,697

22.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.38 PKR 6,194

$15.33 PKR 4,243

45.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.32 PKR 3,134

$7.98 PKR 2,208

41.85%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 PKR 1,185

$4.88 PKR 1,351

-12.30%

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

$51.2 PKR 14.2K

$47.71 PKR 13.2K

7.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,067 PKR 572.2K

$1,082 PKR 299.5K

91.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.08 PKR 5,003

$19.16 PKR 5,304

-5.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.28 PKR 7,827

$24.54 PKR 6,793

15.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 PKR 20.1K

$59.7 PKR 16.5K

21.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.39 PKR 8,966

$34.15 PKR 9,451

-5.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$166 PKR 45.8K

$128 PKR 35.4K

29.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$87.4 PKR 24.2K

$78.3 PKR 21.7K

11.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$350 PKR 96.9K

$250 PKR 69.3K

39.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 PKR 55.7K

$139 PKR 38.4K

44.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$786 PKR 217.6K

$1,070 PKR 296.0K

-26.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$592 PKR 163.9K

$494 PKR 136.8K

19.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$199 PKR 55.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.05

8.08%

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

Last update for Lahore: October 17, 2026

Last update for Skardu: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lahore

$150 29%

Skardu

$105 24.6% 30% $45

Groceries & Markets

Lahore

$97 18.8%

Skardu

$90 21.2% 7.1% $7

Accommodation & Living

Lahore

$87 16.9%

Skardu

$78 18.4% 10.5% $9.2

Eating Out

Lahore

$72 14%

Skardu

$51 11.9% 29.8% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Lahore

$68 13.2%

Skardu

$62 14.5% 9.2% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Lahore

$31 6%

Skardu

$25 5.9% 18.9% $5.9

Getting Around

Lahore

$11 2.1%

Skardu

$15 3.4% 36% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $166 in Lahore and $128 in Skardu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $14.00 in Lahore vs $11.00 in Skardu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $97.0 vs $90.0 per month, with Skardu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Lahore

🇵🇰 Skardu

🕒 Local time

18:56 6:56 PM

Same time as Lahore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,126,285

260,000

💱 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 Skardu 430 km

From you

Lahore
Skardu

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 Skardu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lahore and Skardu differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($516 vs $426 including rent). Skardu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $774 in Lahore and $638 in Skardu 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: $166 in Lahore versus $128 in Skardu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Lahore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Skardu – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $14.00 in Lahore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Skardu 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 Skardu 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 Skardu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Lahore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.