Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lahore and Swabi

For one person, living costs are similar in Lahore and in Swabi: $516 and $511 a month, rent and utilities included.

25

Cost of Living Index in Lahore
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Lahore Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Swabi
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Swabi Living Index

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Lahore

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$516

/mo nomad

Swabi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lahore and in Swabi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $516 in Lahore versus $511 in Swabi.

Lahore $516
Swabi $511

Estimated couple costs with rent: $784 in Lahore versus $801 in Swabi.

Lahore $784
Swabi $801

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,052 in Lahore versus $1,091 in Swabi.

Lahore $1,052
Swabi $1,091

Living in Lahore is roughly 1% more expensive than in Swabi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.56 PKR 708

$3.51 PKR 971

-27.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.40 PKR 3,985

$23.47 PKR 6,497

-38.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.83 PKR 1,615

$5.53 PKR 1,531

5.42%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 PKR 998

$3.65 PKR 1,010

-1.37%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.40 PKR 1,493

$7.02 PKR 1,942

-23.08%

Cappuccino

$2.66 PKR 735

$2.69 PKR 745

-1.12%

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

$0.38 PKR 106

$0.36 PKR 98.6

5.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.7

$0.23 PKR 63.8

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$0.93 PKR 258

-1.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 PKR 217

$0.72 PKR 200

8.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.26 PKR 348

-2.38%

Eggs

$1.16 PKR 321

$1.20 PKR 333

-3.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.14 PKR 1,698

$6.05 PKR 1,674

1.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.62 PKR 724

$3.13 PKR 866

-16.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.83 PKR 1,336

$5.39 PKR 1,491

-10.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 PKR 327

$1.28 PKR 354

-7.81%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 PKR 192

$0.83 PKR 229

-16.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 240

$1.07 PKR 296

-18.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 PKR 179

$0.52 PKR 145

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.32 PKR 88.9

$0.29 PKR 80.4

10.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 PKR 109

$0.36 PKR 99.2

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 PKR 141

$0.28 PKR 76.7

82.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 PKR 95.6

$0.42 PKR 117

-16.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.07 PKR 296

$1.79 PKR 496

-40.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 PKR 180

$1.25 PKR 346

-48.00%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 PKR 455

$2.38 PKR 658

-31.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 PKR 607

$2.32 PKR 643

-5.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 55.7

$0.16 PKR 43.30

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.44 PKR 1,506

$9.75 PKR 2,697

-44.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 254

$1.28 PKR 356

-28.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

$0.69 PKR 190

1.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.78 PKR 492

$1.60 PKR 442

11.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 PKR 371

$1.39 PKR 384

-3.60%

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

$18.0K PKR 5.0M

$21.6K PKR 6.0M

-16.64%

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

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

$24.0K PKR 6.6M

-1.39%

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

$128 PKR 35.4K

$101 PKR 27.8K

27.04%

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

$5.46 PKR 1,512

$6.11 PKR 1,691

-10.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.41 PKR 4,542

$17.33 PKR 4,796

-5.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.38 PKR 6,194

$15.07 PKR 4,171

48.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.32 PKR 3,134

$7.87 PKR 2,177

43.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 PKR 1,185

$4.27 PKR 1,183

0.23%

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

$51.2 PKR 14.2K

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

-30.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,067 PKR 572.2K

$1,021 PKR 282.4K

102.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.08 PKR 5,003

$26.59 PKR 7,360

-32.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.28 PKR 7,827

$35.19 PKR 9,739

-19.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 PKR 20.1K

$97.0 PKR 26.9K

-25.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.39 PKR 8,966

$40.28 PKR 11.1K

-19.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$166 PKR 45.8K

$124 PKR 34.4K

33.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$87.4 PKR 24.2K

$76.9 PKR 21.3K

13.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$350 PKR 96.9K

$251 PKR 69.5K

39.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 PKR 55.7K

$152 PKR 42.0K

32.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$786 PKR 217.6K

$928 PKR 256.9K

-15.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$592 PKR 163.9K

$474 PKR 131.1K

25.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$199 PKR 55.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.05

13.08

7.42%

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

Last update for Lahore: October 17, 2026

Last update for Swabi: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lahore

$150 29%

Swabi

$124 24.3% 17.1% $26

Groceries & Markets

Lahore

$97 18.8%

Swabi

$102 20% 5.3% $5.1

Accommodation & Living

Lahore

$87 16.9%

Swabi

$77 15.1% 12.1% $11

Eating Out

Lahore

$72 14%

Swabi

$79 15.5% 9.7% $7

Clothing & Footwear

Lahore

$68 13.2%

Swabi

$90 17.5% 31.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Lahore

$31 6%

Swabi

$24 4.6% 23.7% $7.3

Getting Around

Lahore

$11 2.1%

Swabi

$15 3% 41.6% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $166 in Lahore and $124 in Swabi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $14.00 in Lahore vs $23.00 in Swabi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $97.0 vs $102 per month, with Lahore cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Lahore

🇵🇰 Swabi

🕒 Local time

15:48 3:48 PM

Same time as Lahore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,126,285

123,412

💱 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

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Between locations

Lahore Swabi 330 km

From you

Lahore
Swabi

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 Swabi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lahore and Swabi differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($516 vs $511 including rent). Swabi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $774 in Lahore and $766 in Swabi 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 $124 in Swabi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lahore pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Swabi – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $14.00 in Lahore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Swabi 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 Swabi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Lahore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.