Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lahore and Wah

For one person, living is cheaper in Wah: $417 a month against $516 in Lahore, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lahore
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$516
/mo nomad
Wah
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$417
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lahore and in Wah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $516 in Lahore versus $417 in Wah.

  • Lahore $516
  • Wah $417

Estimated couple costs with rent: $784 in Lahore versus $635 in Wah.

  • Lahore $784
  • Wah $635

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,052 in Lahore versus $853 in Wah.

  • Lahore $1,052
  • Wah $853

Living in Lahore is roughly 24% more expensive than in Wah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lahore
Wah
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.56 PKR 708
$1.86 PKR 514
37.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$14.40 PKR 3,985
$10.65 PKR 2,946
35.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.83 PKR 1,615
$5.57 PKR 1,541
4.67%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.60 PKR 998
$2.47 PKR 684
45.75%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.40 PKR 1,493
$2.14 PKR 593
152.34%
Cappuccino
$2.66 PKR 735
$1.24 PKR 344
114.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38 PKR 106
$0.33 PKR 92.0
15.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.23 PKR 63.7
$0.26 PKR 72.2
-11.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lahore
Wah
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.92 PKR 254
$0.76 PKR 211
21.05%
White Bread (500g)
$0.78 PKR 217
$0.60 PKR 166
30.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.23 PKR 341
$1.26 PKR 349
-2.38%
Eggs
$1.16 PKR 321
$1.21 PKR 334
-4.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.14 PKR 1,698
$8.51 PKR 2,355
-27.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.62 PKR 724
$2.50 PKR 692
4.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.83 PKR 1,336
$4.00 PKR 1,107
20.75%
Apples (1kg)
$1.18 PKR 327
$1.11 PKR 307
6.31%
Banana (1kg)
$0.69 PKR 192
$0.63 PKR 174
9.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.87 PKR 240
$0.58 PKR 160
50.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.65 PKR 179
$0.63 PKR 175
3.17%
Potato (1kg)
$0.32 PKR 88.9
$0.30 PKR 84.2
6.67%
Onion (1kg)
$0.40 PKR 109
$0.47 PKR 131
-14.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.51 PKR 141
$0.42 PKR 116
21.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.35 PKR 95.6
$0.43 PKR 119
-18.60%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$1.07 PKR 296
$0.57 PKR 157
87.72%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.65 PKR 180
$0.56 PKR 154
16.07%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 PKR 455
$0.70 PKR 194
134.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.19 PKR 607
$1.41 PKR 390
55.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Lahore
Wah
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.20 PKR 55.7
$0.15 PKR 42.83
33.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$5.44 PKR 1,506
$9.97 PKR 2,761
-45.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.92 PKR 254
$1.10 PKR 304
-16.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.70 PKR 194
$1.05 PKR 291
-33.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.78 PKR 492
$2.86 PKR 791
-37.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 PKR 371
$1.17 PKR 323
14.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.0K PKR 5.0M
$23.7K PKR 6.5M
-23.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.6K PKR 6.5M
$23.0K PKR 6.4M
2.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lahore
Wah
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$128 PKR 35.4K
$66.8 PKR 18.5K
91.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.46 PKR 1,512
$5.70 PKR 1,577
-4.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.41 PKR 4,542
$14.27 PKR 3,951
15.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lahore
Wah
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$22.38 PKR 6,194
$14.99 PKR 4,149
49.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.32 PKR 3,134
$7.84 PKR 2,170
44.39%
Cinema Ticket
$4.28 PKR 1,185
$7.44 PKR 2,058
-42.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lahore
Wah
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$51.2 PKR 14.2K
$26.43 PKR 7,315
93.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,067 PKR 572.2K
$2,033 PKR 562.7K
1.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lahore
Wah
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$18.08 PKR 5,003
$19.26 PKR 5,331
-6.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.28 PKR 7,827
$26.79 PKR 7,415
5.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.6 PKR 20.1K
$54.9 PKR 15.2K
32.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$32.39 PKR 8,966
$30.15 PKR 8,345
7.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lahore
Wah
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$166 PKR 45.8K
$127 PKR 35.1K
30.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$87.4 PKR 24.2K
$78.7 PKR 21.8K
11.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$350 PKR 96.9K
$250 PKR 69.3K
39.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$201 PKR 55.7K
$147 PKR 40.7K
36.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$786 PKR 217.6K
$923 PKR 255.4K
-14.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$592 PKR 163.9K
$483 PKR 133.6K
22.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lahore
Wah
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$199 PKR 55.2K
-
-
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 17, 2026

Last update for Wah: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lahore
$150
Wah
$87 42% $63
Groceries & Markets
Lahore
$97
Wah
$97 0.2% $0.2
Accommodation & Living
Lahore
$87
Wah
$79 10% $8.8
Eating Out
Lahore
$72
Wah
$49 32.4% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Lahore
$68
Wah
$59 13.4% $9.1
Sport & Entertainment
Lahore
$31
Wah
$30 3.5% $1.1
Getting Around
Lahore
$11
Wah
$17 59% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $166 in Lahore and $127 in Wah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $14.00 in Lahore vs $11.00 in Wah. Groceries flip the comparison at $97.0 vs $97.0, with Lahore cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇰 Lahore
🇵🇰 Wah
🕒 Local time
17:29 5:29 PM
17:29 5:29 PM
Same time as Lahore
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,126,285
400,733
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lahore Wah 290 km
From you
  • Lahore
  • Wah

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 Wah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lahore and in Wah?
Lahore and Wah differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($516 vs $417 including rent). Wah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Lahore compared to Wah?
You'd need roughly $774 in Lahore and $626 in Wah 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Lahore and in Wah?
Rent for a central apartment: $166 in Lahore versus $127 in Wah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Lahore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Wah – 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.
How far does $1,200 go in Lahore compared to Wah?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Wah gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Lahore and Wah?
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.
Is Lahore or Wah safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lahore and Wah are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lahore or Wah?
Expats usually find Wah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Lahore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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