Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Larkana and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Larkana: $454 a month against $608 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Larkana, Pakistan
Islamabad, Pakistan
Larkana
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$454
/mo nomad
Islamabad
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$608
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Larkana and in Islamabad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Larkana and in Islamabad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $454 per month in Larkana vs $608 in Islamabad, rent included.

  • Larkana $454
  • Islamabad $608

A couple spends around $685 per month in Larkana vs $950 in Islamabad, rent included.

  • Larkana $685
  • Islamabad $950

A family of three spends $915 per month in Larkana vs $1,292 in Islamabad, rent included.

  • Larkana $915
  • Islamabad $1,292

Larkana is about 25% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Larkana and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Larkana 66% lower, Islamabad 55% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Larkana
Islamabad
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.11 PKR 583
$3.57 PKR 986
-40.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$10.77 PKR 2,980
$24.14 PKR 6,678
-55.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.47 PKR 1,513
$5.37 PKR 1,484
1.86%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.59 PKR 716
$3.73 PKR 1,031
-30.56%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.09 PKR 1,408
$7.04 PKR 1,948
-27.70%
Cappuccino
$1.67 PKR 462
$2.67 PKR 739
-37.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 PKR 94.2
$0.35 PKR 95.7
-2.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.20 PKR 55.1
$0.24 PKR 66.6
-16.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Larkana
Islamabad
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.81 PKR 225
$0.99 PKR 273
-18.18%
White Bread (500g)
$0.60 PKR 166
$0.74 PKR 203
-18.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.13 PKR 312
$1.29 PKR 358
-12.40%
Eggs
$1.14 PKR 315
$1.32 PKR 366
-13.64%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.82 PKR 1,609
$5.97 PKR 1,653
-2.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.49 PKR 688
$3.03 PKR 838
-17.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.99 PKR 1,381
$5.52 PKR 1,528
-9.60%
Apples (1kg)
$1.12 PKR 309
$1.35 PKR 374
-17.04%
Banana (1kg)
$0.54 PKR 150
$0.86 PKR 239
-37.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.80 PKR 220
$1.04 PKR 287
-23.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.53 PKR 146
$0.55 PKR 151
-3.64%
Potato (1kg)
$0.28 PKR 76.7
$0.30 PKR 83.3
-6.67%
Onion (1kg)
$0.38 PKR 105
$0.40 PKR 110
-5.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.41 PKR 113
$0.28 PKR 77.1
46.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.37 PKR 102
$0.43 PKR 118
-13.95%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$1.81 PKR 502
$2.00 PKR 552
-9.50%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 PKR 295
$1.25 PKR 347
-14.40%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 PKR 653
$2.64 PKR 729
-10.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.01 PKR 557
$2.36 PKR 652
-14.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Larkana
Islamabad
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.19 PKR 53.3
$0.17 PKR 46.19
11.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.10 PKR 2,795
$21.61 PKR 5,977
-53.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.05 PKR 291
$1.28 PKR 355
-17.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.68 PKR 189
$0.70 PKR 194
-2.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.61 PKR 445
$1.65 PKR 456
-2.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.18 PKR 327
$1.33 PKR 369
-11.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.5K PKR 5.9M
$54.3K PKR 15.0M
-60.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K PKR 6.5M
$23.1K PKR 6.4M
1.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Larkana
Islamabad
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$101 PKR 27.9K
$103 PKR 28.4K
-2.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.48 PKR 1,514
$6.17 PKR 1,707
-11.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.21 PKR 3,930
$17.36 PKR 4,802
-18.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Larkana
Islamabad
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$15.17 PKR 4,197
$33.65 PKR 9,308
-54.92%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.18 PKR 2,262
$8.62 PKR 2,384
-5.10%
Cinema Ticket
$4.31 PKR 1,192
$4.97 PKR 1,376
-13.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Larkana
Islamabad
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$42.14 PKR 11.7K
$326 PKR 90.2K
-87.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,051 PKR 290.6K
$22.4K PKR 6.2M
-95.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Larkana
Islamabad
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$16.71 PKR 4,623
$25.82 PKR 7,142
-35.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$22.01 PKR 6,088
$34.52 PKR 9,548
-36.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$67.7 PKR 18.7K
$95.6 PKR 26.4K
-29.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$32.72 PKR 9,050
$41.07 PKR 11.4K
-20.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Larkana
Islamabad
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$136 PKR 37.6K
$248 PKR 68.5K
-45.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$86.4 PKR 23.9K
$139 PKR 38.5K
-37.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$266 PKR 73.5K
$549 PKR 151.7K
-51.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$182 PKR 50.3K
$280 PKR 77.5K
-35.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$804 PKR 222.3K
$1,655 PKR 457.9K
-51.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$498 PKR 137.8K
$825 PKR 228.1K
-39.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Larkana
Islamabad
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$384 PKR 106.1K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13
13.08
-0.61%

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

Last update for Larkana: November 2, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Larkana
$120
Islamabad
$126 4.9% $5.9
Groceries & Markets
Larkana
$90
Islamabad
$104 15.1% $14
Accommodation & Living
Larkana
$86
Islamabad
$139 61.2% $53
Clothing & Footwear
Larkana
$63
Islamabad
$89 41.7% $26
Eating Out
Larkana
$55
Islamabad
$79 42.5% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Larkana
$24
Islamabad
$44 83.2% $20
Getting Around
Larkana
$15
Islamabad
$27 76.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $136 in Larkana versus $248 in Islamabad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Larkana versus $24 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $90 vs $104 – making Larkana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇰 Larkana
🇵🇰 Islamabad
🕒 Local time
06:08 6:08 AM
06:08 6:08 AM
Same time as Larkana
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
490,508
1,009,832 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Larkana Islamabad 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Larkana
  • Islamabad

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
Larkana vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Larkana cheaper than Islamabad?
Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $682 per month in Larkana and $912 in Islamabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Larkana, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $136 there versus $248 in Islamabad.
How do food prices compare in Larkana and in Islamabad?
Groceries cost about 15% more in Islamabad, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Larkana or in Islamabad?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Larkana and $24 in Islamabad. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough for either Larkana or Islamabad?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $454 in Larkana and $608 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Larkana or Islamabad more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Larkana – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Larkana is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 25% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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