Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Layyah and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Layyah: $421 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Layyah
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Layyah Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index

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Layyah

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$421

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Layyah 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 Layyah and in Islamabad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $421 per month in Layyah vs $599 in Islamabad, rent included.

Layyah $421
Islamabad $599

A couple spends around $646 per month in Layyah vs $930 in Islamabad, rent included.

Layyah $646
Islamabad $930

A family of three spends $870 per month in Layyah vs $1,261 in Islamabad, rent included.

Layyah $870
Islamabad $1,261

Layyah is about 30% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Layyah and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Layyah 69% lower, Islamabad 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.80 PKR 497

$3.63 PKR 1,004

-50.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.98 PKR 3,040

$23.40 PKR 6,478

-53.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.50 PKR 1,523

$5.54 PKR 1,534

-0.72%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 PKR 697

$3.57 PKR 987

-29.41%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 PKR 618

$6.73 PKR 1,864

-66.86%

Cappuccino

$1.46 PKR 405

$2.64 PKR 730

-44.70%

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

$0.46 PKR 129

$0.32 PKR 89.6

43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 PKR 88.8

$0.23 PKR 63.7

39.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 PKR 215

$0.94 PKR 259

-17.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 PKR 180

$0.72 PKR 200

-9.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$1.30 PKR 361

-3.85%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 335

$1.22 PKR 339

-0.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 PKR 2,376

$6.05 PKR 1,674

41.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.49 PKR 689

$3.09 PKR 855

-19.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.04 PKR 1,119

$5.35 PKR 1,482

-24.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 PKR 292

$1.26 PKR 350

-15.87%

Banana (1kg)

$0.65 PKR 180

$0.87 PKR 241

-25.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.60 PKR 166

$1.04 PKR 288

-42.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.62 PKR 173

$0.53 PKR 146

16.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.28 PKR 76.4

$0.29 PKR 81.2

-3.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 PKR 140

$0.36 PKR 99.4

41.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 PKR 123

$0.28 PKR 76.4

57.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 120

$0.39 PKR 108

10.26%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.56 PKR 154

$1.95 PKR 539

-71.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 PKR 144

$1.19 PKR 331

-56.30%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 PKR 194

$2.68 PKR 743

-73.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.46 PKR 404

$2.24 PKR 619

-34.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 46.09

$0.16 PKR 43.07

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.02 PKR 2,497

$21.34 PKR 5,905

-57.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 PKR 307

$1.24 PKR 344

-10.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 PKR 304

$0.74 PKR 204

48.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 PKR 795

$1.60 PKR 442

79.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 PKR 326

$1.37 PKR 378

-13.87%

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

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

-56.72%

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

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

-1.36%

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

$67.5 PKR 18.7K

$103 PKR 28.6K

-34.61%

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

$5.59 PKR 1,547

$5.99 PKR 1,658

-6.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.62 PKR 4,047

$17.15 PKR 4,746

-14.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.81 PKR 4,100

$28.20 PKR 7,806

-47.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.79 PKR 2,432

$8.47 PKR 2,344

3.78%

Cinema Ticket

$7.26 PKR 2,009

$4.43 PKR 1,226

63.88%

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

$26.51 PKR 7,337

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

-64.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,043 PKR 565.5K

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

-59.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.90 PKR 5,231

$25.72 PKR 7,118

-26.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.90 PKR 7,446

$34.48 PKR 9,543

-21.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.3 PKR 15.0K

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

-43.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.47 PKR 8,156

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

-28.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$121 PKR 33.4K

$276 PKR 76.5K

-56.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$80.0 PKR 22.1K

$139 PKR 38.3K

-42.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$253 PKR 69.9K

$572 PKR 158.2K

-55.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 PKR 43.4K

$270 PKR 74.9K

-41.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$896 PKR 248.1K

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

-44.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$524 PKR 145.0K

$836 PKR 231.5K

-37.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$380 PKR 105.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.83

13.08

-9.56%

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

Last update for Layyah: October 13, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Layyah

$98 23.3%

Islamabad

$102 17% 4.2% $4.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Layyah

$88 20.8%

Islamabad

$126 21.1% 44.1% $39

Accommodation & Living

Layyah

$80 19%

Islamabad

$139 23.1% 73.2% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Layyah

$58 13.8%

Islamabad

$89 14.8% 52.1% $30

Eating Out

Layyah

$52 12.3%

Islamabad

$80 13.3% 54.2% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Layyah

$29 7%

Islamabad

$37 6.2% 26.4% $7.7

Getting Around

Layyah

$16 3.9%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 65.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $121 in Layyah versus $276 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 $11.00 in Layyah versus $23.00 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $98.0 vs $102 – making Layyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Layyah

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

01:13 1:13 AM

Same time as Layyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,361

1,009,832 Capital

💱 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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Layyah Islamabad 360 km

From you

Layyah
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

Layyah vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $632 per month in Layyah and $899 in Islamabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Layyah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Islamabad, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11.00 in Layyah and $23.00 in Islamabad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $421 in Layyah and $599 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Layyah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Layyah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Islamabad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.