Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mardan and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Mardan: $502 a month against $607 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Mardan
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Mardan Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
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Islamabad Living Index

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Mardan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$502

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $502 per month in Mardan vs $607 in Islamabad, rent included.

Mardan $502
Islamabad $607

A couple spends around $788 per month in Mardan vs $948 in Islamabad, rent included.

Mardan $788
Islamabad $948

A family of three spends $1,074 per month in Mardan vs $1,289 in Islamabad, rent included.

Mardan $1,074
Islamabad $1,289

Mardan is about 17% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Mardan and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Mardan 63% lower, Islamabad 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 PKR 978

$3.50 PKR 969

0.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.47 PKR 6,495

$22.76 PKR 6,298

3.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 PKR 1,504

$5.37 PKR 1,487

1.30%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 PKR 1,013

$3.58 PKR 991

2.23%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 PKR 1,872

$6.82 PKR 1,887

-0.73%

Cappuccino

$2.55 PKR 705

$2.56 PKR 708

-0.39%

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

$0.34 PKR 94.7

$0.32 PKR 87.2

6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.9

$0.21 PKR 58.0

9.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 250

$0.98 PKR 271

-8.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 PKR 216

$0.71 PKR 198

9.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

$1.30 PKR 358

-0.77%

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 337

$1.21 PKR 334

0.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.93 PKR 811

$6.05 PKR 1,673

-51.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 PKR 878

$3.05 PKR 844

3.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.72 PKR 1,029

$5.38 PKR 1,488

-30.86%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 240

$1.33 PKR 369

-34.59%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 PKR 203

$0.86 PKR 239

-15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 PKR 286

$1.07 PKR 295

-3.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 96.5

$0.52 PKR 144

-32.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 74.2

$0.27 PKR 73.7

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 106

$0.39 PKR 107

-2.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 77.2

$0.28 PKR 76.7

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 PKR 96.0

$0.43 PKR 118

-18.60%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.79 PKR 496

$1.99 PKR 550

-10.05%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 333

$1.24 PKR 343

-3.23%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 PKR 642

$2.61 PKR 723

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 PKR 508

$2.36 PKR 654

-22.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 54.5

$0.17 PKR 45.76

17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.72 PKR 2,966

$21.58 PKR 5,970

-50.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 PKR 352

$1.24 PKR 342

2.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 PKR 190

$0.74 PKR 206

-6.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 PKR 442

$1.61 PKR 446

-0.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 PKR 292

$1.31 PKR 364

-19.85%

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

$21.8K PKR 6.0M

$54.9K PKR 15.2M

-60.31%

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

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

$23.7K PKR 6.5M

-0.42%

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

$104 PKR 28.7K

$104 PKR 28.6K

0.06%

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

$6.02 PKR 1,666

$6.11 PKR 1,690

-1.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.99 PKR 4,701

$17.21 PKR 4,762

-1.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.89 PKR 3,566

$33.65 PKR 9,310

-61.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.04 PKR 2,223

$8.52 PKR 2,358

-5.63%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 PKR 1,353

$4.91 PKR 1,359

-0.41%

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

$42.07 PKR 11.6K

$326 PKR 90.1K

-87.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,058 PKR 292.8K

$4,917 PKR 1.4M

-78.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.98 PKR 7,188

$26.22 PKR 7,255

-0.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.63 PKR 9,583

$35.05 PKR 9,697

-1.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 PKR 26.7K

$98.2 PKR 27.2K

-1.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.12 PKR 11.1K

$40.45 PKR 11.2K

-0.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$134 PKR 37.1K

$261 PKR 72.1K

-48.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.0 PKR 23.8K

$140 PKR 38.7K

-38.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 PKR 73.1K

$557 PKR 154.1K

-52.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 PKR 50.3K

$287 PKR 79.5K

-36.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$865 PKR 239.3K

$1,691 PKR 467.7K

-48.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$578 PKR 159.9K

$839 PKR 232.2K

-31.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$385 PKR 106.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

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

Last update for Mardan: October 25, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mardan

$127 25.2%

Islamabad

$127 20.9% 0.2% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Mardan

$89 17.7%

Islamabad

$90 14.8% 1.5% $1.3

Accommodation & Living

Mardan

$86 17.1%

Islamabad

$140 23% 62.6% $54

Groceries & Markets

Mardan

$84 16.8%

Islamabad

$103 17% 22.4% $19

Eating Out

Mardan

$77 15.4%

Islamabad

$77 12.7% 0.6% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Mardan

$23 4.5%

Islamabad

$43 7.2% 91.8% $21

Getting Around

Mardan

$16 3.2%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 67.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $134 in Mardan versus $261 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 $23 in Mardan versus $23 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $84 vs $103 – making Mardan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Mardan

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

03:57 3:57 AM

Same time as Mardan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

358,604

1,009,832 Capital

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Mardan Islamabad 110 km

From you

Mardan
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

Mardan vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $753 per month in Mardan and $911 in Islamabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mardan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $134 there versus $261 in Islamabad.

Public transport costs about 50% less in Mardan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Islamabad, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $502 in Mardan and $607 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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