Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Multan and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Multan: $529 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $840 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Multan
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Multan Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
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Islamabad Living Index

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Multan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$529

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $529 per month in Multan vs $599 in Islamabad, rent included.

Multan $529
Islamabad $599

A couple spends around $746 per month in Multan vs $930 in Islamabad, rent included.

Multan $746
Islamabad $930

A family of three spends $964 per month in Multan vs $1,261 in Islamabad, rent included.

Multan $964
Islamabad $1,261

Multan is about 12% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Multan and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Multan 61% lower, Islamabad 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.52 PKR 696

$3.63 PKR 1,004

-30.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.96 PKR 3,033

$23.40 PKR 6,478

-53.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.29 PKR 1,464

$5.54 PKR 1,534

-4.51%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.78 PKR 770

$3.57 PKR 987

-22.13%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 PKR 1,482

$6.73 PKR 1,864

-20.51%

Cappuccino

$1.84 PKR 510

$2.64 PKR 730

-30.30%

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

$0.30 PKR 83.2

$0.32 PKR 89.6

-6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 PKR 45.20

$0.23 PKR 63.7

-30.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 PKR 188

$0.94 PKR 259

-27.66%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 PKR 143

$0.72 PKR 200

-27.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 PKR 294

$1.30 PKR 361

-18.46%

Eggs

$1.13 PKR 314

$1.22 PKR 339

-7.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.65 PKR 1,840

$6.05 PKR 1,674

9.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.52 PKR 697

$3.09 PKR 855

-18.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.63 PKR 1,280

$5.35 PKR 1,482

-13.46%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 PKR 266

$1.26 PKR 350

-23.81%

Banana (1kg)

$0.50 PKR 138

$0.87 PKR 241

-42.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.71 PKR 196

$1.04 PKR 288

-31.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 PKR 169

$0.53 PKR 146

15.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 109

$0.29 PKR 81.2

34.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 PKR 119

$0.36 PKR 99.4

19.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 PKR 138

$0.28 PKR 76.4

78.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 PKR 104

$0.39 PKR 108

-5.13%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.88 PKR 521

$1.95 PKR 539

-3.59%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 331

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PKR 785

$2.68 PKR 743

5.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 PKR 594

$2.24 PKR 619

-4.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 PKR 53.0

$0.16 PKR 43.07

18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.28 PKR 2,016

$21.34 PKR 5,905

-65.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 PKR 402

$1.24 PKR 344

16.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 PKR 96.6

$0.74 PKR 204

-52.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 PKR 245

$1.60 PKR 442

-45.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 PKR 316

$1.37 PKR 378

-16.79%

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

$25.0K PKR 6.9M

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

-54.15%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

13.80%

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

$147 PKR 40.7K

$103 PKR 28.6K

42.38%

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

$4.87 PKR 1,347

$5.99 PKR 1,658

-18.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.22 PKR 5,320

$17.15 PKR 4,746

12.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.43 PKR 6,761

$28.20 PKR 7,806

-13.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.55 PKR 981

$8.47 PKR 2,344

-58.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 PKR 1,177

$4.43 PKR 1,226

-4.06%

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

$43.24 PKR 12.0K

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

-42.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$999 PKR 276.6K

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

-80.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.83 PKR 4,935

$25.72 PKR 7,118

-30.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.67 PKR 5,167

$34.48 PKR 9,543

-45.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 PKR 26.1K

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

-1.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.89 PKR 7,165

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

-37.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$146 PKR 40.3K

$276 PKR 76.5K

-47.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$93.6 PKR 25.9K

$139 PKR 38.3K

-32.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$220 PKR 60.8K

$572 PKR 158.2K

-61.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 PKR 41.5K

$270 PKR 74.9K

-44.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$836 PKR 231.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.5K

$380 PKR 105.2K

-51.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

-0.61%

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

Last update for Multan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Multan

$171 32.4%

Islamabad

$126 21.1% 26.1% $45

Accommodation & Living

Multan

$94 17.7%

Islamabad

$139 23.1% 48.1% $45

Groceries & Markets

Multan

$89 16.9%

Islamabad

$102 17% 14.2% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Multan

$70 13.3%

Islamabad

$89 14.8% 25.8% $18

Eating Out

Multan

$60 11.3%

Islamabad

$80 13.3% 32.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Multan

$33 6.2%

Islamabad

$37 6.2% 12.6% $4.1

Getting Around

Multan

$11 2.1%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 139% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $146 in Multan 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.

Salaries run about 108% higher in Islamabad, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11.00 in Multan versus $23.00 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $89.0 vs $102 – making Multan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Multan

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

16:28 4:28 PM

Same time as Multan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,871,843

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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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

Multan vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $793 per month in Multan 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 Multan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% 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 Multan 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 $529 in Multan and $599 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Multan – 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 Multan. 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.