Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Multan and Rawalpindi

For one person, living is cheaper in Rawalpindi: $498 a month against $529 in Multan, rent and utilities included – about $370 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Multan outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

25

Cost of Living Index in Multan
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Multan Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Rawalpindi
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Rawalpindi Living Index

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Multan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$529

/mo nomad

Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$498

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Multan and in Rawalpindi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $529 in Multan versus $498 in Rawalpindi.

Multan $529
Rawalpindi $498

Estimated couple costs with rent: $746 in Multan versus $784 in Rawalpindi.

Multan $746
Rawalpindi $784

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $964 in Multan versus $1,070 in Rawalpindi.

Multan $964
Rawalpindi $1,070

Living in Multan is roughly 6% more expensive than in Rawalpindi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Multan 61% lower, Rawalpindi 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.52 PKR 696

$2.04 PKR 565

23.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.96 PKR 3,033

$16.20 PKR 4,484

-32.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.29 PKR 1,464

$5.79 PKR 1,602

-8.64%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.78 PKR 770

$1.78 PKR 492

56.18%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 PKR 1,482

$3.47 PKR 962

54.18%

Cappuccino

$1.84 PKR 510

$1.94 PKR 537

-5.15%

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

$0.30 PKR 83.2

$0.44 PKR 121

-31.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 PKR 45.20

$0.23 PKR 63.3

-30.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 PKR 188

$0.90 PKR 249

-24.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 PKR 143

$0.59 PKR 162

-11.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 PKR 294

$1.22 PKR 337

-13.11%

Eggs

$1.13 PKR 314

$1.14 PKR 316

-0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.65 PKR 1,840

$6.38 PKR 1,765

4.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.52 PKR 697

$3.38 PKR 935

-25.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.63 PKR 1,280

$5.22 PKR 1,446

-11.30%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 PKR 266

$1.14 PKR 316

-15.79%

Banana (1kg)

$0.50 PKR 138

$0.89 PKR 245

-43.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.71 PKR 196

$1.22 PKR 337

-41.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 PKR 169

$0.56 PKR 156

8.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 109

$0.35 PKR 97.7

11.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 PKR 119

$0.46 PKR 127

-6.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 PKR 138

$0.33 PKR 91.5

51.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 PKR 104

$0.42 PKR 117

-11.90%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.88 PKR 521

$16.44 PKR 4,551

-88.56%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 PKR 335

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PKR 785

$2.45 PKR 677

15.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 PKR 594

$1.98 PKR 548

8.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 PKR 53.0

$0.17 PKR 46.63

11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.28 PKR 2,016

$10.08 PKR 2,791

-27.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 PKR 402

$0.88 PKR 244

64.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 PKR 96.6

$0.35 PKR 95.8

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 PKR 245

$3.09 PKR 856

-71.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 PKR 316

$1.23 PKR 341

-7.32%

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

$25.0K PKR 6.9M

$18.7K PKR 5.2M

33.52%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$24.5K PKR 6.8M

10.81%

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

$147 PKR 40.7K

$115 PKR 31.8K

28.14%

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

$4.87 PKR 1,347

$5.74 PKR 1,590

-15.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.22 PKR 5,320

$18.80 PKR 5,204

2.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.43 PKR 6,761

$12.17 PKR 3,369

100.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.55 PKR 981

$7.40 PKR 2,048

-52.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 PKR 1,177

$4.38 PKR 1,211

-2.97%

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

$43.24 PKR 12.0K

$49.65 PKR 13.7K

-12.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$999 PKR 276.6K

$1,044 PKR 288.9K

-4.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.83 PKR 4,935

$17.65 PKR 4,886

1.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.67 PKR 5,167

$32.02 PKR 8,862

-41.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 PKR 26.1K

$93.4 PKR 25.9K

0.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.89 PKR 7,165

$35.64 PKR 9,863

-27.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$146 PKR 40.3K

$204 PKR 56.5K

-28.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$93.6 PKR 25.9K

$81.6 PKR 22.6K

14.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$220 PKR 60.8K

$418 PKR 115.6K

-47.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 PKR 41.5K

$222 PKR 61.5K

-32.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,197 PKR 331.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$451 PKR 124.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.5K

$173 PKR 47.8K

5.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.81

-43.01%

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

Last update for Multan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rawalpindi: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Multan

$171 32.4%

Rawalpindi

$139 28% 18.6% $32

Accommodation & Living

Multan

$94 17.7%

Rawalpindi

$82 16.4% 12.8% $12

Groceries & Markets

Multan

$89 16.9%

Rawalpindi

$103 20.7% 15.3% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Multan

$70 13.3%

Rawalpindi

$80 16.1% 14.1% $10

Eating Out

Multan

$60 11.3%

Rawalpindi

$60 12% 0.5% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Multan

$33 6.2%

Rawalpindi

$21 4.2% 36.5% $12

Getting Around

Multan

$11 2.1%

Rawalpindi

$13 2.7% 18.8% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $146 in Multan and $204 in Rawalpindi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Multan pays 6% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $11.00 in Multan vs $16.00 in Rawalpindi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $89.0 vs $103 per month, with Multan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Multan

🇵🇰 Rawalpindi

🕒 Local time

12:10 12:10 PM

Same time as Multan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,871,843

2,098,231

💱 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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Multan Rawalpindi 410 km

From you

Multan
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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

Multan vs Rawalpindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rawalpindi is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and leisure. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Multan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $146 in Multan versus $204 in Rawalpindi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $43.24 in Multan versus $49.65 in Rawalpindi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Multan pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Rawalpindi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Rawalpindi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Multan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.