Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Muzaffarabad and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Muzaffarabad: $385 a month against $602 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Muzaffarabad
Learn more

Muzaffarabad Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index

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Muzaffarabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$385

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$602

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $385 per month in Muzaffarabad vs $602 in Islamabad, rent included.

Muzaffarabad $385
Islamabad $602

A couple spends around $558 per month in Muzaffarabad vs $937 in Islamabad, rent included.

Muzaffarabad $558
Islamabad $937

A family of three spends $730 per month in Muzaffarabad vs $1,272 in Islamabad, rent included.

Muzaffarabad $730
Islamabad $1,272

Muzaffarabad is about 36% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Muzaffarabad and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Muzaffarabad 72% lower, Islamabad 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.40 PKR 387

$3.52 PKR 975

-60.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.97 PKR 2,482

$22.86 PKR 6,326

-60.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.21 PKR 613

$5.27 PKR 1,458

-58.06%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 PKR 406

$3.72 PKR 1,030

-60.48%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 PKR 822

$6.70 PKR 1,855

-55.67%

Cappuccino

$1.06 PKR 293

$2.63 PKR 727

-59.70%

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

$0.41 PKR 112

$0.33 PKR 90.5

24.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.8

$0.21 PKR 58.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 PKR 276

$0.95 PKR 262

5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 PKR 187

$0.78 PKR 216

-12.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 PKR 261

$1.29 PKR 358

-27.13%

Eggs

$0.93 PKR 258

$1.21 PKR 335

-23.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.58 PKR 991

$6.32 PKR 1,748

-43.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.55 PKR 707

$3.14 PKR 869

-18.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.28 PKR 908

$5.51 PKR 1,525

-40.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 PKR 305

$1.27 PKR 351

-13.39%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 156

$0.82 PKR 227

-31.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.37 PKR 103

$1.07 PKR 295

-65.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 95.9

$0.55 PKR 152

-36.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 96.7

$0.27 PKR 74.4

29.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.28 PKR 77.5

$0.38 PKR 106

-26.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 115

$0.30 PKR 83.7

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.25 PKR 69.0

$0.40 PKR 110

-37.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.41 PKR 390

$1.99 PKR 550

-29.15%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 PKR 206

$1.19 PKR 328

-36.97%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 PKR 193

$2.59 PKR 718

-72.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.87 PKR 241

$2.31 PKR 639

-62.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 PKR 52.7

$0.20 PKR 54.2

-5.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.03 PKR 2,776

$21.41 PKR 5,925

-53.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 PKR 303

$1.25 PKR 346

-12.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 PKR 203

$0.70 PKR 194

4.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 PKR 389

$1.59 PKR 440

-11.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 PKR 262

$1.36 PKR 377

-30.15%

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

$22.3K PKR 6.2M

$54.4K PKR 15.1M

-59.04%

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

$25.6K PKR 7.1M

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

8.82%

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

$118 PKR 32.5K

$100 PKR 27.8K

17.03%

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

$5.53 PKR 1,530

$6.12 PKR 1,694

-9.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.20 PKR 2,547

$17.33 PKR 4,795

-46.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.84 PKR 4,107

$28.40 PKR 7,861

-47.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.20 PKR 2,269

$8.87 PKR 2,456

-7.55%

Cinema Ticket

$2.05 PKR 567

$4.82 PKR 1,335

-57.47%

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

$46.79 PKR 13.0K

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

-36.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,039 PKR 287.6K

$5,109 PKR 1.4M

-79.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$5.46 PKR 1,512

$26.32 PKR 7,284

-79.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.83 PKR 2,444

$35.60 PKR 9,854

-75.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.77 PKR 13.8K

$98.1 PKR 27.2K

-49.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$10.63 PKR 2,942

$40.95 PKR 11.3K

-74.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$124 PKR 34.4K

$269 PKR 74.4K

-53.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$76.1 PKR 21.0K

$141 PKR 38.9K

-45.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$256 PKR 70.8K

$577 PKR 159.8K

-55.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$146 PKR 40.5K

$279 PKR 77.2K

-47.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$947 PKR 262.0K

$1,679 PKR 464.8K

-43.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$483 PKR 133.7K

$847 PKR 234.4K

-42.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$289 PKR 80.1K

$388 PKR 107.4K

-25.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

14.68%

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

Last update for Muzaffarabad: October 18, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Muzaffarabad

$132 34.3%

Islamabad

$124 20.6% 6.3% $8.4

Accommodation & Living

Muzaffarabad

$76 19.7%

Islamabad

$141 23.4% 84.8% $64

Groceries & Markets

Muzaffarabad

$76 19.7%

Islamabad

$104 17.3% 37.3% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Muzaffarabad

$34 8.7%

Islamabad

$90 15% 169% $57

Eating Out

Muzaffarabad

$33 8.6%

Islamabad

$78 12.9% 135% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Muzaffarabad

$19 4.9%

Islamabad

$38 6.3% 101% $19

Getting Around

Muzaffarabad

$16 4%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 73.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $124 in Muzaffarabad versus $269 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 34% 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 $9.00 in Muzaffarabad versus $23.00 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $76.0 vs $104 – making Muzaffarabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Muzaffarabad

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

15:51 3:51 PM

Same time as Muzaffarabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,913

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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Between locations

Muzaffarabad Islamabad 84 km

From you

Muzaffarabad
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

Muzaffarabad vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 56%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $578 per month in Muzaffarabad and $903 in Islamabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 37% 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 $9.00 in Muzaffarabad 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 $385 in Muzaffarabad and $602 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Muzaffarabad – 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 Muzaffarabad. 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.