Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Muzaffarabad and Rawalpindi

For one person, living is cheaper in Muzaffarabad: $385 a month against $500 in Rawalpindi, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Muzaffarabad
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Muzaffarabad Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Rawalpindi
Learn more

Rawalpindi Living Index

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Muzaffarabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$385

/mo nomad

Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$500

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $385 per month in Muzaffarabad vs $500 in Rawalpindi, rent included.

Muzaffarabad $385
Rawalpindi $500

A couple spends around $558 per month in Muzaffarabad vs $786 in Rawalpindi, rent included.

Muzaffarabad $558
Rawalpindi $786

A family of three spends $730 per month in Muzaffarabad vs $1,073 in Rawalpindi, rent included.

Muzaffarabad $730
Rawalpindi $1,073

Muzaffarabad is about 23% cheaper than Rawalpindi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Muzaffarabad and Rawalpindi are more affordable than the global median – Muzaffarabad 72% lower, Rawalpindi 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.40 PKR 387

$2.13 PKR 588

-34.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.97 PKR 2,482

$16.46 PKR 4,556

-45.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.21 PKR 613

$6.12 PKR 1,695

-63.89%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 PKR 406

$1.78 PKR 493

-17.42%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 PKR 822

$3.39 PKR 938

-12.39%

Cappuccino

$1.06 PKR 293

$1.93 PKR 534

-45.08%

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

$0.41 PKR 112

$0.43 PKR 119

-4.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.8

$0.23 PKR 63.5

-8.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 PKR 276

$0.85 PKR 235

17.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 PKR 187

$0.59 PKR 163

15.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 PKR 261

$1.22 PKR 338

-22.95%

Eggs

$0.93 PKR 258

$1.11 PKR 308

-16.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.58 PKR 991

$6.08 PKR 1,684

-41.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.55 PKR 707

$3.55 PKR 981

-28.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.28 PKR 908

$5.24 PKR 1,451

-37.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 PKR 305

$1.20 PKR 333

-8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 156

$0.87 PKR 240

-35.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.37 PKR 103

$1.26 PKR 349

-70.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 95.9

$0.53 PKR 146

-33.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 96.7

$0.39 PKR 107

-10.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.28 PKR 77.5

$0.48 PKR 134

-41.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 115

$0.32 PKR 88.5

31.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.25 PKR 69.0

$0.43 PKR 118

-41.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.41 PKR 390

$16.54 PKR 4,577

-91.48%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 PKR 206

$1.22 PKR 337

-38.52%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 PKR 193

$2.52 PKR 696

-72.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.87 PKR 241

$2.01 PKR 555

-56.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 PKR 52.7

$0.20 PKR 55.2

-5.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.03 PKR 2,776

$9.70 PKR 2,685

3.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 PKR 303

$0.86 PKR 239

26.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 PKR 203

$0.37 PKR 103

97.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 PKR 389

$3.15 PKR 872

-55.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 PKR 262

$1.24 PKR 344

-23.39%

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

$22.3K PKR 6.2M

$18.7K PKR 5.2M

19.02%

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

$25.6K PKR 7.1M

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

8.36%

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

$118 PKR 32.5K

$114 PKR 31.5K

3.38%

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

$5.53 PKR 1,530

$5.84 PKR 1,616

-5.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.20 PKR 2,547

$18.80 PKR 5,203

-51.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.84 PKR 4,107

$12.23 PKR 3,385

21.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.20 PKR 2,269

$7.45 PKR 2,063

10.07%

Cinema Ticket

$2.05 PKR 567

$4.26 PKR 1,180

-51.88%

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

$46.79 PKR 13.0K

$48.61 PKR 13.5K

-3.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,039 PKR 287.6K

$1,038 PKR 287.4K

0.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$5.46 PKR 1,512

$17.45 PKR 4,831

-68.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.83 PKR 2,444

$32.71 PKR 9,054

-73.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.77 PKR 13.8K

$92.8 PKR 25.7K

-46.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$10.63 PKR 2,942

$35.95 PKR 9,949

-70.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$124 PKR 34.4K

$198 PKR 54.8K

-37.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$76.1 PKR 21.0K

$83.1 PKR 23.0K

-8.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$256 PKR 70.8K

$417 PKR 115.3K

-38.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$146 PKR 40.5K

$223 PKR 61.8K

-34.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$947 PKR 262.0K

$1,196 PKR 331.0K

-20.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$483 PKR 133.7K

$450 PKR 124.5K

7.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$289 PKR 80.1K

$175 PKR 48.5K

65.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.81

-34.24%

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

Last update for Muzaffarabad: October 18, 2026

Last update for Rawalpindi: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Muzaffarabad

$132 34.3%

Rawalpindi

$138 27.7% 4.6% $6.1

Accommodation & Living

Muzaffarabad

$76 19.7%

Rawalpindi

$83 16.6% 9.3% $7.1

Groceries & Markets

Muzaffarabad

$76 19.7%

Rawalpindi

$103 20.6% 35.4% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Muzaffarabad

$34 8.7%

Rawalpindi

$80 16.1% 140% $47

Eating Out

Muzaffarabad

$33 8.6%

Rawalpindi

$61 12.2% 85.3% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Muzaffarabad

$19 4.9%

Rawalpindi

$21 4.2% 9.6% $1.8

Getting Around

Muzaffarabad

$16 4%

Rawalpindi

$13 2.7% 14.9% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $124 in Muzaffarabad versus $198 in Rawalpindi. 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 65% higher in Muzaffarabad, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9.00 in Muzaffarabad versus $16.00 in Rawalpindi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $76.0 vs $103 – making Muzaffarabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Muzaffarabad

🇵🇰 Rawalpindi

🕒 Local time

17:33 5:33 PM

Same time as Muzaffarabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,913

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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Muzaffarabad Rawalpindi 95 km

From you

Muzaffarabad
Rawalpindi

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 Rawalpindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rawalpindi is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $578 per month in Muzaffarabad and $750 in Rawalpindi. 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 35% more in Rawalpindi, 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 $16.00 in Rawalpindi. 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 $500 in Rawalpindi, 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.

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