Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nawabshah and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Nawabshah: $478 a month against $602 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Nawabshah
Learn more

Nawabshah Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index

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Nawabshah

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$478

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$602

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $478 per month in Nawabshah vs $602 in Islamabad, rent included.

Nawabshah $478
Islamabad $602

A couple spends around $716 per month in Nawabshah vs $937 in Islamabad, rent included.

Nawabshah $716
Islamabad $937

A family of three spends $954 per month in Nawabshah vs $1,272 in Islamabad, rent included.

Nawabshah $954
Islamabad $1,272

Nawabshah is about 21% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Nawabshah and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Nawabshah 65% lower, Islamabad 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.16 PKR 596

$3.52 PKR 975

-38.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.32 PKR 3,687

$22.86 PKR 6,326

-41.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.30 PKR 1,467

$5.27 PKR 1,458

0.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 PKR 588

$3.72 PKR 1,030

-42.74%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.33 PKR 2,029

$6.70 PKR 1,855

9.40%

Cappuccino

$2.21 PKR 612

$2.63 PKR 727

-15.97%

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

$0.41 PKR 112

$0.33 PKR 90.5

24.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.5

$0.21 PKR 58.1

23.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 PKR 239

$0.95 PKR 262

-9.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 PKR 145

$0.78 PKR 216

-32.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 332

$1.29 PKR 358

-6.98%

Eggs

$1.30 PKR 359

$1.21 PKR 335

7.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.64 PKR 1,560

$6.32 PKR 1,748

-10.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 PKR 871

$3.14 PKR 869

0.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.45 PKR 1,784

$5.51 PKR 1,525

17.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.27 PKR 351

-3.15%

Banana (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 151

$0.82 PKR 227

-32.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 PKR 285

$1.07 PKR 295

-3.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 146

$0.55 PKR 152

-3.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 85.2

$0.27 PKR 74.4

14.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 94.3

$0.38 PKR 106

-10.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 PKR 122

$0.30 PKR 83.7

46.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.40 PKR 110

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.99 PKR 550

-37.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 PKR 365

$1.19 PKR 328

10.92%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 PKR 648

$2.59 PKR 718

-9.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.78 PKR 493

$2.31 PKR 639

-22.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 46.16

$0.20 PKR 54.2

-15.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.71 PKR 2,688

$21.41 PKR 5,925

-54.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 PKR 258

$1.25 PKR 346

-25.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 PKR 203

$0.70 PKR 194

4.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 PKR 607

$1.59 PKR 440

37.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 PKR 384

$1.36 PKR 377

2.21%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$54.4K PKR 15.1M

-67.04%

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

$26.6K PKR 7.4M

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

13.01%

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

$112 PKR 31.0K

$100 PKR 27.8K

11.66%

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

$5.90 PKR 1,632

$6.12 PKR 1,694

-3.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.21 PKR 3,656

$17.33 PKR 4,795

-23.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.93 PKR 4,132

$28.40 PKR 7,861

-47.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.97 PKR 2,206

$8.87 PKR 2,456

-10.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.41 PKR 1,219

$4.82 PKR 1,335

-8.51%

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

$51.2 PKR 14.2K

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

-30.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,936 PKR 535.8K

$5,109 PKR 1.4M

-62.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.14 PKR 5,021

$26.32 PKR 7,284

-31.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.79 PKR 6,307

$35.60 PKR 9,854

-35.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.0 PKR 18.8K

$98.1 PKR 27.2K

-30.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.60 PKR 11.2K

$40.95 PKR 11.3K

-0.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$125 PKR 34.5K

$269 PKR 74.4K

-53.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$78.2 PKR 21.7K

$141 PKR 38.9K

-44.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$257 PKR 71.1K

$577 PKR 159.8K

-55.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 PKR 41.3K

$279 PKR 77.2K

-46.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$932 PKR 258.1K

$1,679 PKR 464.8K

-44.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$491 PKR 135.8K

$847 PKR 234.4K

-42.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$128 PKR 35.3K

$388 PKR 107.4K

-67.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

13.08

0.99%

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

Last update for Nawabshah: October 19, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nawabshah

$131 27.4%

Islamabad

$124 20.6% 5.6% $7.4

Groceries & Markets

Nawabshah

$100 21%

Islamabad

$104 17.3% 4% $4.1

Accommodation & Living

Nawabshah

$78 16.4%

Islamabad

$141 23.4% 79.6% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Nawabshah

$67 14.1%

Islamabad

$90 15% 34.4% $23

Eating Out

Nawabshah

$62 13%

Islamabad

$78 12.9% 24.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Nawabshah

$24 5%

Islamabad

$38 6.3% 60.3% $14

Getting Around

Nawabshah

$15 3.1%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 80% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $125 in Nawabshah 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 204% 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 $13.00 in Nawabshah versus $23.00 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $100 vs $104 – making Nawabshah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Nawabshah

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

09:14 9:14 AM

Same time as Nawabshah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

263,102

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

On the map

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Between locations

Nawabshah Islamabad 940 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nawabshah
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

Nawabshah vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $717 per month in Nawabshah 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 Nawabshah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% 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 $13.00 in Nawabshah and $23.00 in Islamabad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $478 in Nawabshah and $602 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Nawabshah – 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 Nawabshah. 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.