Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nowshera and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Nowshera: $509 a month against $602 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Nowshera
Learn more

Nowshera Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index

Jump to prices

Nowshera

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$509

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$602

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $509 per month in Nowshera vs $602 in Islamabad, rent included.

Nowshera $509
Islamabad $602

A couple spends around $798 per month in Nowshera vs $937 in Islamabad, rent included.

Nowshera $798
Islamabad $937

A family of three spends $1,087 per month in Nowshera vs $1,272 in Islamabad, rent included.

Nowshera $1,087
Islamabad $1,272

Nowshera is about 15% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Nowshera and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Nowshera 62% lower, Islamabad 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 PKR 976

$3.52 PKR 975

0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.17 PKR 6,413

$22.86 PKR 6,326

1.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 PKR 1,515

$5.27 PKR 1,458

3.80%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 PKR 986

$3.72 PKR 1,030

-4.30%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 PKR 1,904

$6.70 PKR 1,855

2.69%

Cappuccino

$2.60 PKR 720

$2.63 PKR 727

-1.14%

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

$0.33 PKR 90.0

$0.33 PKR 90.5

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 PKR 278

$0.95 PKR 262

6.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 PKR 215

$0.78 PKR 216

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.29 PKR 358

-3.10%

Eggs

$1.20 PKR 333

$1.21 PKR 335

-0.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.07 PKR 1,680

$6.32 PKR 1,748

-3.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.04 PKR 843

$3.14 PKR 869

-3.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.42 PKR 1,499

$5.51 PKR 1,525

-1.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 PKR 354

$1.27 PKR 351

0.79%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 241

$0.82 PKR 227

6.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 297

$1.07 PKR 295

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$0.55 PKR 152

1.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 80.5

$0.27 PKR 74.4

7.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 99.1

$0.38 PKR 106

-5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 PKR 83.0

$0.30 PKR 83.7

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 PKR 110

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.82 PKR 503

$1.99 PKR 550

-8.54%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 331

$1.19 PKR 328

0.84%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 PKR 676

$2.59 PKR 718

-5.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 PKR 654

$2.31 PKR 639

2.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 44.97

$0.20 PKR 54.2

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.83 PKR 2,721

$21.41 PKR 5,925

-54.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 PKR 345

$1.25 PKR 346

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 PKR 437

$1.59 PKR 440

-0.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 PKR 365

$1.36 PKR 377

-2.94%

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

$22.0K PKR 6.1M

$54.4K PKR 15.1M

-59.52%

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

$24.0K PKR 6.6M

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

2.02%

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

$101 PKR 27.9K

$100 PKR 27.8K

0.27%

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)

$17.15 PKR 4,747

$17.33 PKR 4,795

-1.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.69 PKR 4,066

$28.40 PKR 7,861

-48.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.99 PKR 2,210

$8.87 PKR 2,456

-9.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 PKR 1,234

$4.82 PKR 1,335

-7.47%

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

$74.5 PKR 20.6K

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

1.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,043 PKR 288.6K

$5,109 PKR 1.4M

-79.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.20 PKR 7,252

$26.32 PKR 7,284

-0.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.27 PKR 9,761

$35.60 PKR 9,854

-0.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 PKR 26.6K

$98.1 PKR 27.2K

-1.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.04 PKR 11.1K

$40.95 PKR 11.3K

-2.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$125 PKR 34.5K

$269 PKR 74.4K

-53.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.9 PKR 21.0K

$141 PKR 38.9K

-45.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$257 PKR 71.1K

$577 PKR 159.8K

-55.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 PKR 41.6K

$279 PKR 77.2K

-46.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$948 PKR 262.4K

$1,679 PKR 464.8K

-43.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$486 PKR 134.6K

$847 PKR 234.4K

-42.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$388 PKR 107.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

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

Last update for Nowshera: 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

Nowshera

$124 24.3%

Islamabad

$124 20.6% 0.1% $0.1

Groceries & Markets

Nowshera

$104 20.4%

Islamabad

$104 17.3% 0.7% $0.7

Clothing & Footwear

Nowshera

$89 17.5%

Islamabad

$90 15% 1.6% $1.5

Eating Out

Nowshera

$78 15.3%

Islamabad

$78 12.9% 0.4% $0.3

Accommodation & Living

Nowshera

$76 14.9%

Islamabad

$141 23.4% 85.1% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Nowshera

$24 4.6%

Islamabad

$38 6.3% 61.2% $14

Getting Around

Nowshera

$15 3%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 76.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $125 in Nowshera 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Nowshera versus $23.00 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $104 vs $104 – making Nowshera the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Nowshera

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

15:50 3:50 PM

Same time as Nowshera

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,131

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nowshera Islamabad 110 km

From you

Nowshera
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

Nowshera vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $764 per month in Nowshera 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 Nowshera, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% 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 $23.00 in Nowshera and $23.00 in Islamabad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $509 in Nowshera and $602 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Nowshera – 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 Nowshera. 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.