Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quetta and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Quetta: $415 a month against $607 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Quetta
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Quetta Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
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Islamabad Living Index

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Quetta

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$415

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $415 per month in Quetta vs $607 in Islamabad, rent included.

Quetta $415
Islamabad $607

A couple spends around $620 per month in Quetta vs $948 in Islamabad, rent included.

Quetta $620
Islamabad $948

A family of three spends $826 per month in Quetta vs $1,289 in Islamabad, rent included.

Quetta $826
Islamabad $1,289

Quetta is about 32% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Quetta and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Quetta 70% lower, Islamabad 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.51 PKR 971

$3.50 PKR 969

0.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.77 PKR 2,980

$22.76 PKR 6,298

-52.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.59 PKR 1,270

$5.37 PKR 1,487

-14.53%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 PKR 515

$3.58 PKR 991

-48.04%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 PKR 1,431

$6.82 PKR 1,887

-24.19%

Cappuccino

$1.65 PKR 456

$2.56 PKR 708

-35.55%

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

$0.41 PKR 114

$0.32 PKR 87.2

28.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 PKR 48.34

$0.21 PKR 58.0

-19.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 PKR 206

$0.98 PKR 271

-23.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 PKR 153

$0.71 PKR 198

-22.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 PKR 353

$1.30 PKR 358

-1.54%

Eggs

$1.18 PKR 327

$1.21 PKR 334

-2.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.02 PKR 1,388

$6.05 PKR 1,673

-17.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 PKR 816

$3.05 PKR 844

-3.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.18 PKR 1,434

$5.38 PKR 1,488

-3.72%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 PKR 275

$1.33 PKR 369

-25.56%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 155

$0.86 PKR 239

-34.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.69 PKR 190

$1.07 PKR 295

-35.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 152

$0.52 PKR 144

5.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.32 PKR 88.7

$0.27 PKR 73.7

18.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 143

$0.39 PKR 107

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 117

$0.28 PKR 76.7

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.43 PKR 118

-6.98%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.83 PKR 507

$1.99 PKR 550

-8.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 332

$1.24 PKR 343

-3.23%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 PKR 667

$2.61 PKR 723

-7.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.04 PKR 563

$2.36 PKR 654

-13.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 PKR 37.88

$0.17 PKR 45.76

-17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.01 PKR 2,493

$21.58 PKR 5,970

-58.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 PKR 289

$1.24 PKR 342

-16.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 PKR 129

$0.74 PKR 206

-36.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 PKR 424

$1.61 PKR 446

-4.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 PKR 317

$1.31 PKR 364

-12.21%

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

$19.9K PKR 5.5M

$54.9K PKR 15.2M

-63.71%

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

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

$23.7K PKR 6.5M

-0.89%

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

$100 PKR 27.7K

$104 PKR 28.6K

-3.24%

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

$7.95 PKR 2,200

$6.11 PKR 1,690

30.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.48 PKR 4,561

$17.21 PKR 4,762

-4.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$5.81 PKR 1,608

$33.65 PKR 9,310

-82.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.46 PKR 2,063

$8.52 PKR 2,358

-12.44%

Cinema Ticket

$3.23 PKR 894

$4.91 PKR 1,359

-34.22%

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

$35.14 PKR 9,724

$326 PKR 90.1K

-89.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,039 PKR 287.4K

$4,917 PKR 1.4M

-78.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$8.05 PKR 2,228

$26.22 PKR 7,255

-69.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.10 PKR 6,114

$35.05 PKR 9,697

-36.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 PKR 19.0K

$98.2 PKR 27.2K

-29.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.98 PKR 9,402

$40.45 PKR 11.2K

-16.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$71.3 PKR 19.7K

$261 PKR 72.1K

-72.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

$140 PKR 38.7K

-63.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$164 PKR 45.4K

$557 PKR 154.1K

-70.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 PKR 27.8K

$287 PKR 79.5K

-65.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$386 PKR 106.9K

$1,691 PKR 467.7K

-77.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$222 PKR 61.5K

$839 PKR 232.2K

-73.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$274 PKR 75.8K

$385 PKR 106.6K

-28.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

-0.61%

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

Last update for Quetta: October 26, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quetta

$125 30.1%

Islamabad

$127 20.9% 1.8% $2.2

Groceries & Markets

Quetta

$90 21.8%

Islamabad

$103 17% 13.9% $13

Eating Out

Quetta

$64 15.4%

Islamabad

$77 12.7% 20.3% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Quetta

$60 14.4%

Islamabad

$90 14.8% 50.4% $30

Accommodation & Living

Quetta

$51 12.2%

Islamabad

$140 23% 176% $89

Getting Around

Quetta

$13 3.1%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 110% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Quetta

$12 3%

Islamabad

$43 7.2% 254% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $71 in Quetta versus $261 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 41% 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 $11 in Quetta versus $23 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $90 vs $103 – making Quetta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Quetta

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

11:06 11:06 AM

Same time as Quetta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,001,205

1,009,832 Capital

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Quetta Islamabad 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Quetta
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

Quetta vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $622 per month in Quetta and $911 in Islamabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quetta, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $71 there versus $261 in Islamabad.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Islamabad, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Quetta and $23 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 $415 in Quetta and $607 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Quetta – 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 Quetta. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Islamabad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.