Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quetta and Lahore

For one person, living is cheaper in Quetta: $415 a month against $520 in Lahore, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Quetta
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Quetta Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Lahore
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Lahore Living Index

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Quetta

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$415

/mo nomad

Lahore

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quetta and in Lahore

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 Lahore actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $415 in Quetta versus $520 in Lahore.

Quetta $415
Lahore $520

Estimated couple costs with rent: $620 in Quetta versus $787 in Lahore.

Quetta $620
Lahore $787

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $826 in Quetta versus $1,053 in Lahore.

Quetta $826
Lahore $1,053

Living in Quetta costs roughly 20% less than in Lahore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Quetta 70% lower, Lahore 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.51 PKR 971

$2.59 PKR 716

35.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.77 PKR 2,980

$14.71 PKR 4,071

-26.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.59 PKR 1,270

$5.80 PKR 1,604

-20.86%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 PKR 515

$3.60 PKR 995

-48.33%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 PKR 1,431

$5.29 PKR 1,462

-2.27%

Cappuccino

$1.65 PKR 456

$2.50 PKR 693

-34.00%

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

$0.41 PKR 114

$0.40 PKR 111

2.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 PKR 48.34

$0.26 PKR 72.2

-34.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 PKR 206

$0.98 PKR 271

-23.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 PKR 153

$0.74 PKR 206

-25.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 PKR 353

$1.18 PKR 327

8.47%

Eggs

$1.18 PKR 327

$1.20 PKR 333

-1.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.02 PKR 1,388

$6.14 PKR 1,699

-18.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 PKR 816

$2.54 PKR 703

16.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.18 PKR 1,434

$4.74 PKR 1,311

9.28%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 PKR 275

$1.19 PKR 330

-16.81%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 155

$0.65 PKR 180

-13.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.69 PKR 190

$0.83 PKR 230

-16.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 152

$0.64 PKR 176

-14.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.32 PKR 88.7

$0.29 PKR 78.9

10.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 143

$0.36 PKR 98.9

44.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 117

$0.48 PKR 133

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.35 PKR 96.8

14.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.83 PKR 507

$1.05 PKR 291

74.29%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 332

$0.65 PKR 179

84.62%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 PKR 667

$1.65 PKR 457

46.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.04 PKR 563

$2.15 PKR 594

-5.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 PKR 37.88

$0.18 PKR 50.6

-22.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.01 PKR 2,493

$6.42 PKR 1,777

40.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 PKR 289

$0.93 PKR 256

11.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 PKR 129

$0.70 PKR 194

-32.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 PKR 424

$1.77 PKR 491

-13.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 PKR 317

$1.39 PKR 384

-17.27%

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

$19.9K PKR 5.5M

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

10.91%

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

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

$24.3K PKR 6.7M

-3.57%

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

$100 PKR 27.7K

$126 PKR 35.0K

-20.75%

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

$7.95 PKR 2,200

$5.47 PKR 1,513

45.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.48 PKR 4,561

$16.39 PKR 4,535

0.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$5.81 PKR 1,608

$20.48 PKR 5,665

-71.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.46 PKR 2,063

$11.32 PKR 3,131

-34.10%

Cinema Ticket

$3.23 PKR 894

$4.35 PKR 1,203

-25.75%

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

$35.14 PKR 9,724

$74.0 PKR 20.5K

-52.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,039 PKR 287.4K

$2,052 PKR 567.6K

-49.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$8.05 PKR 2,228

$18.12 PKR 5,014

-55.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.10 PKR 6,114

$28.03 PKR 7,757

-21.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 PKR 19.0K

$74.5 PKR 20.6K

-7.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.98 PKR 9,402

$33.44 PKR 9,252

1.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$71.3 PKR 19.7K

$167 PKR 46.3K

-57.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

$95.1 PKR 26.3K

-46.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$164 PKR 45.4K

$359 PKR 99.2K

-54.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 PKR 27.8K

$206 PKR 57.1K

-51.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$386 PKR 106.9K

$827 PKR 228.9K

-53.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$222 PKR 61.5K

$568 PKR 157.2K

-60.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$274 PKR 75.8K

$198 PKR 54.9K

38.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.05

-7.47%

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

Last update for Quetta: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lahore: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quetta

$125 30.1%

Lahore

$148 28.5% 19% $24

Groceries & Markets

Quetta

$90 21.8%

Lahore

$96 18.5% 6.3% $5.7

Eating Out

Quetta

$64 15.4%

Lahore

$71 13.6% 10.6% $6.8

Clothing & Footwear

Quetta

$60 14.4%

Lahore

$69 13.3% 15.9% $9.5

Accommodation & Living

Quetta

$51 12.2%

Lahore

$95 18.3% 87.6% $44

Getting Around

Quetta

$13 3.1%

Lahore

$12 2.2% 10.5% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Quetta

$12 3%

Lahore

$29 5.6% 138% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $71 in Quetta and $167 in Lahore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quetta pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $11 in Quetta vs $15 in Lahore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $90 vs $96 per month, with Quetta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Quetta

🇵🇰 Lahore

🕒 Local time

21:58 9:58 PM

Same time as Quetta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,001,205

11,126,285

💱 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 Lahore 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Quetta
Lahore

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 Lahore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $415 in Quetta and $520 in Lahore, so Quetta is about 20% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Quetta, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $71 in Quetta versus $167 in Lahore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Lahore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Quetta – a meal for two runs $11 versus $15 in Lahore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Quetta gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.