Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rahim Yar Khan and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Rahim Yar Khan: $444 a month against $608 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Rahim Yar Khan
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Rahim Yar Khan Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index

Jump to prices

Rahim Yar Khan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$444

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $444 per month in Rahim Yar Khan vs $608 in Islamabad, rent included.

Rahim Yar Khan $444
Islamabad $608

A couple spends around $643 per month in Rahim Yar Khan vs $950 in Islamabad, rent included.

Rahim Yar Khan $643
Islamabad $950

A family of three spends $843 per month in Rahim Yar Khan vs $1,292 in Islamabad, rent included.

Rahim Yar Khan $843
Islamabad $1,292

Rahim Yar Khan is about 27% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rahim Yar Khan and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Rahim Yar Khan 67% lower, Islamabad 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.41 PKR 389

$3.57 PKR 986

-60.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.64 PKR 2,943

$24.14 PKR 6,677

-55.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 PKR 1,261

$5.37 PKR 1,484

-15.08%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 PKR 766

$3.73 PKR 1,031

-25.74%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 PKR 1,489

$7.04 PKR 1,948

-23.58%

Cappuccino

$0.81 PKR 225

$2.67 PKR 739

-69.66%

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

$0.28 PKR 76.9

$0.35 PKR 95.7

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 PKR 52.5

$0.24 PKR 66.6

-20.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.67 PKR 186

$0.99 PKR 273

-32.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 PKR 120

$0.74 PKR 203

-40.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.65 PKR 181

$1.29 PKR 358

-49.61%

Eggs

$1.09 PKR 302

$1.32 PKR 366

-17.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.29 PKR 909

$5.97 PKR 1,653

-44.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.49 PKR 688

$3.03 PKR 838

-17.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.44 PKR 1,228

$5.52 PKR 1,527

-19.57%

Apples (1kg)

$0.46 PKR 128

$1.35 PKR 373

-65.93%

Banana (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 94.7

$0.86 PKR 239

-60.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 143

$1.04 PKR 286

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.37 PKR 103

$0.55 PKR 151

-32.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 95.7

$0.30 PKR 83.3

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.26 PKR 71.4

$0.40 PKR 110

-35.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.17 PKR 48.37

$0.28 PKR 77.1

-39.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 PKR 73.7

$0.43 PKR 118

-37.21%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.85 PKR 513

$2.00 PKR 552

-7.50%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 PKR 347

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 PKR 818

$2.64 PKR 729

12.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.11 PKR 585

$2.36 PKR 652

-10.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 PKR 34.89

$0.17 PKR 46.19

-23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.61 PKR 5,976

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 PKR 208

$1.28 PKR 355

-41.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 PKR 94.6

$0.70 PKR 194

-51.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.33 PKR 643

$1.65 PKR 456

41.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 PKR 325

$1.33 PKR 369

-12.03%

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

$25.3K PKR 7.0M

$54.3K PKR 15.0M

-53.29%

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

$22.8K PKR 6.3M

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

-1.66%

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

$146 PKR 40.4K

$103 PKR 28.4K

42.10%

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

$5.06 PKR 1,400

$6.17 PKR 1,706

-17.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.34 PKR 3,967

$17.36 PKR 4,801

-17.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$7.30 PKR 2,018

$33.65 PKR 9,307

-78.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.20 PKR 5,035

$8.62 PKR 2,384

111.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 PKR 1,223

$4.97 PKR 1,376

-11.07%

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

$19.40 PKR 5,367

$326 PKR 90.2K

-94.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,011 PKR 279.5K

$22.4K PKR 6.2M

-95.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.93 PKR 3,022

$25.82 PKR 7,142

-57.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.29 PKR 5,057

$34.52 PKR 9,546

-47.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 PKR 25.3K

$95.6 PKR 26.4K

-4.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.66 PKR 7,096

$41.07 PKR 11.4K

-37.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$126 PKR 34.9K

$248 PKR 68.5K

-49.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.0 PKR 24.6K

$139 PKR 38.5K

-36.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 PKR 76.3K

$549 PKR 151.7K

-49.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 PKR 50.0K

$280 PKR 77.4K

-35.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$551 PKR 152.4K

$1,655 PKR 457.8K

-66.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$451 PKR 124.7K

$825 PKR 228.1K

-45.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$90.5 PKR 25.0K

$384 PKR 106.1K

-76.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.5

13.08

-4.43%

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

Last update for Rahim Yar Khan: November 3, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rahim Yar Khan

$166 37.3%

Islamabad

$126 20.8% 23.7% $39

Accommodation & Living

Rahim Yar Khan

$89 20.1%

Islamabad

$139 22.9% 56.4% $50

Groceries & Markets

Rahim Yar Khan

$67 15.2%

Islamabad

$104 17.1% 54.4% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Rahim Yar Khan

$66 14.9%

Islamabad

$89 14.6% 34.5% $23

Eating Out

Rahim Yar Khan

$37 8.2%

Islamabad

$79 13% 116% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Rahim Yar Khan

$16 3.6%

Islamabad

$44 7.2% 170% $27

Getting Around

Rahim Yar Khan

$3 * 0.7%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 811% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $126 in Rahim Yar Khan versus $248 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 in Islamabad are about 4.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Rahim Yar Khan versus $24 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $67 vs $104 – making Rahim Yar Khan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Rahim Yar Khan

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

23:31 11:31 PM

Same time as Rahim Yar Khan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

420,419

1,009,832 Capital

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Rahim Yar Khan Islamabad 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Rahim Yar Khan
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

Rahim Yar Khan vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $665 per month in Rahim Yar Khan and $912 in Islamabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rahim Yar Khan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $126 there versus $248 in Islamabad.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Rahim Yar Khan and $24 in Islamabad. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Islamabad, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $444 in Rahim Yar Khan and $608 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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