Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rawalpindi and Faisalabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Faisalabad: $398 a month against $498 in Rawalpindi, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Rawalpindi
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Rawalpindi Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Faisalabad
Learn more

Faisalabad Living Index

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Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$498

/mo nomad

Faisalabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$398

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rawalpindi and in Faisalabad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rawalpindi and in Faisalabad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $498 per month in Rawalpindi vs $398 in Faisalabad, rent included.

Rawalpindi $498
Faisalabad $398

A couple spends around $784 per month in Rawalpindi vs $620 in Faisalabad, rent included.

Rawalpindi $784
Faisalabad $620

A family of three spends $1,070 per month in Rawalpindi vs $841 in Faisalabad, rent included.

Rawalpindi $1,070
Faisalabad $841

Rawalpindi costs about 25% more than Faisalabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Rawalpindi and Faisalabad are more affordable than the global median – Rawalpindi 63% lower, Faisalabad 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 PKR 565

$1.85 PKR 511

10.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.20 PKR 4,484

$10.80 PKR 2,989

50.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 PKR 1,602

$5.29 PKR 1,465

9.45%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 PKR 492

$2.46 PKR 680

-27.64%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 PKR 962

$2.19 PKR 605

58.45%

Cappuccino

$1.94 PKR 537

$1.52 PKR 420

27.63%

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

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.43 PKR 120

2.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.3

$0.30 PKR 81.7

-23.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 249

$0.81 PKR 225

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 PKR 162

$0.65 PKR 179

-9.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 PKR 337

$1.26 PKR 349

-3.17%

Eggs

$1.14 PKR 316

$1.25 PKR 346

-8.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.38 PKR 1,765

$8.53 PKR 2,362

-25.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.38 PKR 935

$2.59 PKR 716

30.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.22 PKR 1,446

$3.96 PKR 1,096

31.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 PKR 316

$1.10 PKR 304

3.64%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 PKR 245

$0.65 PKR 181

36.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 PKR 337

$0.58 PKR 159

110.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 156

$0.59 PKR 164

-5.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 97.7

$0.30 PKR 83.6

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 PKR 127

$0.47 PKR 130

-2.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 PKR 91.5

$0.62 PKR 172

-46.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 PKR 117

$0.44 PKR 122

-4.55%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$16.44 PKR 4,551

$0.55 PKR 152

2889.09%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 PKR 335

$0.52 PKR 143

132.69%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 PKR 677

$0.70 PKR 194

250.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.98 PKR 548

$1.40 PKR 389

41.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 46.63

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.08 PKR 2,791

$7.08 PKR 1,958

42.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 PKR 244

$1.05 PKR 292

-16.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 PKR 95.8

$1.06 PKR 295

-66.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 PKR 856

$2.84 PKR 785

8.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.17 PKR 324

5.13%

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

$18.7K PKR 5.2M

$23.8K PKR 6.6M

-21.53%

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

$24.5K PKR 6.8M

$23.2K PKR 6.4M

5.46%

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

$115 PKR 31.8K

$68.6 PKR 19.0K

67.37%

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

$5.74 PKR 1,590

$7.88 PKR 2,181

-27.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.80 PKR 5,204

$11.57 PKR 3,203

62.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.17 PKR 3,369

$14.39 PKR 3,982

-15.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.40 PKR 2,048

$17.78 PKR 4,920

-58.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 PKR 1,211

$7.17 PKR 1,983

-38.91%

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

$49.65 PKR 13.7K

$26.99 PKR 7,470

83.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,044 PKR 288.9K

$2,046 PKR 566.4K

-49.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.65 PKR 4,886

$19.01 PKR 5,263

-7.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.02 PKR 8,862

$26.58 PKR 7,358

20.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 PKR 25.9K

$53.6 PKR 14.8K

74.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.64 PKR 9,863

$30.28 PKR 8,380

17.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$204 PKR 56.5K

$110 PKR 30.3K

86.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$81.6 PKR 22.6K

$58.8 PKR 16.3K

38.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 PKR 115.6K

$217 PKR 60.0K

92.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 PKR 61.5K

$121 PKR 33.5K

83.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,197 PKR 331.2K

$543 PKR 150.4K

120.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$451 PKR 124.8K

$251 PKR 69.3K

79.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 PKR 47.8K

$166 PKR 46.0K

3.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.81

11.83

92.81%

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

Last update for Rawalpindi: October 13, 2026

Last update for Faisalabad: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rawalpindi

$139 28%

Faisalabad

$88 22.1% 36.8% $51

Groceries & Markets

Rawalpindi

$103 20.7%

Faisalabad

$99 25% 3.6% $3.7

Accommodation & Living

Rawalpindi

$82 16.4%

Faisalabad

$59 14.8% 28% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Rawalpindi

$80 16.1%

Faisalabad

$58 14.6% 27.6% $22

Eating Out

Rawalpindi

$60 12%

Faisalabad

$52 13% 13.2% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Rawalpindi

$21 4.2%

Faisalabad

$29 7.2% 37.3% $7.8

Getting Around

Rawalpindi

$13 2.7%

Faisalabad

$13 * 3.4% 0.6% $0.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $204 in Rawalpindi versus $110 in Faisalabad. 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 4% higher in Rawalpindi, 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 $16.00 in Rawalpindi versus $11.00 in Faisalabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $103 vs $99.0 – making Faisalabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Faisalabad

🕒 Local time

05:43 5:43 AM

Same time as Rawalpindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,098,231

3,203,846

💱 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

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Rawalpindi Faisalabad 240 km

From you

Rawalpindi
Faisalabad

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

Rawalpindi vs Faisalabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rawalpindi costs about 25% more than Faisalabad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $748 per month in Rawalpindi and $598 in Faisalabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Faisalabad, 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 Rawalpindi, 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 $16.00 in Rawalpindi and $11.00 in Faisalabad. 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 $498 in Rawalpindi and $398 in Faisalabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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