Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rawalpindi and Gilgit

For one person, living is cheaper in Gilgit: $447 a month against $503 in Rawalpindi, rent and utilities included – about $670 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Rawalpindi
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Rawalpindi Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Gilgit
Learn more

Gilgit Living Index

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Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$503

/mo nomad

Gilgit

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$447

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rawalpindi and in Gilgit

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

A single person spends $503 per month in Rawalpindi vs $447 in Gilgit, rent included.

Rawalpindi $503
Gilgit $447

A couple spends around $788 per month in Rawalpindi vs $670 in Gilgit, rent included.

Rawalpindi $788
Gilgit $670

A family of three spends $1,072 per month in Rawalpindi vs $894 in Gilgit, rent included.

Rawalpindi $1,072
Gilgit $894

Rawalpindi costs about 13% more than Gilgit, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Rawalpindi and Gilgit are more affordable than the global median – Rawalpindi 63% lower, Gilgit 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.09 PKR 579

$1.49 PKR 411

40.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.18 PKR 4,477

$10.71 PKR 2,962

51.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 PKR 1,668

$5.32 PKR 1,473

13.35%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 PKR 487

$2.50 PKR 690

-29.60%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 PKR 961

$5.09 PKR 1,407

-31.63%

Cappuccino

$1.94 PKR 537

$1.59 PKR 441

22.01%

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

$0.44 PKR 122

$0.32 PKR 88.2

37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 PKR 69.5

$0.23 PKR 62.7

8.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 PKR 253

$0.81 PKR 223

12.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 PKR 164

$0.62 PKR 172

-4.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 343

$1.13 PKR 312

9.73%

Eggs

$1.14 PKR 314

$1.15 PKR 317

-0.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.38 PKR 1,765

$5.63 PKR 1,557

13.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 PKR 979

$2.46 PKR 681

43.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.19 PKR 1,436

$4.84 PKR 1,339

7.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 PKR 327

$1.12 PKR 309

5.36%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 PKR 246

$0.58 PKR 160

53.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 343

$0.78 PKR 216

58.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 PKR 160

$0.52 PKR 143

11.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 97.6

$0.28 PKR 77.3

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 PKR 133

$0.38 PKR 106

26.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 PKR 95.5

$0.43 PKR 119

-18.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 PKR 108

$0.38 PKR 104

2.63%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$16.25 PKR 4,496

$1.89 PKR 522

759.79%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 PKR 336

$1.09 PKR 303

11.93%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 PKR 688

$2.44 PKR 674

2.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 PKR 546

$1.97 PKR 545

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 46.97

$0.16 PKR 43.69

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.81 PKR 2,712

$10.05 PKR 2,781

-2.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 PKR 241

$1.07 PKR 295

-18.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 PKR 104

$0.71 PKR 196

-46.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 PKR 828

$1.62 PKR 448

84.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 PKR 329

$1.17 PKR 325

1.71%

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

$19.1K PKR 5.3M

$22.0K PKR 6.1M

-13.23%

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

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

$23.2K PKR 6.4M

1.54%

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

$112 PKR 31.1K

$101 PKR 27.8K

11.82%

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

$5.60 PKR 1,549

$5.66 PKR 1,567

-1.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 PKR 5,192

$14.23 PKR 3,936

31.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.23 PKR 3,384

$14.85 PKR 4,107

-17.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.62 PKR 2,109

$7.85 PKR 2,173

-2.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 PKR 1,175

$4.25 PKR 1,176

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

$49.55 PKR 13.7K

$42.28 PKR 11.7K

17.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,057 PKR 292.3K

$1,047 PKR 289.7K

0.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.14 PKR 4,741

$16.72 PKR 4,625

2.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.15 PKR 8,893

$22.58 PKR 6,246

42.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 PKR 25.4K

$67.5 PKR 18.7K

35.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.65 PKR 10.1K

$32.35 PKR 8,948

13.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$184 PKR 50.8K

$134 PKR 37.2K

36.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$87.4 PKR 24.2K

$86.0 PKR 23.8K

1.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 PKR 105.9K

$272 PKR 75.2K

40.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 PKR 61.9K

$178 PKR 49.2K

25.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,016 PKR 280.9K

$810 PKR 224.2K

25.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$433 PKR 119.7K

$499 PKR 138.0K

-13.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$171 PKR 47.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.81

75.46%

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

Last update for Rawalpindi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Gilgit: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rawalpindi

$137 27.2%

Gilgit

$120 27% 12% $16

Groceries & Markets

Rawalpindi

$104 20.7%

Gilgit

$90 20.1% 13.9% $14

Accommodation & Living

Rawalpindi

$87 17.4%

Gilgit

$86 19.3% 1.6% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Rawalpindi

$80 15.9%

Gilgit

$63 14% 21.7% $17

Eating Out

Rawalpindi

$61 12.1%

Gilgit

$49 11% 19.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Rawalpindi

$21 4.1%

Gilgit

$23 5.2% 12.6% $2.6

Getting Around

Rawalpindi

$13 2.6%

Gilgit

$15 3.4% 15.6% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $184 in Rawalpindi versus $134 in Gilgit. 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 $16 in Rawalpindi versus $11 in Gilgit. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $104 vs $90 – making Gilgit the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Gilgit

🕒 Local time

00:19 12:19 AM

Same time as Rawalpindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,098,231

216,760

💱 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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Rawalpindi Gilgit 280 km

From you

Rawalpindi
Gilgit

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 Gilgit: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rawalpindi costs about 13% more than Gilgit, 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 $755 per month in Rawalpindi and $670 in Gilgit. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gilgit, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $134 there versus $184 in Rawalpindi.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $503 in Rawalpindi and $447 in Gilgit. That makes Gilgit about 11% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $50 per month in Rawalpindi and $42 in Gilgit. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $503 in Rawalpindi and $447 in Gilgit, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Gilgit – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.