Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rawalpindi and Gujranwala

For one person, living is cheaper in Gujranwala: $400 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 Gujranwala
Learn more

Gujranwala Living Index

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Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$498

/mo nomad

Gujranwala

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$400

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rawalpindi and in Gujranwala

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

A single person spends $498 per month in Rawalpindi vs $400 in Gujranwala, rent included.

Rawalpindi $498
Gujranwala $400

A couple spends around $784 per month in Rawalpindi vs $623 in Gujranwala, rent included.

Rawalpindi $784
Gujranwala $623

A family of three spends $1,070 per month in Rawalpindi vs $846 in Gujranwala, rent included.

Rawalpindi $1,070
Gujranwala $846

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 PKR 565

$3.62 PKR 1,003

-43.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.20 PKR 4,484

$12.71 PKR 3,519

27.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 PKR 1,602

$5.33 PKR 1,476

8.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 PKR 492

$0.87 PKR 241

104.60%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 PKR 962

$6.68 PKR 1,850

-48.05%

Cappuccino

$1.94 PKR 537

$1.15 PKR 317

68.70%

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

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.23 PKR 63.8

91.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.3

$0.15 PKR 42.10

53.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 249

$0.77 PKR 214

16.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 PKR 162

$0.67 PKR 185

-11.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 PKR 337

$1.12 PKR 311

8.93%

Eggs

$1.14 PKR 316

$1.28 PKR 353

-10.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.38 PKR 1,765

$6.31 PKR 1,747

1.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.38 PKR 935

$2.34 PKR 647

44.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.22 PKR 1,446

$5.43 PKR 1,502

-3.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 PKR 316

$1.32 PKR 365

-13.64%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 PKR 245

$0.87 PKR 242

2.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 PKR 337

$1.03 PKR 286

18.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 156

$0.53 PKR 146

5.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 97.7

$0.29 PKR 80.6

20.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 PKR 127

$0.36 PKR 98.8

27.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 PKR 91.5

$0.24 PKR 66.5

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 PKR 117

$0.38 PKR 104

10.53%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$16.44 PKR 4,551

$1.94 PKR 538

747.42%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 PKR 335

$1.21 PKR 334

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 PKR 677

$2.73 PKR 754

-10.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.98 PKR 548

$2.15 PKR 595

-7.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 46.63

$0.16 PKR 44.65

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.08 PKR 2,791

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 PKR 244

$0.95 PKR 263

-7.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 PKR 95.8

$0.74 PKR 206

-52.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 PKR 856

$1.48 PKR 408

108.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.18 PKR 328

4.24%

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

$18.7K PKR 5.2M

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

4.50%

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

$24.5K PKR 6.8M

$21.4K PKR 5.9M

14.32%

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

$115 PKR 31.8K

$103 PKR 28.5K

11.43%

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

$5.74 PKR 1,590

$5.53 PKR 1,532

3.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.80 PKR 5,204

$16.42 PKR 4,544

14.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.17 PKR 3,369

$7.06 PKR 1,954

72.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.40 PKR 2,048

$5.93 PKR 1,642

24.79%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 PKR 1,211

$4.21 PKR 1,165

4.04%

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

$49.65 PKR 13.7K

$28.10 PKR 7,777

76.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,044 PKR 288.9K

$941 PKR 260.6K

10.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.65 PKR 4,886

$14.29 PKR 3,956

23.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.02 PKR 8,862

$25.44 PKR 7,041

25.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 PKR 25.9K

$73.3 PKR 20.3K

27.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.64 PKR 9,863

$33.24 PKR 9,199

7.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$204 PKR 56.5K

$53.8 PKR 14.9K

279.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$81.6 PKR 22.6K

$31.33 PKR 8,671

160.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 PKR 115.6K

$159 PKR 44.1K

162.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 PKR 61.5K

$101 PKR 27.8K

121.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,197 PKR 331.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$451 PKR 124.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 PKR 47.8K

$236 PKR 65.2K

-26.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.81

11.5

98.35%

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

Last update for Rawalpindi: October 13, 2026

Last update for Gujranwala: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rawalpindi

$139 28%

Gujranwala

$125 31.2% 10.3% $14

Groceries & Markets

Rawalpindi

$103 20.7%

Gujranwala

$97 24.2% 6.3% $6.5

Accommodation & Living

Rawalpindi

$82 16.4%

Gujranwala

$31 7.8% 61.6% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Rawalpindi

$80 16.1%

Gujranwala

$66 16.5% 18.2% $15

Eating Out

Rawalpindi

$60 12%

Gujranwala

$60 15.1% 1% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Rawalpindi

$21 4.2%

Gujranwala

$15 3.9% 26% $5.4

Getting Around

Rawalpindi

$13 2.7%

Gujranwala

$5.3 * 1.3% 60.3% $8.1

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 $53.8 in Gujranwala. 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 37% higher in Gujranwala, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Rawalpindi versus $13.00 in Gujranwala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $103 vs $97.0 – making Gujranwala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Gujranwala

🕒 Local time

14:16 2:16 PM

Same time as Rawalpindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,098,231

2,027,001

💱 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

On the map

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Rawalpindi Gujranwala 190 km

From you

Rawalpindi
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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 Gujranwala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $498 in Rawalpindi, $400 in Gujranwala – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $748 per month in Rawalpindi and $600 in Gujranwala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gujranwala, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Rawalpindi and $13.00 in Gujranwala. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Rawalpindi, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $498 in Rawalpindi and $400 in Gujranwala, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Gujranwala – 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 Gujranwala. 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.