Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rawalpindi and Haroonabad

For one person, living costs are similar in Rawalpindi and in Haroonabad: $500 and $504 a month, rent and utilities included.

Rawalpindi
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$500
/mo nomad
Haroonabad
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$504
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rawalpindi and in Haroonabad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $500 in Rawalpindi versus $504 in Haroonabad.

  • Rawalpindi $500
  • Haroonabad $504

Estimated couple costs with rent: $786 in Rawalpindi versus $748 in Haroonabad.

  • Rawalpindi $786
  • Haroonabad $748

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,073 in Rawalpindi versus $993 in Haroonabad.

  • Rawalpindi $1,073
  • Haroonabad $993

Living in Rawalpindi costs roughly 1% less than in Haroonabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rawalpindi 63% lower, Haroonabad 63% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rawalpindi
Haroonabad
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.13 PKR 588
$2.58 PKR 714
-17.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.46 PKR 4,556
$14.23 PKR 3,939
15.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.12 PKR 1,695
$5.91 PKR 1,635
3.55%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 PKR 493
$3.52 PKR 974
-49.43%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.39 PKR 938
$5.28 PKR 1,460
-35.80%
Cappuccino
$1.93 PKR 534
$2.57 PKR 711
-24.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.43 PKR 119
$0.39 PKR 107
10.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.23 PKR 63.5
$0.23 PKR 63.3
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rawalpindi
Haroonabad
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.85 PKR 235
$0.91 PKR 253
-6.59%
White Bread (500g)
$0.59 PKR 163
$0.77 PKR 214
-23.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.22 PKR 338
$1.20 PKR 331
1.67%
Eggs
$1.11 PKR 308
$1.18 PKR 328
-5.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.08 PKR 1,684
$6.26 PKR 1,732
-2.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.55 PKR 981
$2.60 PKR 721
36.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.24 PKR 1,451
$5.04 PKR 1,396
3.97%
Apples (1kg)
$1.20 PKR 333
$1.23 PKR 340
-2.44%
Banana (1kg)
$0.87 PKR 240
$0.68 PKR 189
27.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.26 PKR 349
$0.85 PKR 234
48.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.53 PKR 146
$0.64 PKR 177
-17.19%
Potato (1kg)
$0.39 PKR 107
$0.30 PKR 82.4
30.00%
Onion (1kg)
$0.48 PKR 134
$0.37 PKR 102
29.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.32 PKR 88.5
$0.47 PKR 131
-31.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.43 PKR 118
$0.35 PKR 96.6
22.86%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$16.54 PKR 4,577
$1.11 PKR 307
1390.09%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 PKR 337
$0.65 PKR 180
87.69%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 PKR 696
$1.72 PKR 477
46.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.01 PKR 555
$2.19 PKR 607
-8.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Rawalpindi
Haroonabad
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.20 PKR 55.2
$0.19 PKR 52.3
5.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.70 PKR 2,685
$10.17 PKR 2,816
-4.62%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.86 PKR 239
$0.86 PKR 239
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.37 PKR 103
$0.69 PKR 190
-46.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.15 PKR 872
$1.85 PKR 512
70.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.24 PKR 344
$1.39 PKR 385
-10.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.7K PKR 5.2M
$17.9K PKR 4.9M
4.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.6K PKR 6.5M
$25.2K PKR 7.0M
-6.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rawalpindi
Haroonabad
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$114 PKR 31.5K
$129 PKR 35.7K
-11.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.84 PKR 1,616
$5.62 PKR 1,555
3.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.80 PKR 5,203
$16.09 PKR 4,453
16.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rawalpindi
Haroonabad
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$12.23 PKR 3,385
$14.92 PKR 4,129
-18.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.45 PKR 2,063
$7.88 PKR 2,182
-5.46%
Cinema Ticket
$4.26 PKR 1,180
$4.42 PKR 1,224
-3.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rawalpindi
Haroonabad
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$48.61 PKR 13.5K
$47.05 PKR 13.0K
3.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,038 PKR 287.4K
$2,039 PKR 564.2K
-49.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rawalpindi
Haroonabad
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$17.45 PKR 4,831
$18.09 PKR 5,007
-3.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.71 PKR 9,054
$28.22 PKR 7,811
15.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.8 PKR 25.7K
$73.5 PKR 20.3K
26.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$35.95 PKR 9,949
$32.93 PKR 9,114
9.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rawalpindi
Haroonabad
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$198 PKR 54.8K
$127 PKR 35.3K
55.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$83.1 PKR 23.0K
$76.0 PKR 21.0K
9.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$417 PKR 115.3K
$254 PKR 70.3K
64.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$223 PKR 61.8K
$148 PKR 41.1K
50.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,196 PKR 331.0K
$915 PKR 253.2K
30.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$450 PKR 124.5K
$485 PKR 134.2K
-7.23%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rawalpindi
Haroonabad
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$175 PKR 48.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
22.81
14.05
62.35%

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

Last update for Rawalpindi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Haroonabad: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rawalpindi
$138
Haroonabad
$151 8.9% $12
Groceries & Markets
Rawalpindi
$103
Haroonabad
$98 4.9% $5
Accommodation & Living
Rawalpindi
$83
Haroonabad
$76 8.6% $7.1
Clothing & Footwear
Rawalpindi
$80
Haroonabad
$69 14.6% $12
Eating Out
Rawalpindi
$61
Haroonabad
$72 17.1% $10
Sport & Entertainment
Rawalpindi
$21
Haroonabad
$24 14.5% $3
Getting Around
Rawalpindi
$13
Haroonabad
$15 15% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $198 in Rawalpindi and $127 in Haroonabad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16.00 in Rawalpindi vs $14.00 in Haroonabad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $103 vs $98.0 per month, with Haroonabad cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇰 Rawalpindi
🇵🇰 Haroonabad
🕒 Local time
15:19 3:19 PM
15:19 3:19 PM
Same time as Rawalpindi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,098,231
11,624,219
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rawalpindi Haroonabad 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rawalpindi
  • Haroonabad

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 Haroonabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Rawalpindi or Haroonabad?
Rawalpindi wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Haroonabad. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rawalpindi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Rawalpindi and in Haroonabad?
You'd need roughly $750 in Rawalpindi and $756 in Haroonabad to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Rawalpindi compared to Haroonabad?
Rent for a central apartment: $198 in Rawalpindi versus $127 in Haroonabad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Rawalpindi and in Haroonabad?
Childcare runs $48.61 in Rawalpindi versus $47.05 in Haroonabad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Rawalpindi or in Haroonabad?
Shoppers in Haroonabad pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Rawalpindi or in Haroonabad?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Rawalpindi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Rawalpindi or Haroonabad?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Rawalpindi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Haroonabad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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