Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rawalpindi and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Rawalpindi: $498 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Rawalpindi
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Rawalpindi Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index

Jump to prices

Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$498

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $498 per month in Rawalpindi vs $599 in Islamabad, rent included.

Rawalpindi $498
Islamabad $599

A couple spends around $784 per month in Rawalpindi vs $930 in Islamabad, rent included.

Rawalpindi $784
Islamabad $930

A family of three spends $1,070 per month in Rawalpindi vs $1,261 in Islamabad, rent included.

Rawalpindi $1,070
Islamabad $1,261

Rawalpindi is about 17% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rawalpindi and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Rawalpindi 63% lower, Islamabad 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 PKR 565

$3.63 PKR 1,004

-43.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.20 PKR 4,484

$23.40 PKR 6,478

-30.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 PKR 1,602

$5.54 PKR 1,534

4.51%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 PKR 492

$3.57 PKR 987

-50.14%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 PKR 962

$6.73 PKR 1,864

-48.44%

Cappuccino

$1.94 PKR 537

$2.64 PKR 730

-26.52%

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

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.32 PKR 89.6

37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.3

$0.23 PKR 63.7

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 249

$0.94 PKR 259

-4.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 PKR 162

$0.72 PKR 200

-18.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 PKR 337

$1.30 PKR 361

-6.15%

Eggs

$1.14 PKR 316

$1.22 PKR 339

-6.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.38 PKR 1,765

$6.05 PKR 1,674

5.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.38 PKR 935

$3.09 PKR 855

9.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.22 PKR 1,446

$5.35 PKR 1,482

-2.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 PKR 316

$1.26 PKR 350

-9.52%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 PKR 245

$0.87 PKR 241

2.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 PKR 337

$1.04 PKR 288

17.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 156

$0.53 PKR 146

5.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 97.7

$0.29 PKR 81.2

20.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 PKR 127

$0.36 PKR 99.4

27.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 PKR 91.5

$0.28 PKR 76.4

17.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 PKR 117

$0.39 PKR 108

7.69%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$16.44 PKR 4,551

$1.95 PKR 539

743.08%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 PKR 335

$1.19 PKR 331

1.68%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 PKR 677

$2.68 PKR 743

-8.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.98 PKR 548

$2.24 PKR 619

-11.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 46.63

$0.16 PKR 43.07

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.08 PKR 2,791

$21.34 PKR 5,905

-52.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 PKR 244

$1.24 PKR 344

-29.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 PKR 95.8

$0.74 PKR 204

-52.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 PKR 856

$1.60 PKR 442

93.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.37 PKR 378

-10.22%

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

$18.7K PKR 5.2M

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

-65.66%

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

$24.5K PKR 6.8M

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

2.70%

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

$115 PKR 31.8K

$103 PKR 28.6K

11.11%

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

$5.74 PKR 1,590

$5.99 PKR 1,658

-4.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.80 PKR 5,204

$17.15 PKR 4,746

9.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.17 PKR 3,369

$28.20 PKR 7,806

-56.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.40 PKR 2,048

$8.47 PKR 2,344

-12.63%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 PKR 1,211

$4.43 PKR 1,226

-1.13%

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

$49.65 PKR 13.7K

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

-34.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,044 PKR 288.9K

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

-79.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.65 PKR 4,886

$25.72 PKR 7,118

-31.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.02 PKR 8,862

$34.48 PKR 9,543

-7.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 PKR 25.9K

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

-2.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.64 PKR 9,863

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

-13.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$204 PKR 56.5K

$276 PKR 76.5K

-26.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$81.6 PKR 22.6K

$139 PKR 38.3K

-41.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 PKR 115.6K

$572 PKR 158.2K

-26.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 PKR 61.5K

$270 PKR 74.9K

-17.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,197 PKR 331.2K

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

-26.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$451 PKR 124.8K

$836 PKR 231.5K

-46.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 PKR 47.8K

$380 PKR 105.2K

-54.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.81

13.08

74.39%

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

Last update for Rawalpindi: October 13, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rawalpindi

$139 28%

Islamabad

$126 21.1% 9.2% $13

Groceries & Markets

Rawalpindi

$103 20.7%

Islamabad

$102 17% 1% $1

Accommodation & Living

Rawalpindi

$82 16.4%

Islamabad

$139 23.1% 69.8% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Rawalpindi

$80 16.1%

Islamabad

$89 14.8% 10.2% $8.2

Eating Out

Rawalpindi

$60 12%

Islamabad

$80 13.3% 33.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Rawalpindi

$21 4.2%

Islamabad

$37 6.2% 77.2% $16

Getting Around

Rawalpindi

$13 2.7%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 101% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $204 in Rawalpindi versus $276 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 run about 120% higher in Islamabad, 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 $23.00 in Islamabad. Groceries tell a different story – $103 in Rawalpindi vs $102 in Islamabad – so Islamabad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

18:40 6:40 PM

Same time as Rawalpindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,098,231

1,009,832 Capital

💱 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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Between locations

Rawalpindi Islamabad 11 km

From you

Rawalpindi
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

Rawalpindi vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $748 per month in Rawalpindi and $899 in Islamabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Islamabad – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Rawalpindi and $23.00 in Islamabad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $498 in Rawalpindi and $599 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Rawalpindi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Islamabad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.