Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rawalpindi and Jhelum

For one person, living is cheaper in Jhelum: $397 a month against $504 in Rawalpindi, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 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
19

Cost of Living Index in Jhelum
Learn more

Jhelum Living Index

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Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$504

/mo nomad

Jhelum

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$397

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rawalpindi and in Jhelum

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $504 in Rawalpindi versus $397 in Jhelum.

Rawalpindi $504
Jhelum $397

Estimated couple costs with rent: $787 in Rawalpindi versus $606 in Jhelum.

Rawalpindi $787
Jhelum $606

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,069 in Rawalpindi versus $815 in Jhelum.

Rawalpindi $1,069
Jhelum $815

Living in Rawalpindi is roughly 27% more expensive than in Jhelum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rawalpindi 63% lower, Jhelum 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 PKR 584

$1.84 PKR 508

14.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.10 PKR 4,454

$10.86 PKR 3,004

48.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.07 PKR 1,680

$5.52 PKR 1,527

9.96%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 PKR 492

$2.49 PKR 688

-28.51%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 PKR 963

$2.22 PKR 613

56.76%

Cappuccino

$2.01 PKR 556

$1.52 PKR 419

32.24%

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

$0.40 PKR 112

$0.48 PKR 134

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.1

$0.32 PKR 89.0

-28.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 PKR 241

$0.64 PKR 176

35.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 PKR 162

$0.60 PKR 167

-1.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 PKR 336

$1.27 PKR 350

-4.72%

Eggs

$1.10 PKR 303

$1.19 PKR 329

-7.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.25 PKR 1,729

$2.66 PKR 736

134.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 PKR 983

$2.36 PKR 654

50.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.94 PKR 1,366

$2.70 PKR 746

82.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 333

$1.10 PKR 304

9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 242

$0.34 PKR 95.4

155.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 PKR 336

$0.56 PKR 156

116.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 145

$0.63 PKR 175

-17.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 107

$0.30 PKR 83.5

30.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 PKR 127

$0.38 PKR 104

21.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 PKR 87.1

$0.41 PKR 114

-24.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.41 PKR 112

-2.44%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$16.44 PKR 4,550

$1.86 PKR 516

783.87%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 PKR 321

$0.56 PKR 154

107.14%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 PKR 667

$2.34 PKR 648

2.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.04 PKR 564

$1.42 PKR 392

43.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 PKR 53.9

$0.17 PKR 46.63

11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.06 PKR 2,783

$11.33 PKR 3,136

-11.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 PKR 240

$1.07 PKR 295

-18.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 PKR 95.5

$1.10 PKR 304

-68.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 PKR 860

$2.87 PKR 793

8.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PKR 342

$1.18 PKR 326

5.08%

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

$19.3K PKR 5.3M

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

-18.29%

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

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

2.25%

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

$115 PKR 31.7K

$66.2 PKR 18.3K

73.30%

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

$5.61 PKR 1,551

$5.67 PKR 1,570

-1.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.35 PKR 5,078

$14.72 PKR 4,073

24.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.01 PKR 3,322

$15.48 PKR 4,282

-22.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.28 PKR 2,015

$8.65 PKR 2,394

-15.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 PKR 1,175

$7.32 PKR 2,026

-41.94%

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

$48.77 PKR 13.5K

$26.16 PKR 7,238

86.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,056 PKR 292.3K

$2,005 PKR 554.8K

-47.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.54 PKR 4,852

$18.73 PKR 5,183

-6.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.61 PKR 9,022

$26.05 PKR 7,207

25.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 PKR 25.9K

$54.9 PKR 15.2K

70.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.98 PKR 9,956

$30.06 PKR 8,318

19.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$144 PKR 39.8K

27.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$87.2 PKR 24.1K

$79.7 PKR 22.0K

9.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 PKR 109.5K

$259 PKR 71.6K

52.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$221 PKR 61.2K

$160 PKR 44.2K

38.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,007 PKR 278.6K

$730 PKR 201.8K

38.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$434 PKR 120.2K

$474 PKR 131.2K

-8.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$174 PKR 48.0K

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 24, 2026

Last update for Jhelum: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rawalpindi

$139 27.5%

Jhelum

$87 21.8% 37.6% $52

Groceries & Markets

Rawalpindi

$102 20.2%

Jhelum

$71 17.9% 30.1% $31

Accommodation & Living

Rawalpindi

$87 17.3%

Jhelum

$80 20.1% 8.6% $7.5

Clothing & Footwear

Rawalpindi

$81 16%

Jhelum

$58 14.7% 27.8% $23

Eating Out

Rawalpindi

$62 12.2%

Jhelum

$53 13.3% 14.7% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Rawalpindi

$21 4.1%

Jhelum

$30 7.6% 46.9% $9.6

Getting Around

Rawalpindi

$13 2.7%

Jhelum

$19 4.7% 38.3% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $183 in Rawalpindi and $144 in Jhelum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16 in Rawalpindi vs $11 in Jhelum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $102 vs $71 per month, with Jhelum cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Jhelum

🕒 Local time

05:07 5:07 AM

Same time as Rawalpindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,098,231

190,425

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Rawalpindi Jhelum 97 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 Jhelum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jhelum is about 21% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $756 in Rawalpindi and $596 in Jhelum 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $183 in Rawalpindi versus $144 in Jhelum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Rawalpindi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Jhelum – a meal for two runs $11 versus $16 in Rawalpindi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Jhelum gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Jhelum is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rawalpindi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.