Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rawalpindi and Multan

For one person, living is cheaper in Rawalpindi: $504 a month against $560 in Multan, rent and utilities included – about $670 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Multan outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

24

Cost of Living Index in Rawalpindi
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Rawalpindi Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Multan
Learn more

Multan Living Index

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Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$504

/mo nomad

Multan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rawalpindi and in Multan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $504 in Rawalpindi versus $560 in Multan.

Rawalpindi $504
Multan $560

Estimated couple costs with rent: $787 in Rawalpindi versus $771 in Multan.

Rawalpindi $787
Multan $771

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,069 in Rawalpindi versus $982 in Multan.

Rawalpindi $1,069
Multan $982

Living in Rawalpindi costs roughly 10% less than in Multan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rawalpindi 63% lower, Multan 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 PKR 584

$2.47 PKR 683

-14.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.10 PKR 4,454

$10.64 PKR 2,943

51.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.07 PKR 1,680

$5.50 PKR 1,520

10.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 PKR 492

$2.75 PKR 761

-35.27%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 PKR 963

$5.10 PKR 1,412

-31.76%

Cappuccino

$2.01 PKR 556

$1.85 PKR 512

8.65%

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

$0.40 PKR 112

$0.30 PKR 83.2

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.1

$0.19 PKR 53.5

21.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 PKR 241

$0.73 PKR 201

19.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 PKR 162

$0.52 PKR 143

13.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 PKR 336

$1.08 PKR 298

12.04%

Eggs

$1.10 PKR 303

$1.09 PKR 301

0.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.25 PKR 1,729

$6.59 PKR 1,822

-5.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 PKR 983

$2.52 PKR 698

40.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.94 PKR 1,366

$4.47 PKR 1,238

10.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 333

$0.91 PKR 252

31.87%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 242

$0.47 PKR 129

85.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 PKR 336

$0.67 PKR 186

80.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 145

$0.57 PKR 159

-8.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 107

$0.39 PKR 108

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 PKR 127

$0.42 PKR 117

9.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 PKR 87.1

$0.47 PKR 129

-34.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.37 PKR 103

8.11%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$16.44 PKR 4,550

$1.80 PKR 499

813.33%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 PKR 321

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 PKR 667

$2.86 PKR 790

-15.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.04 PKR 564

$2.18 PKR 603

-6.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 PKR 53.9

$0.17 PKR 46.73

11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.06 PKR 2,783

$8.46 PKR 2,341

18.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 PKR 240

$1.43 PKR 395

-39.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 PKR 95.5

$0.38 PKR 104

-7.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 PKR 860

$0.86 PKR 237

261.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PKR 342

$1.18 PKR 328

5.08%

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

$19.3K PKR 5.3M

$25.2K PKR 7.0M

-23.64%

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

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

$23.3K PKR 6.4M

1.59%

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

$115 PKR 31.7K

$146 PKR 40.3K

-21.23%

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

$5.61 PKR 1,551

$4.82 PKR 1,334

16.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.35 PKR 5,078

$18.97 PKR 5,248

-3.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.01 PKR 3,322

$23.97 PKR 6,633

-49.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.28 PKR 2,015

$3.57 PKR 987

103.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 PKR 1,175

$4.27 PKR 1,182

-0.47%

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

$48.77 PKR 13.5K

$41.98 PKR 11.6K

16.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,056 PKR 292.3K

$993 PKR 274.6K

6.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.54 PKR 4,852

$18.39 PKR 5,089

-4.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.61 PKR 9,022

$18.81 PKR 5,204

73.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 PKR 25.9K

$94.0 PKR 26.0K

-0.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.98 PKR 9,956

$25.44 PKR 7,040

41.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$190 PKR 52.6K

-3.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$87.2 PKR 24.1K

$127 PKR 35.0K

-31.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 PKR 109.5K

$236 PKR 65.4K

67.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$221 PKR 61.2K

$173 PKR 47.8K

28.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,007 PKR 278.6K

$763 PKR 211.1K

31.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$434 PKR 120.2K

$522 PKR 144.4K

-16.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$174 PKR 48.0K

$185 PKR 51.2K

-6.24%

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: October 24, 2026

Last update for Multan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rawalpindi

$139 27.5%

Multan

$169 30.3% 22.2% $31

Groceries & Markets

Rawalpindi

$102 20.2%

Multan

$88 15.7% 13.6% $14

Accommodation & Living

Rawalpindi

$87 17.3%

Multan

$127 22.6% 45.2% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Rawalpindi

$81 16%

Multan

$71 12.6% 12.8% $10

Eating Out

Rawalpindi

$62 12.2%

Multan

$60 10.8% 2.2% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Rawalpindi

$21 4.1%

Multan

$33 5.8% 58.6% $12

Getting Around

Rawalpindi

$13 2.7%

Multan

$12 2.2% 7.3% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $183 in Rawalpindi and $190 in Multan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Multan pays 7% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $16 in Rawalpindi vs $11 in Multan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $102 vs $88 per month, with Multan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Multan

🕒 Local time

02:02 2:02 AM

Same time as Rawalpindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,098,231

1,871,843

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Rawalpindi Multan 410 km

From you

Rawalpindi
Multan

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 Multan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rawalpindi is about 10% cheaper overall, especially in leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Rawalpindi. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $183 in Rawalpindi versus $190 in Multan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $49 in Rawalpindi versus $42 in Multan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Multan pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Rawalpindi wins on affordability, Multan on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.