Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rawalpindi and Muzaffarabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Muzaffarabad: $385 a month against $500 in Rawalpindi, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses 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 Muzaffarabad
Learn more

Muzaffarabad Living Index

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Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$500

/mo nomad

Muzaffarabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$385

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rawalpindi and in Muzaffarabad

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

A single person spends $500 per month in Rawalpindi vs $385 in Muzaffarabad, rent included.

Rawalpindi $500
Muzaffarabad $385

A couple spends around $786 per month in Rawalpindi vs $558 in Muzaffarabad, rent included.

Rawalpindi $786
Muzaffarabad $558

A family of three spends $1,073 per month in Rawalpindi vs $730 in Muzaffarabad, rent included.

Rawalpindi $1,073
Muzaffarabad $730

Rawalpindi costs about 30% more than Muzaffarabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Rawalpindi and Muzaffarabad are more affordable than the global median – Rawalpindi 63% lower, Muzaffarabad 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$1.40 PKR 387

52.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.46 PKR 4,556

$8.97 PKR 2,482

83.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.12 PKR 1,695

$2.21 PKR 613

176.92%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 PKR 493

$1.47 PKR 406

21.09%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 PKR 938

$2.97 PKR 822

14.14%

Cappuccino

$1.93 PKR 534

$1.06 PKR 293

82.08%

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

$0.43 PKR 119

$0.41 PKR 112

4.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.5

$0.21 PKR 58.8

9.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 PKR 235

$1.00 PKR 276

-15.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 PKR 163

$0.68 PKR 187

-13.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 PKR 338

$0.94 PKR 261

29.79%

Eggs

$1.11 PKR 308

$0.93 PKR 258

19.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.08 PKR 1,684

$3.58 PKR 991

69.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 PKR 981

$2.55 PKR 707

39.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.24 PKR 1,451

$3.28 PKR 908

59.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 333

$1.10 PKR 305

9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 240

$0.56 PKR 156

55.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 349

$0.37 PKR 103

240.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 146

$0.35 PKR 95.9

51.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 107

$0.35 PKR 96.7

11.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 PKR 134

$0.28 PKR 77.5

71.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 PKR 88.5

$0.42 PKR 115

-23.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 118

$0.25 PKR 69.0

72.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$16.54 PKR 4,577

$1.41 PKR 390

1073.05%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 PKR 337

$0.75 PKR 206

62.67%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 PKR 696

$0.70 PKR 193

260.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.01 PKR 555

$0.87 PKR 241

131.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 55.2

$0.19 PKR 52.7

5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.70 PKR 2,685

$10.03 PKR 2,776

-3.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 PKR 239

$1.09 PKR 303

-21.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 PKR 103

$0.73 PKR 203

-49.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 PKR 872

$1.40 PKR 389

125.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PKR 344

$0.95 PKR 262

30.53%

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

$18.7K PKR 5.2M

$22.3K PKR 6.2M

-15.98%

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

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

$25.6K PKR 7.1M

-7.71%

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

$114 PKR 31.5K

$118 PKR 32.5K

-3.27%

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

$5.84 PKR 1,616

$5.53 PKR 1,530

5.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.80 PKR 5,203

$9.20 PKR 2,547

104.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.23 PKR 3,385

$14.84 PKR 4,107

-17.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.45 PKR 2,063

$8.20 PKR 2,269

-9.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 PKR 1,180

$2.05 PKR 567

107.80%

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

$48.61 PKR 13.5K

$46.79 PKR 13.0K

3.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,038 PKR 287.4K

$1,039 PKR 287.6K

-0.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.45 PKR 4,831

$5.46 PKR 1,512

219.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.71 PKR 9,054

$8.83 PKR 2,444

270.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 PKR 25.7K

$49.77 PKR 13.8K

86.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.95 PKR 9,949

$10.63 PKR 2,942

238.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$198 PKR 54.8K

$124 PKR 34.4K

59.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$83.1 PKR 23.0K

$76.1 PKR 21.0K

9.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$417 PKR 115.3K

$256 PKR 70.8K

63.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$223 PKR 61.8K

$146 PKR 40.5K

52.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,196 PKR 331.0K

$947 PKR 262.0K

26.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$450 PKR 124.5K

$483 PKR 133.7K

-6.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$175 PKR 48.5K

$289 PKR 80.1K

-39.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.81

52.07%

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

Last update for Rawalpindi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Muzaffarabad: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rawalpindi

$138 27.7%

Muzaffarabad

$132 34.3% 4.4% $6.1

Groceries & Markets

Rawalpindi

$103 20.6%

Muzaffarabad

$76 19.7% 26.1% $27

Accommodation & Living

Rawalpindi

$83 16.6%

Muzaffarabad

$76 19.7% 8.5% $7.1

Clothing & Footwear

Rawalpindi

$80 16.1%

Muzaffarabad

$34 8.7% 58.2% $47

Eating Out

Rawalpindi

$61 12.2%

Muzaffarabad

$33 8.6% 46% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Rawalpindi

$21 4.2%

Muzaffarabad

$19 4.9% 8.8% $1.8

Getting Around

Rawalpindi

$13 2.7%

Muzaffarabad

$16 4% 17.5% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $198 in Rawalpindi versus $124 in Muzaffarabad. 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 65% higher in Muzaffarabad, 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 $9.00 in Muzaffarabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $103 vs $76.0 – making Muzaffarabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Muzaffarabad

🕒 Local time

18:23 6:23 PM

Same time as Rawalpindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,098,231

149,913

💱 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 Muzaffarabad 95 km

From you

Rawalpindi
Muzaffarabad

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 Muzaffarabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rawalpindi is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $750 per month in Rawalpindi and $578 in Muzaffarabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 35% more in Rawalpindi, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Rawalpindi and $9.00 in Muzaffarabad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $500 in Rawalpindi and $385 in Muzaffarabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Muzaffarabad – 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 Muzaffarabad. 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.