Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rawalpindi and Rahim Yar Khan

For one person, living is cheaper in Rahim Yar Khan: $444 a month against $503 in Rawalpindi, rent and utilities included – about $710 less a year. The total is higher in Rawalpindi despite lower rent and utilities.

24

Cost of Living Index in Rawalpindi
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Rawalpindi Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Rahim Yar Khan
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Rahim Yar Khan Living Index

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Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$503

/mo nomad

Rahim Yar Khan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$444

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rawalpindi and in Rahim Yar Khan

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 Rahim Yar Khan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $503 in Rawalpindi versus $444 in Rahim Yar Khan.

Rawalpindi $503
Rahim Yar Khan $444

Estimated couple costs with rent: $788 in Rawalpindi versus $643 in Rahim Yar Khan.

Rawalpindi $788
Rahim Yar Khan $643

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,072 in Rawalpindi versus $843 in Rahim Yar Khan.

Rawalpindi $1,072
Rahim Yar Khan $843

Living in Rawalpindi is roughly 13% more expensive than in Rahim Yar Khan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rawalpindi 63% lower, Rahim Yar Khan 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.09 PKR 579

$1.41 PKR 389

48.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.18 PKR 4,477

$10.64 PKR 2,944

52.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 PKR 1,668

$4.56 PKR 1,262

32.24%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 PKR 487

$2.77 PKR 766

-36.46%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 PKR 962

$5.38 PKR 1,489

-35.32%

Cappuccino

$1.94 PKR 537

$0.81 PKR 225

139.51%

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

$0.44 PKR 122

$0.28 PKR 76.9

57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 PKR 69.5

$0.19 PKR 52.5

31.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 PKR 253

$0.67 PKR 186

35.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 PKR 164

$0.44 PKR 120

34.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 343

$0.65 PKR 181

90.77%

Eggs

$1.14 PKR 314

$1.09 PKR 302

4.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.38 PKR 1,765

$3.29 PKR 909

93.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 PKR 979

$2.49 PKR 689

42.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.19 PKR 1,437

$4.44 PKR 1,229

16.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 PKR 327

$0.46 PKR 128

156.52%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 PKR 246

$0.34 PKR 94.8

161.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 343

$0.52 PKR 143

138.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 PKR 160

$0.37 PKR 103

56.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 97.6

$0.35 PKR 95.7

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 PKR 133

$0.26 PKR 71.4

84.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 PKR 95.5

$0.17 PKR 48.38

105.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 PKR 108

$0.27 PKR 73.7

44.44%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$16.25 PKR 4,497

$1.85 PKR 513

778.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 PKR 336

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 PKR 688

$2.96 PKR 818

-15.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 PKR 546

$2.11 PKR 585

-6.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 46.98

$0.13 PKR 34.90

30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.81 PKR 2,712

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 PKR 241

$0.75 PKR 208

16.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 PKR 104

$0.34 PKR 94.7

11.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 PKR 828

$2.33 PKR 643

28.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 PKR 329

$1.17 PKR 325

1.71%

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

$19.1K PKR 5.3M

$25.3K PKR 7.0M

-24.78%

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

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

$22.8K PKR 6.3M

3.66%

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

$112 PKR 31.1K

$146 PKR 40.4K

-23.06%

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

$5.60 PKR 1,549

$5.06 PKR 1,400

10.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 PKR 5,192

$14.34 PKR 3,968

30.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.23 PKR 3,384

$7.30 PKR 2,018

67.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.62 PKR 2,109

$18.20 PKR 5,036

-58.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 PKR 1,175

$4.42 PKR 1,224

-3.85%

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

$49.55 PKR 13.7K

$19.40 PKR 5,368

155.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,057 PKR 292.3K

$1,011 PKR 279.5K

4.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.14 PKR 4,742

$10.93 PKR 3,023

56.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.15 PKR 8,894

$18.29 PKR 5,059

75.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 PKR 25.4K

$91.6 PKR 25.3K

0.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.65 PKR 10.1K

$25.66 PKR 7,097

42.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$184 PKR 50.8K

$126 PKR 34.9K

45.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$87.4 PKR 24.2K

$89.0 PKR 24.6K

-1.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 PKR 105.9K

$276 PKR 76.3K

38.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 PKR 61.9K

$181 PKR 50.0K

23.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,016 PKR 280.9K

$551 PKR 152.5K

84.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$433 PKR 119.7K

$451 PKR 124.8K

-4.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$171 PKR 47.3K

$90.5 PKR 25.0K

88.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.81

12.5

82.48%

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

Last update for Rawalpindi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Rahim Yar Khan: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rawalpindi

$137 27.2%

Rahim Yar Khan

$166 37.3% 21% $29

Groceries & Markets

Rawalpindi

$104 20.7%

Rahim Yar Khan

$67 15.2% 35.3% $37

Accommodation & Living

Rawalpindi

$87 17.4%

Rahim Yar Khan

$89 20.1% 1.9% $1.7

Clothing & Footwear

Rawalpindi

$80 15.9%

Rahim Yar Khan

$66 14.9% 17.6% $14

Eating Out

Rawalpindi

$61 12.1%

Rahim Yar Khan

$37 8.2% 40% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Rawalpindi

$21 4.1%

Rahim Yar Khan

$16 3.6% 22.1% $4.6

Getting Around

Rawalpindi

$13 2.6%

Rahim Yar Khan

$3 * 0.7% 77.6% $10

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $184 in Rawalpindi and $126 in Rahim Yar Khan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rawalpindi pays 89% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $16 in Rawalpindi vs $11 in Rahim Yar Khan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $104 vs $67 per month, with Rahim Yar Khan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Rahim Yar Khan

🕒 Local time

04:42 4:42 AM

Same time as Rawalpindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,098,231

420,419

💱 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

Lowest

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Between locations

Rawalpindi Rahim Yar Khan 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Rawalpindi
Rahim Yar Khan

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 Rahim Yar Khan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rahim Yar Khan wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Rawalpindi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Rahim Yar Khan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 89% higher in Rawalpindi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $184 in Rawalpindi versus $126 in Rahim Yar Khan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Rawalpindi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $503 per month in Rawalpindi versus $444 in Rahim Yar Khan – Rahim Yar Khan is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Rahim Yar Khan gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

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