Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rawalpindi and Sylhet

For one person, living is cheaper in Sylhet: $362 a month against $504 in Rawalpindi, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Rawalpindi
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Rawalpindi Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Sylhet
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Sylhet Living Index

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Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$504

/mo nomad

Sylhet

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rawalpindi and in Sylhet

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $504 in Rawalpindi versus $362 in Sylhet.

Rawalpindi $504
Sylhet $362

Estimated couple costs with rent: $787 in Rawalpindi versus $612 in Sylhet.

Rawalpindi $787
Sylhet $612

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,069 in Rawalpindi versus $861 in Sylhet.

Rawalpindi $1,069
Sylhet $861

Living in Rawalpindi is roughly 39% more expensive than in Sylhet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rawalpindi 63% lower, Sylhet 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 PKR 584

$2.37 ৳295

-10.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.10 PKR 4,453

$11.13 ৳1,386

44.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.07 PKR 1,680

$3.96 ৳494

53.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 PKR 492

$4.82 ৳600

-63.07%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 PKR 963

$3.98 ৳495

-12.56%

Cappuccino

$2.01 PKR 556

$2.08 ৳259

-3.37%

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

$0.40 PKR 112

$0.33 ৳40.53

21.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.1

$0.16 ৳20.02

43.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 PKR 241

$0.84 ৳104

3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 PKR 162

$0.56 ৳69.6

5.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 PKR 336

$0.65 ৳80.8

86.15%

Eggs

$1.10 PKR 303

$1.21 ৳150

-9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.25 PKR 1,729

$7.45 ৳927

-16.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 PKR 983

$3.17 ৳395

11.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.94 PKR 1,366

$6.64 ৳827

-25.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 333

$2.67 ৳332

-55.06%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 242

$0.92 ৳115

-5.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 PKR 336

$2.42 ৳301

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 145

$0.60 ৳74.6

-13.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 107

$0.23 ৳28.60

69.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 PKR 127

$0.52 ৳64.5

-11.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 PKR 87.1

$0.33 ৳41.17

-6.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.27 ৳33.17

48.15%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$16.44 PKR 4,550

$2.90 ৳361

466.90%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 PKR 321

$1.97 ৳246

-41.12%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 PKR 667

$3.89 ৳484

-38.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.04 PKR 564

$2.81 ৳350

-27.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 PKR 53.9

$0.71 ৳88.3

-73.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.06 PKR 2,782

$24.00 ৳2,988

-58.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 PKR 240

$1.20 ৳149

-27.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 PKR 95.5

$0.16 ৳19.94

118.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 PKR 860

$1.11 ৳138

180.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PKR 342

$1.04 ৳129

19.23%

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

$19.3K PKR 5.3M

$29.5K ৳3.7M

-34.62%

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

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

$33.0K ৳4.1M

-28.48%

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

$115 PKR 31.7K

$25.16 ৳3,134

355.64%

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

$5.61 PKR 1,551

$4.33 ৳539

29.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.35 PKR 5,077

$10.91 ৳1,359

68.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.01 PKR 3,322

$8.90 ৳1,109

34.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.28 PKR 2,015

$4.03 ৳501

80.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 PKR 1,175

$3.95 ৳492

7.59%

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

$48.77 PKR 13.5K

$28.58 ৳3,559

70.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,056 PKR 292.3K

$961 ৳119.6K

9.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.54 PKR 4,851

$15.99 ৳1,992

9.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.61 PKR 9,021

$15.93 ৳1,984

104.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 PKR 25.9K

$36.96 ৳4,603

153.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.98 PKR 9,955

$29.67 ৳3,695

21.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$125 ৳15.5K

46.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$87.2 PKR 24.1K

$56.4 ৳7,028

54.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 PKR 109.5K

$175 ৳21.8K

126.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$221 PKR 61.2K

$161 ৳20.0K

37.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,007 PKR 278.6K

$684 ৳85.2K

47.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$434 PKR 120.2K

$347 ৳43.2K

25.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$174 PKR 48.0K

$222 ৳27.7K

-21.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.81

10.67

113.78%

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

Last update for Rawalpindi: October 24, 2026

Last update for Sylhet: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rawalpindi

$139 27.5%

Sylhet

$40 11.2% 70.8% $98

Groceries & Markets

Rawalpindi

$102 20.2%

Sylhet

$117 32.4% 15% $15

Accommodation & Living

Rawalpindi

$87 17.3%

Sylhet

$56 15.6% 35.3% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Rawalpindi

$81 16%

Sylhet

$44 12.3% 45.2% $37

Eating Out

Rawalpindi

$62 12.2%

Sylhet

$58 16% 6.5% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Rawalpindi

$21 4.1%

Sylhet

$17 4.6% 18% $3.7

Getting Around

Rawalpindi

$13 2.7%

Sylhet

$29 8% 115% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $183 in Rawalpindi and $125 in Sylhet. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sylhet pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $16 in Rawalpindi vs $11 in Sylhet. Groceries flip the comparison at $102 vs $117, with Rawalpindi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Rawalpindi

🇧🇩 Sylhet

🕒 Local time

00:09 12:09 AM

01:09 1:09 AM

1 h ahead of Rawalpindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,098,231

526,412

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.03 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 309 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 125 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.03 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Rawalpindi Sylhet 2,060 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Rawalpindi
Sylhet

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 Sylhet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $504 in Rawalpindi and $362 in Sylhet, so Sylhet is about 28% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 22% 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 $125 in Sylhet. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

All in, you’ll spend $504 per month in Rawalpindi versus $362 in Sylhet – Sylhet is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Sylhet 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.