Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rawalpindi and Wah

For one person, living is cheaper in Wah: $417 a month against $500 in Rawalpindi, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 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
20

Cost of Living Index in Wah
Learn more

Wah Living Index

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Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$500

/mo nomad

Wah

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$417

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rawalpindi and in Wah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $500 in Rawalpindi versus $417 in Wah.

Rawalpindi $500
Wah $417

Estimated couple costs with rent: $786 in Rawalpindi versus $635 in Wah.

Rawalpindi $786
Wah $635

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,073 in Rawalpindi versus $853 in Wah.

Rawalpindi $1,073
Wah $853

Living in Rawalpindi is roughly 20% more expensive than in Wah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rawalpindi 63% lower, Wah 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$1.86 PKR 514

14.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.46 PKR 4,556

$10.65 PKR 2,946

54.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.12 PKR 1,695

$5.57 PKR 1,541

9.87%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 PKR 493

$2.47 PKR 684

-27.94%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 PKR 938

$2.14 PKR 593

58.41%

Cappuccino

$1.93 PKR 534

$1.24 PKR 344

55.65%

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

$0.43 PKR 119

$0.33 PKR 92.0

30.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.5

$0.26 PKR 72.2

-11.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 PKR 235

$0.76 PKR 211

11.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 PKR 163

$0.60 PKR 166

-1.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 PKR 338

$1.26 PKR 349

-3.17%

Eggs

$1.11 PKR 308

$1.21 PKR 334

-8.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.08 PKR 1,684

$8.51 PKR 2,355

-28.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 PKR 981

$2.50 PKR 692

42.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.24 PKR 1,451

$4.00 PKR 1,107

31.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 333

$1.11 PKR 307

8.11%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 240

$0.63 PKR 174

38.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 349

$0.58 PKR 160

117.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 146

$0.63 PKR 175

-15.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 107

$0.30 PKR 84.2

30.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 PKR 134

$0.47 PKR 131

2.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 PKR 88.5

$0.42 PKR 116

-23.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 118

$0.43 PKR 119

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$16.54 PKR 4,577

$0.57 PKR 157

2801.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 PKR 337

$0.56 PKR 154

117.86%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 PKR 696

$0.70 PKR 194

260.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.01 PKR 555

$1.41 PKR 390

42.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 55.2

$0.15 PKR 42.83

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.70 PKR 2,685

$9.97 PKR 2,761

-2.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 PKR 239

$1.10 PKR 304

-21.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 PKR 103

$1.05 PKR 291

-64.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 PKR 872

$2.86 PKR 791

10.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PKR 344

$1.17 PKR 323

5.98%

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

$18.7K PKR 5.2M

$23.7K PKR 6.5M

-20.89%

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

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

$23.0K PKR 6.4M

2.59%

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

$114 PKR 31.5K

$66.8 PKR 18.5K

70.28%

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

$5.84 PKR 1,616

$5.70 PKR 1,577

2.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.80 PKR 5,203

$14.27 PKR 3,951

31.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.23 PKR 3,385

$14.99 PKR 4,149

-18.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.45 PKR 2,063

$7.84 PKR 2,170

-4.97%

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 PKR 1,180

$7.44 PKR 2,058

-42.74%

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

$48.61 PKR 13.5K

$26.43 PKR 7,315

83.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,038 PKR 287.4K

$2,033 PKR 562.7K

-48.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.45 PKR 4,831

$19.26 PKR 5,331

-9.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.71 PKR 9,054

$26.79 PKR 7,415

22.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 PKR 25.7K

$54.9 PKR 15.2K

69.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.95 PKR 9,949

$30.15 PKR 8,345

19.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$198 PKR 54.8K

$127 PKR 35.1K

56.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$83.1 PKR 23.0K

$78.7 PKR 21.8K

5.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$417 PKR 115.3K

$250 PKR 69.3K

66.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$223 PKR 61.8K

$147 PKR 40.7K

51.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,196 PKR 331.0K

$923 PKR 255.4K

29.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$450 PKR 124.5K

$483 PKR 133.6K

-6.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$175 PKR 48.5K

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 17, 2026

Last update for Wah: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rawalpindi

$138 27.7%

Wah

$87 20.8% 37.3% $52

Groceries & Markets

Rawalpindi

$103 20.6%

Wah

$97 23.3% 5.7% $5.9

Accommodation & Living

Rawalpindi

$83 16.6%

Wah

$79 18.9% 5.4% $4.5

Clothing & Footwear

Rawalpindi

$80 16.1%

Wah

$59 14.1% 26.7% $22

Eating Out

Rawalpindi

$61 12.2%

Wah

$49 11.7% 20.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Rawalpindi

$21 4.2%

Wah

$30 7.2% 43.8% $9.1

Getting Around

Rawalpindi

$13 2.7%

Wah

$17 4.1% 28.1% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $198 in Rawalpindi and $127 in Wah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16.00 in Rawalpindi vs $11.00 in Wah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $103 vs $97.0 per month, with Wah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Wah

🕒 Local time

16:37 4:37 PM

Same time as Rawalpindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,098,231

400,733

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Rawalpindi Wah 37 km

From you

Rawalpindi
Wah

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 Wah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rawalpindi and Wah differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($500 vs $417 including rent). Wah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $750 in Rawalpindi and $626 in Wah 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: $198 in Rawalpindi versus $127 in Wah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Wah – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $16.00 in Rawalpindi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $500 per month in Rawalpindi versus $417 in Wah – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

Safety-wise, Rawalpindi and Wah are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Wah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Rawalpindi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.