Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sahiwal and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Sahiwal: $498 a month against $607 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Sahiwal
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Sahiwal Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index

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Sahiwal

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$498

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sahiwal and in Islamabad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sahiwal and in Islamabad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $498 per month in Sahiwal vs $607 in Islamabad, rent included.

Sahiwal $498
Islamabad $607

A couple spends around $755 per month in Sahiwal vs $948 in Islamabad, rent included.

Sahiwal $755
Islamabad $948

A family of three spends $1,013 per month in Sahiwal vs $1,289 in Islamabad, rent included.

Sahiwal $1,013
Islamabad $1,289

Sahiwal is about 18% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Sahiwal and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Sahiwal 63% lower, Islamabad 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.57 PKR 711

$3.50 PKR 968

-26.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.34 PKR 3,963

$22.76 PKR 6,293

-36.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 PKR 1,568

$5.37 PKR 1,486

5.59%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 PKR 989

$3.58 PKR 990

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 PKR 1,483

$6.82 PKR 1,885

-21.41%

Cappuccino

$2.62 PKR 724

$2.56 PKR 708

2.34%

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

$0.37 PKR 103

$0.32 PKR 87.1

15.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 72.1

$0.21 PKR 57.9

23.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 PKR 268

$0.98 PKR 270

-1.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 PKR 201

$0.71 PKR 198

2.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 342

$1.30 PKR 358

-4.62%

Eggs

$1.20 PKR 332

$1.21 PKR 334

-0.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.40 PKR 1,768

$6.05 PKR 1,671

5.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.49 PKR 688

$3.05 PKR 843

-18.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.97 PKR 1,375

$5.38 PKR 1,487

-7.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 PKR 326

$1.33 PKR 369

-11.28%

Banana (1kg)

$0.70 PKR 192

$0.86 PKR 239

-18.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 PKR 230

$1.07 PKR 295

-22.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 PKR 165

$0.52 PKR 144

15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 86.1

$0.27 PKR 73.6

14.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 99.5

$0.39 PKR 107

-7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 PKR 131

$0.28 PKR 76.7

71.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 PKR 96.2

$0.43 PKR 118

-18.60%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.07 PKR 295

$1.99 PKR 550

-46.23%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 PKR 166

$1.24 PKR 342

-51.61%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 PKR 476

$2.61 PKR 722

-34.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.13 PKR 588

$2.36 PKR 653

-9.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 PKR 50.8

$0.17 PKR 45.73

5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.05 PKR 3,056

$21.58 PKR 5,965

-48.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 PKR 242

$1.24 PKR 342

-29.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 204

$0.74 PKR 206

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 PKR 506

$1.61 PKR 446

13.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 PKR 371

$1.31 PKR 364

2.29%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$54.9K PKR 15.2M

-67.31%

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

$23.7K PKR 6.6M

$23.7K PKR 6.5M

0.32%

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

$125 PKR 34.6K

$104 PKR 28.6K

20.80%

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

$5.74 PKR 1,587

$6.11 PKR 1,689

-6.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.23 PKR 4,487

$17.21 PKR 4,758

-5.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.76 PKR 3,527

$33.65 PKR 9,302

-62.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.53 PKR 2,083

$8.52 PKR 2,357

-11.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.40 PKR 1,217

$4.91 PKR 1,358

-10.39%

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

$75.0 PKR 20.7K

$326 PKR 90.0K

-76.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,068 PKR 571.7K

$4,917 PKR 1.4M

-57.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.74 PKR 4,904

$26.22 PKR 7,249

-32.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.98 PKR 7,735

$35.05 PKR 9,689

-20.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 PKR 20.1K

$98.2 PKR 27.2K

-26.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.21 PKR 8,906

$40.45 PKR 11.2K

-20.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$125 PKR 34.6K

$261 PKR 72.1K

-51.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$76.5 PKR 21.1K

$140 PKR 38.6K

-45.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 PKR 84.9K

$557 PKR 154.0K

-44.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 PKR 49.0K

$287 PKR 79.5K

-38.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$696 PKR 192.5K

$1,691 PKR 467.4K

-58.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$471 PKR 130.1K

$839 PKR 232.0K

-43.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$385 PKR 106.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.05

13.08

7.42%

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

Last update for Sahiwal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sahiwal

$147 29.5%

Islamabad

$127 20.9% 13.7% $20

Groceries & Markets

Sahiwal

$97 19.6%

Islamabad

$103 17% 5.7% $5.6

Accommodation & Living

Sahiwal

$77 15.4%

Islamabad

$140 23% 82.7% $63

Eating Out

Sahiwal

$72 14.4%

Islamabad

$77 12.7% 7.6% $5.4

Clothing & Footwear

Sahiwal

$68 13.6%

Islamabad

$90 14.8% 32.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Sahiwal

$22 4.3%

Islamabad

$43 7.2% 102% $22

Getting Around

Sahiwal

$16 3.3%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 66.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $125 in Sahiwal versus $261 in Islamabad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $14 in Sahiwal versus $23 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $97 vs $103 – making Sahiwal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Sahiwal

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

06:30 6:30 AM

Same time as Sahiwal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

389,605

1,009,832 Capital

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Sahiwal Islamabad 340 km

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Sahiwal
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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

Sahiwal vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $747 per month in Sahiwal and $911 in Islamabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sahiwal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $125 there versus $261 in Islamabad.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Islamabad, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $14 in Sahiwal and $23 in Islamabad. 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 $498 in Sahiwal and $607 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Sahiwal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Sahiwal is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 18% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.