Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sargodha and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Sargodha: $512 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Sargodha
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Sargodha Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index

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Sargodha

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$512

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sargodha 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 Sargodha and in Islamabad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $512 per month in Sargodha vs $599 in Islamabad, rent included.

Sargodha $512
Islamabad $599

A couple spends around $802 per month in Sargodha vs $930 in Islamabad, rent included.

Sargodha $802
Islamabad $930

A family of three spends $1,091 per month in Sargodha vs $1,261 in Islamabad, rent included.

Sargodha $1,091
Islamabad $1,261

Sargodha is about 15% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Sargodha and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Sargodha 62% lower, Islamabad 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 PKR 977

$3.63 PKR 1,004

-2.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.38 PKR 6,471

$23.40 PKR 6,478

-0.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 PKR 1,537

$5.54 PKR 1,534

0.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 PKR 1,025

$3.57 PKR 987

3.64%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 PKR 1,952

$6.73 PKR 1,864

4.75%

Cappuccino

$2.69 PKR 745

$2.64 PKR 730

1.89%

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

$0.36 PKR 98.5

$0.32 PKR 89.6

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.0

$0.23 PKR 63.7

-8.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 PKR 270

$0.94 PKR 259

4.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 PKR 216

$0.72 PKR 200

8.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 360

$1.30 PKR 361

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 338

$1.22 PKR 339

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.03 PKR 1,668

$6.05 PKR 1,674

-0.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 PKR 880

$3.09 PKR 855

2.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.33 PKR 1,476

$5.35 PKR 1,482

-0.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 PKR 355

$1.26 PKR 350

1.59%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 PKR 223

$0.87 PKR 241

-6.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 PKR 284

$1.04 PKR 288

-0.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 156

$0.53 PKR 146

5.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 73.8

$0.29 PKR 81.2

-6.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 98.6

$0.36 PKR 99.4

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.8

$0.28 PKR 76.4

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 PKR 117

$0.39 PKR 108

7.69%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.81 PKR 502

$1.95 PKR 539

-7.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 PKR 347

$1.19 PKR 331

5.04%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 PKR 667

$2.68 PKR 743

-10.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 PKR 621

$2.24 PKR 619

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 PKR 57.0

$0.16 PKR 43.07

31.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.79 PKR 2,710

$21.34 PKR 5,905

-54.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 PKR 352

$1.24 PKR 344

2.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 PKR 203

$0.74 PKR 204

-1.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 PKR 438

$1.60 PKR 442

-1.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 PKR 377

$1.37 PKR 378

-0.73%

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

$21.7K PKR 6.0M

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

-60.14%

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

$24.0K PKR 6.7M

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

0.74%

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

$102 PKR 28.2K

$103 PKR 28.6K

-1.32%

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

$6.03 PKR 1,670

$5.99 PKR 1,658

0.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.30 PKR 4,787

$17.15 PKR 4,746

0.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.71 PKR 4,071

$28.20 PKR 7,806

-47.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.58 PKR 2,373

$8.47 PKR 2,344

1.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 PKR 1,216

$4.43 PKR 1,226

-0.90%

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

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

-2.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,024 PKR 283.4K

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

-79.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.10 PKR 7,225

$25.72 PKR 7,118

1.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.29 PKR 9,491

$34.48 PKR 9,543

-0.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.5 PKR 26.7K

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

1.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.00 PKR 11.1K

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

-3.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$125 PKR 34.6K

$276 PKR 76.5K

-54.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

$139 PKR 38.3K

-45.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 PKR 68.6K

$572 PKR 158.2K

-56.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 PKR 41.3K

$270 PKR 74.9K

-44.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$932 PKR 258.1K

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

-42.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$478 PKR 132.4K

$836 PKR 231.5K

-42.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$182 PKR 50.4K

$380 PKR 105.2K

-52.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

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

Last update for Sargodha: October 13, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sargodha

$125 24.5%

Islamabad

$126 21.1% 0.9% $1.2

Groceries & Markets

Sargodha

$104 20.2%

Islamabad

$102 17% 1.4% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Sargodha

$89 17.3%

Islamabad

$89 14.8% 0.1% $0.1

Eating Out

Sargodha

$79 15.5%

Islamabad

$80 13.3% 0.1% $0

Accommodation & Living

Sargodha

$76 14.8%

Islamabad

$139 23.1% 83% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Sargodha

$24 4.6%

Islamabad

$37 6.2% 57.7% $14

Getting Around

Sargodha

$16 3%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 72.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $125 in Sargodha versus $276 in Islamabad. 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 109% higher in Islamabad, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Sargodha versus $23.00 in Islamabad. Groceries tell a different story – $104 in Sargodha vs $102 in Islamabad – so Islamabad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Sargodha

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

21:28 9:28 PM

Same time as Sargodha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

507,817

1,009,832 Capital

💱 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

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Sargodha Islamabad 180 km

From you

Sargodha
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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

Sargodha vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $767 per month in Sargodha and $899 in Islamabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Islamabad – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Sargodha and $23.00 in Islamabad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $512 in Sargodha and $599 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sargodha. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Islamabad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.