Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sialkot and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Sialkot: $351 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

17

Cost of Living Index in Sialkot
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Sialkot Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index

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Sialkot

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$351

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $351 per month in Sialkot vs $599 in Islamabad, rent included.

Sialkot $351
Islamabad $599

A couple spends around $509 per month in Sialkot vs $930 in Islamabad, rent included.

Sialkot $509
Islamabad $930

A family of three spends $668 per month in Sialkot vs $1,261 in Islamabad, rent included.

Sialkot $668
Islamabad $1,261

Sialkot is about 41% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Sialkot and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Sialkot 74% lower, Islamabad 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.05 PKR 291

$3.63 PKR 1,004

-71.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.30 PKR 2,021

$23.40 PKR 6,478

-68.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.35 PKR 1,480

$5.54 PKR 1,534

-3.43%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 PKR 994

$3.57 PKR 987

0.56%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 PKR 789

$6.73 PKR 1,864

-57.65%

Cappuccino

$1.64 PKR 455

$2.64 PKR 730

-37.88%

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

$0.30 PKR 82.1

$0.32 PKR 89.6

-6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.2

$0.23 PKR 63.7

-8.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 PKR 253

$0.94 PKR 259

-3.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 PKR 166

$0.72 PKR 200

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 PKR 278

$1.30 PKR 361

-22.31%

Eggs

$1.13 PKR 313

$1.22 PKR 339

-7.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.13 PKR 1,142

$6.05 PKR 1,674

-31.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.69 PKR 466

$3.09 PKR 855

-45.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.41 PKR 1,498

$5.35 PKR 1,482

1.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.13 PKR 312

$1.26 PKR 350

-10.32%

Banana (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 145

$0.87 PKR 241

-40.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 PKR 207

$1.04 PKR 288

-27.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 156

$0.53 PKR 146

5.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 74.2

$0.29 PKR 81.2

-6.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 107

$0.36 PKR 99.4

8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 PKR 83.9

$0.28 PKR 76.4

7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 PKR 109

$0.39 PKR 108

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.48 PKR 410

$1.95 PKR 539

-24.10%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 PKR 293

$1.19 PKR 331

-10.92%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 PKR 745

$2.68 PKR 743

0.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.31 PKR 640

$2.24 PKR 619

3.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 PKR 50.9

$0.16 PKR 43.07

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.92 PKR 3,022

$21.34 PKR 5,905

-48.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 PKR 339

$1.24 PKR 344

-1.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 PKR 106

$0.74 PKR 204

-48.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 PKR 452

$1.60 PKR 442

1.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 PKR 334

$1.37 PKR 378

-11.68%

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

$19.7K PKR 5.4M

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

-63.92%

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

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

0.23%

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

$100 PKR 27.7K

$103 PKR 28.6K

-3.12%

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

$5.84 PKR 1,617

$5.99 PKR 1,658

-2.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.83 PKR 4,659

$17.15 PKR 4,746

-1.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$7.15 PKR 1,978

$28.20 PKR 7,806

-74.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.53 PKR 1,529

$8.47 PKR 2,344

-34.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 PKR 1,225

$4.43 PKR 1,226

-0.23%

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

$20.03 PKR 5,545

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

-73.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$268 PKR 74.1K

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

-94.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.33 PKR 3,965

$25.72 PKR 7,118

-44.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.83 PKR 4,657

$34.48 PKR 9,543

-51.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$27.28 PKR 7,550

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

-71.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$21.47 PKR 5,943

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

-48.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$49.43 PKR 13.7K

$276 PKR 76.5K

-82.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$32.62 PKR 9,029

$139 PKR 38.3K

-76.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$109 PKR 30.1K

$572 PKR 158.2K

-80.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.6 PKR 18.2K

$270 PKR 74.9K

-75.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$836 PKR 231.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$153 PKR 42.3K

$380 PKR 105.2K

-59.81%

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 Sialkot: October 11, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sialkot

$123 35%

Islamabad

$126 21.1% 3% $3.7

Groceries & Markets

Sialkot

$83 23.6%

Islamabad

$102 17% 23.2% $19

Eating Out

Sialkot

$46 13.2%

Islamabad

$80 13.3% 72.2% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Sialkot

$36 10.2%

Islamabad

$89 14.8% 147% $53

Accommodation & Living

Sialkot

$33 9.3%

Islamabad

$139 23.1% 325% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Sialkot

$16 4.6%

Islamabad

$37 6.2% 132% $21

Getting Around

Sialkot

$15 4.2%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 81.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $49.43 in Sialkot 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 149% 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 $7.00 in Sialkot versus $23.00 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $83.0 vs $102 – making Sialkot the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Sialkot

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

00:19 12:19 AM

Same time as Sialkot

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

655,852

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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Between locations

Sialkot Islamabad 190 km

From you

Sialkot
Islamabad

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

Sialkot vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 71%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $527 per month in Sialkot 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 Sialkot, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Islamabad, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $7.00 in Sialkot 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 $351 in Sialkot and $599 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Sialkot – 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 Sialkot. 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.