Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skardu and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Skardu: $426 a month against $602 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Skardu
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Skardu Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index

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Skardu

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$426

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$602

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $426 per month in Skardu vs $602 in Islamabad, rent included.

Skardu $426
Islamabad $602

A couple spends around $636 per month in Skardu vs $937 in Islamabad, rent included.

Skardu $636
Islamabad $937

A family of three spends $847 per month in Skardu vs $1,272 in Islamabad, rent included.

Skardu $847
Islamabad $1,272

Skardu is about 29% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Skardu and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Skardu 69% lower, Islamabad 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.84 PKR 509

$3.52 PKR 975

-47.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.31 PKR 3,132

$22.86 PKR 6,326

-50.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.65 PKR 1,286

$5.27 PKR 1,458

-11.76%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 PKR 753

$3.72 PKR 1,030

-26.88%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 PKR 1,415

$6.70 PKR 1,855

-23.73%

Cappuccino

$1.68 PKR 464

$2.63 PKR 727

-36.12%

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

$0.31 PKR 84.5

$0.33 PKR 90.5

-6.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.18 PKR 50.3

$0.21 PKR 58.1

-14.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 PKR 238

$0.95 PKR 262

-9.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 PKR 164

$0.78 PKR 216

-24.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 PKR 320

$1.29 PKR 358

-10.08%

Eggs

$1.20 PKR 333

$1.21 PKR 335

-0.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.40 PKR 1,494

$6.32 PKR 1,748

-14.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.50 PKR 691

$3.14 PKR 869

-20.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.02 PKR 1,389

$5.51 PKR 1,525

-8.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 PKR 305

$1.27 PKR 351

-13.39%

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 149

$0.82 PKR 227

-34.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.79 PKR 220

$1.07 PKR 295

-26.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 153

$0.55 PKR 152

Potato (1kg)

$0.28 PKR 76.3

$0.27 PKR 74.4

3.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 97.5

$0.38 PKR 106

-7.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 PKR 127

$0.30 PKR 83.7

53.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 PKR 104

$0.40 PKR 110

-5.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.59 PKR 441

$1.99 PKR 550

-20.10%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 PKR 295

$1.19 PKR 328

-10.08%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 PKR 563

$2.59 PKR 718

-21.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.10 PKR 580

$2.31 PKR 639

-9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 45.37

$0.20 PKR 54.2

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.06 PKR 2,509

$21.41 PKR 5,925

-57.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 343

$1.25 PKR 346

-0.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 PKR 196

$0.70 PKR 194

1.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 PKR 506

$1.59 PKR 440

15.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 PKR 327

$1.36 PKR 377

-13.24%

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

$19.1K PKR 5.3M

$54.4K PKR 15.1M

-64.96%

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

$26.2K PKR 7.3M

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

11.42%

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

$87.8 PKR 24.3K

$100 PKR 27.8K

-12.53%

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

$3.60 PKR 996

$6.12 PKR 1,694

-41.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.36 PKR 3,697

$17.33 PKR 4,795

-22.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.33 PKR 4,243

$28.40 PKR 7,861

-46.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.98 PKR 2,208

$8.87 PKR 2,456

-10.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.88 PKR 1,351

$4.82 PKR 1,335

1.24%

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

$47.71 PKR 13.2K

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

-35.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,082 PKR 299.5K

$5,109 PKR 1.4M

-78.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.16 PKR 5,304

$26.32 PKR 7,284

-27.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.54 PKR 6,793

$35.60 PKR 9,854

-31.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.7 PKR 16.5K

$98.1 PKR 27.2K

-39.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.15 PKR 9,451

$40.95 PKR 11.3K

-16.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$128 PKR 35.4K

$269 PKR 74.4K

-52.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$78.3 PKR 21.7K

$141 PKR 38.9K

-44.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$250 PKR 69.3K

$577 PKR 159.8K

-56.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.4K

$279 PKR 77.2K

-50.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,070 PKR 296.0K

$1,679 PKR 464.8K

-36.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$494 PKR 136.8K

$847 PKR 234.4K

-41.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$388 PKR 107.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

-0.61%

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

Last update for Skardu: October 17, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skardu

$105 24.6%

Islamabad

$124 20.6% 18.2% $19

Groceries & Markets

Skardu

$90 21.2%

Islamabad

$104 17.3% 15.5% $14

Accommodation & Living

Skardu

$78 18.4%

Islamabad

$141 23.4% 79.5% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Skardu

$62 14.5%

Islamabad

$90 15% 46.2% $29

Eating Out

Skardu

$51 11.9%

Islamabad

$78 12.9% 53.1% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Skardu

$25 5.9%

Islamabad

$38 6.3% 51.7% $13

Getting Around

Skardu

$15 3.4%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 85.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $128 in Skardu versus $269 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 $11.00 in Skardu versus $23.00 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $90.0 vs $104 – making Skardu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Skardu

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

18:17 6:17 PM

Same time as Skardu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

260,000

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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Skardu Islamabad 300 km

From you

Skardu
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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

Skardu vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 41%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $638 per month in Skardu and $903 in Islamabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 16% 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 $11.00 in Skardu and $23.00 in Islamabad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $426 in Skardu and $602 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Skardu – 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 Skardu. 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.