Cost of Living Comparison Between Skardu and Islamabad Cost of Living Comparison Between Skardu and Islamabad

🙂 Solo nomad: Skardu is 31% cheaper than Islamabad without rent, and 26.9% cheaper with rent.
🙂 Family of 3: Skardu is 35.1% cheaper than Islamabad without rent, and 32.9% cheaper with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Skardu
Islamabad
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.80 PKR 502
$2.76 PKR 771
-34.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$10.51 PKR 2,933
$14.25 PKR 3,975
-26.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.06 PKR 1,133
$5.32 PKR 1,485
-23.68%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.82 PKR 508
$1.73 PKR 482
5.20%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.58 PKR 999
$3.98 PKR 1,109
-10.05%
Cappuccino
$0.46 PKR 127
$2.08 PKR 581
-77.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.32 PKR 88.5
$0.42 PKR 118
-23.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.21 PKR 58.6
$0.24 PKR 67.2
-12.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Skardu
Islamabad
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.73 PKR 202
$0.97 PKR 269
-24.74%
White Bread (500g)
$0.61 PKR 169
$0.66 PKR 185
-7.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.16 PKR 323
$1.26 PKR 352
-7.94%
Eggs
$1.12 PKR 312
$1.27 PKR 355
-11.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.04 PKR 1,686
$6.02 PKR 1,680
0.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.64 PKR 737
$3.43 PKR 958
-23.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$3.59 PKR 1,001
$4.40 PKR 1,227
-18.41%
Apples (1kg)
$1.03 PKR 288
$1.00 PKR 279
3.00%
Banana (1kg)
$0.66 PKR 183
$0.85 PKR 236
-22.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.62 PKR 173
$0.90 PKR 251
-31.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.52 PKR 146
$0.57 PKR 158
-8.77%
Potato (1kg)
$0.37 PKR 103
$0.38 PKR 106
-2.63%
Onion (1kg)
$0.51 PKR 141
$0.57 PKR 160
-10.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.30 PKR 85.0
$0.33 PKR 93.0
-9.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.34 PKR 94.5
$0.37 PKR 104
-8.11%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$1.52 PKR 425
$1.91 PKR 534
-20.42%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 PKR 242
$0.91 PKR 255
-4.40%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 PKR 545
$2.03 PKR 566
-3.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.91 PKR 533
$2.06 PKR 576
-7.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Skardu
Islamabad
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.20 PKR 57.2
$0.18 PKR 50.4
11.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.11 PKR 1,982
$6.90 PKR 1,924
3.04%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.84 PKR 235
$0.91 PKR 253
-7.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.40 PKR 113
$0.40 PKR 112
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.74 PKR 486
$2.87 PKR 801
-39.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.92 PKR 256
$0.92 PKR 258
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K PKR 5.9M
$20.9K PKR 5.8M
1.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.0K PKR 6.4M
$26.2K PKR 7.3M
-12.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Skardu
Islamabad
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$102 PKR 28.5K
$111 PKR 31.1K
-8.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.28 PKR 2,031
$5.57 PKR 1,555
30.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.08 PKR 3,091
$18.70 PKR 5,217
-40.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Skardu
Islamabad
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$12.25 PKR 3,416
$22.29 PKR 6,219
-45.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.03 PKR 1,683
$5.86 PKR 1,634
2.90%
Cinema Ticket
$3.44 PKR 960
$4.30 PKR 1,200
-20.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Skardu
Islamabad
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$30.30 PKR 8,451
$60.6 PKR 16.9K
-49.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,125 PKR 313.8K
$2,738 PKR 763.9K
-58.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Skardu
Islamabad
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$15.39 PKR 4,293
$21.38 PKR 5,964
-28.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$22.33 PKR 6,230
$28.45 PKR 7,935
-21.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.0 PKR 19.8K
$89.5 PKR 25.0K
-20.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$28.76 PKR 8,022
$40.17 PKR 11.2K
-28.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Skardu
Islamabad
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$75.1 PKR 21.0K
$197 PKR 55.0K
-61.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$52.1 PKR 14.5K
$111 PKR 31.1K
-53.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$164 PKR 45.8K
$505 PKR 140.8K
-67.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$106 PKR 29.6K
$292 PKR 81.6K
-63.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$701 PKR 195.5K
$1,535 PKR 428.1K
-54.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$623 PKR 173.8K
$752 PKR 209.7K
-17.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Skardu
Islamabad
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$291 PKR 81.1K
$304 PKR 84.7K
-4.18%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
19
20.2
-5.94%

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

Last update for Skardu: April 13, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: April 12, 2026

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 other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities