Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Swabi and Lahore

For one person, living costs are similar in Swabi and in Lahore: $522 and $516 a month, rent and utilities included.

25

Cost of Living Index in Swabi
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Swabi Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Lahore
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Lahore Living Index

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Swabi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$522

/mo nomad

Lahore

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$516

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Swabi and in Lahore

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $522 in Swabi versus $516 in Lahore.

Swabi $522
Lahore $516

Estimated couple costs with rent: $796 in Swabi versus $785 in Lahore.

Swabi $796
Lahore $785

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,070 in Swabi versus $1,054 in Lahore.

Swabi $1,070
Lahore $1,054

Living in Swabi is roughly 1% more expensive than in Lahore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Swabi 61% lower, Lahore 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 PKR 988

$2.55 PKR 705

40.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.34 PKR 6,459

$14.61 PKR 4,043

59.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 PKR 1,474

$5.75 PKR 1,590

-7.30%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 PKR 1,028

$3.50 PKR 970

6.00%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 PKR 1,908

$5.29 PKR 1,465

30.25%

Cappuccino

$2.68 PKR 743

$2.66 PKR 736

0.75%

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

$0.36 PKR 98.3

$0.41 PKR 114

-12.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.1

$0.25 PKR 69.4

-16.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 PKR 269

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 PKR 199

$0.73 PKR 202

-1.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 PKR 362

$1.20 PKR 332

9.17%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 335

$1.15 PKR 318

5.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.06 PKR 1,677

$6.16 PKR 1,705

-1.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 874

$2.63 PKR 727

20.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.29 PKR 1,463

$4.98 PKR 1,378

6.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 PKR 369

$1.18 PKR 328

12.71%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 242

$0.64 PKR 177

35.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 PKR 294

$0.84 PKR 232

26.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 144

$0.64 PKR 177

-18.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 81.2

$0.32 PKR 88.7

-9.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 97.9

$0.36 PKR 101

-2.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

$0.48 PKR 132

-41.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 PKR 109

$0.35 PKR 96.6

11.43%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.79 PKR 497

$1.05 PKR 291

70.48%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 333

$0.64 PKR 177

87.50%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 PKR 646

$1.67 PKR 462

39.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 PKR 656

$2.14 PKR 592

10.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 PKR 49.49

$0.18 PKR 48.50

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.78 PKR 2,707

$5.38 PKR 1,490

81.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 PKR 342

$0.93 PKR 257

32.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 205

$0.70 PKR 193

5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 PKR 456

$1.84 PKR 510

-10.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 PKR 369

$1.35 PKR 374

-1.48%

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

$21.6K PKR 6.0M

$18.2K PKR 5.0M

18.50%

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

$24.0K PKR 6.6M

$25.2K PKR 7.0M

-4.56%

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

$104 PKR 28.8K

$129 PKR 35.6K

-19.29%

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

$6.08 PKR 1,682

$5.47 PKR 1,514

11.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.31 PKR 4,791

$16.58 PKR 4,590

4.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.38 PKR 3,704

$22.55 PKR 6,240

-40.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.00 PKR 2,491

$10.92 PKR 3,022

-17.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.23 PKR 1,171

$4.20 PKR 1,163

0.71%

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

$74.5 PKR 20.6K

$48.64 PKR 13.5K

53.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,031 PKR 285.4K

$2,013 PKR 557.0K

-48.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.58 PKR 7,356

$17.94 PKR 4,964

48.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.97 PKR 9,679

$27.60 PKR 7,638

26.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 PKR 27.1K

$74.4 PKR 20.6K

31.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.24 PKR 11.4K

$33.12 PKR 9,167

24.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$131 PKR 36.2K

$167 PKR 46.2K

-21.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$85.5 PKR 23.7K

$86.0 PKR 23.8K

-0.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 PKR 66.4K

$354 PKR 98.0K

-32.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$127 PKR 35.1K

$201 PKR 55.5K

-36.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$949 PKR 262.7K

$800 PKR 221.3K

18.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$514 PKR 142.4K

$606 PKR 167.6K

-15.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$201 PKR 55.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

14.05

-6.90%

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

Last update for Swabi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lahore: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Swabi

$127 24.4%

Lahore

$151 29.2% 18.5% $24

Groceries & Markets

Swabi

$103 19.7%

Lahore

$97 18.8% 5.8% $6

Clothing & Footwear

Swabi

$90 17.3%

Lahore

$69 13.3% 23.8% $21

Accommodation & Living

Swabi

$85 16.4%

Lahore

$86 16.7% 0.6% $0.6

Eating Out

Swabi

$79 15.1%

Lahore

$72 14% 8.6% $6.8

Sport & Entertainment

Swabi

$22 4.2%

Lahore

$31 6% 41.6% $9.1

Getting Around

Swabi

$15 3%

Lahore

$11 2% 32% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $131 in Swabi and $167 in Lahore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Swabi vs $15.00 in Lahore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $103 vs $97.0 per month, with Lahore cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Swabi

🇵🇰 Lahore

🕒 Local time

01:50 1:50 AM

Same time as Swabi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

123,412

11,126,285

💱 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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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

Swabi vs Lahore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Swabi and Lahore differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($522 vs $516 including rent). Lahore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $784 in Swabi and $775 in Lahore to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $131 in Swabi versus $167 in Lahore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Swabi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lahore – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $23.00 in Swabi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Lahore gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Lahore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Swabi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.