Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Swat and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Swat: $473 a month against $602 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Swat
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Swat Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index

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Swat

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$473

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$602

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $473 per month in Swat vs $602 in Islamabad, rent included.

Swat $473
Islamabad $602

A couple spends around $748 per month in Swat vs $937 in Islamabad, rent included.

Swat $748
Islamabad $937

A family of three spends $1,023 per month in Swat vs $1,272 in Islamabad, rent included.

Swat $1,023
Islamabad $1,272

Swat is about 21% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Swat and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Swat 65% lower, Islamabad 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.69 PKR 1,021

$3.52 PKR 975

4.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.41 PKR 6,478

$22.86 PKR 6,326

2.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.67 PKR 1,015

$5.27 PKR 1,458

-30.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 PKR 1,028

$3.72 PKR 1,030

-0.27%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 PKR 1,887

$6.70 PKR 1,855

1.79%

Cappuccino

$2.65 PKR 732

$2.63 PKR 727

0.76%

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

$0.35 PKR 97.0

$0.33 PKR 90.5

6.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.7

$0.21 PKR 58.1

9.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 PKR 258

$0.95 PKR 262

-2.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 PKR 113

$0.78 PKR 216

-47.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 342

$1.29 PKR 358

-3.88%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 336

$1.21 PKR 335

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.27 PKR 1,737

$6.32 PKR 1,748

-0.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 PKR 839

$3.14 PKR 869

-3.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.50 PKR 1,522

$5.51 PKR 1,525

-0.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 359

$1.27 PKR 351

2.36%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 PKR 239

$0.82 PKR 227

4.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 PKR 299

$1.07 PKR 295

0.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 143

$0.55 PKR 152

-5.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 80.5

$0.27 PKR 74.4

7.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 98.0

$0.38 PKR 106

-7.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.8

$0.30 PKR 83.7

-6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 119

$0.40 PKR 110

7.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.86 PKR 514

$1.99 PKR 550

-6.53%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 333

$1.19 PKR 328

0.84%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 PKR 657

$2.59 PKR 718

-8.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 PKR 621

$2.31 PKR 639

-3.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 42.93

$0.20 PKR 54.2

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.56 PKR 2,645

$21.41 PKR 5,925

-55.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 PKR 355

$1.25 PKR 346

2.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 PKR 209

$0.70 PKR 194

8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 PKR 444

$1.59 PKR 440

1.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 PKR 364

$1.36 PKR 377

-3.68%

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

$21.6K PKR 6.0M

$54.4K PKR 15.1M

-60.21%

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

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

-0.12%

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

$103 PKR 28.4K

$100 PKR 27.8K

2.11%

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

$5.50 PKR 1,522

$6.12 PKR 1,694

-10.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.00 PKR 4,704

$17.33 PKR 4,795

-1.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.14 PKR 4,189

$28.40 PKR 7,861

-46.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.10 PKR 2,242

$8.87 PKR 2,456

-8.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.36 PKR 1,207

$4.82 PKR 1,335

-9.54%

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

$42.55 PKR 11.8K

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

-42.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,034 PKR 286.3K

$5,109 PKR 1.4M

-79.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.97 PKR 7,189

$26.32 PKR 7,284

-1.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.11 PKR 9,718

$35.60 PKR 9,854

-1.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.47 PKR 7,048

$98.1 PKR 27.2K

-74.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.04 PKR 11.1K

$40.95 PKR 11.3K

-2.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$128 PKR 35.3K

$269 PKR 74.4K

-52.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$77.5 PKR 21.5K

$141 PKR 38.9K

-44.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 PKR 80.2K

$577 PKR 159.8K

-49.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 PKR 46.4K

$279 PKR 77.2K

-39.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$867 PKR 240.1K

$1,679 PKR 464.8K

-48.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$477 PKR 132.1K

$847 PKR 234.4K

-43.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$388 PKR 107.4K

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 Swat: 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

Swat

$125 26.4%

Islamabad

$124 20.6% 0.9% $1.2

Groceries & Markets

Swat

$100 21.2%

Islamabad

$104 17.3% 4.2% $4.2

Accommodation & Living

Swat

$78 16.4%

Islamabad

$141 23.4% 81.2% $63

Eating Out

Swat

$75 15.8%

Islamabad

$78 12.9% 4.1% $3.1

Clothing & Footwear

Swat

$57 12%

Islamabad

$90 15% 58.8% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Swat

$24 5%

Islamabad

$38 6.3% 59.5% $14

Getting Around

Swat

$15 3.2%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 76.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $128 in Swat 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 $23.00 in Swat versus $23.00 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $100 vs $104 – making Swat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Swat

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

20:16 8:16 PM

Same time as Swat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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

On the map

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Swat Islamabad 140 km

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Swat
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

Swat vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $710 per month in Swat 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 Swat, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% 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 $23.00 in Swat 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 $473 in Swat and $602 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Swat – 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 Swat. 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.