Cost of Living Comparison Between Sylhet and Rawalpindi Cost of Living Comparison Between Sylhet and Rawalpindi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $363 in Sylhet versus $495 in Rawalpindi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $616 in Sylhet versus $781 in Rawalpindi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $870 in Sylhet versus $1,067 in Rawalpindi.

Living in Sylhet costs roughly 27% less than in Rawalpindi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sylhet 73% lower, Rawalpindi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.42 ৳297

$2.05 PKR 569

18.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.31 ৳1,387

$16.07 PKR 4,452

-29.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ৳502

$5.84 PKR 1,617

-29.97%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.77 ৳585

$1.76 PKR 487

171.02%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 ৳493

$3.50 PKR 971

14.57%

Cappuccino

$2.06 ৳253

$1.98 PKR 549

4.04%

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

$0.31 ৳37.51

$0.44 PKR 121

-29.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.12

$0.25 PKR 69.4

-36.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 ৳102

$0.91 PKR 251

-8.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 ৳69.1

$0.54 PKR 151

3.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ৳77.6

$1.23 PKR 340

-48.78%

Eggs

$1.22 ৳150

$1.11 PKR 308

9.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.56 ৳927

$6.32 PKR 1,752

19.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ৳410

$3.57 PKR 990

-6.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.40 ৳785

$5.05 PKR 1,398

26.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 ৳325

$1.20 PKR 331

120.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.92 ৳113

$0.84 PKR 232

9.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 ৳288

$1.22 PKR 338

92.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳76.9

$0.53 PKR 146

18.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.25 ৳30.88

$0.36 PKR 99.5

-30.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 ৳59.0

$0.45 PKR 124

6.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.42

$0.31 PKR 84.9

12.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 ৳35.79

$0.43 PKR 118

-32.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 ৳351

$16.09 PKR 4,458

-82.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 ৳248

$1.14 PKR 316

77.19%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 ৳494

$2.37 PKR 657

70.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ৳346

$1.93 PKR 535

46.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ৳92.1

$0.18 PKR 50.5

316.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.48 ৳3,004

$9.99 PKR 2,767

145.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 ৳152

$0.93 PKR 258

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.14 ৳17.43

$0.35 PKR 96.1

-60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ৳143

$3.11 PKR 861

-62.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 ৳127

$1.13 PKR 313

-8.85%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

64.15%

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

$32.0K ৳3.9M

$24.1K PKR 6.7M

32.52%

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

$25.58 ৳3,139

$113 PKR 31.2K

-77.32%

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

$4.02 ৳493

$5.55 PKR 1,537

-27.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.33 ৳1,390

$18.88 PKR 5,229

-39.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.38 ৳1,151

$12.11 PKR 3,354

-22.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.01 ৳492

$6.81 PKR 1,886

-41.12%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳505

$4.26 PKR 1,179

-3.52%

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

$28.85 ৳3,540

$48.70 PKR 13.5K

-40.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$992 ৳121.7K

$833 PKR 230.8K

19.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.85 ৳1,944

$20.41 PKR 5,653

-22.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.50 ৳2,025

$28.85 PKR 7,993

-42.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.02 ৳4,419

$93.7 PKR 26.0K

-61.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.63 ৳3,636

$36.19 PKR 10.0K

-18.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$130 ৳15.9K

$201 PKR 55.6K

-35.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$57.9 ৳7,108

$83.0 PKR 23.0K

-30.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$173 ৳21.2K

$428 PKR 118.6K

-59.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 ৳19.5K

$226 PKR 62.6K

-29.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$703 ৳86.3K

$1,170 PKR 324.1K

-39.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$348 ৳42.8K

$507 PKR 140.5K

-31.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$223 ৳27.3K

$173 PKR 48.0K

28.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

22.81

-54.06%

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

Last update for Sylhet: September 14, 2026

Last update for Rawalpindi: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $130 in Sylhet and $201 in Rawalpindi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sylhet pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $11.00 in Sylhet vs $16.00 in Rawalpindi. Groceries flip the comparison at $118 vs $103, with Rawalpindi cheaper for home cooking.

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

Sylhet vs Rawalpindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sylhet and Rawalpindi differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($363 vs $495 including rent). Sylhet is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 28% higher in Sylhet, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $130 in Sylhet versus $201 in Rawalpindi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sylhet – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $16.00 in Rawalpindi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $363 per month in Sylhet versus $495 in Rawalpindi – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Sylhet 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 Sylhet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Rawalpindi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.