Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Talagang and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Talagang: $462 a month against $599 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Talagang
Learn more

Talagang Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index

Jump to prices

Talagang

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$462

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $462 per month in Talagang vs $599 in Islamabad, rent included.

Talagang $462
Islamabad $599

A couple spends around $662 per month in Talagang vs $930 in Islamabad, rent included.

Talagang $662
Islamabad $930

A family of three spends $862 per month in Talagang vs $1,261 in Islamabad, rent included.

Talagang $862
Islamabad $1,261

Talagang is about 23% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Talagang and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Talagang 66% lower, Islamabad 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.51 PKR 694

$3.63 PKR 1,004

-30.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.22 PKR 2,551

$23.40 PKR 6,478

-60.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 PKR 1,516

$5.54 PKR 1,534

-1.08%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 PKR 595

$3.57 PKR 987

-39.78%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 PKR 808

$6.73 PKR 1,864

-56.61%

Cappuccino

$3.22 PKR 890

$2.64 PKR 730

21.97%

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

$0.41 PKR 112

$0.32 PKR 89.6

28.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 PKR 44.99

$0.23 PKR 63.7

-30.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.66 PKR 183

$0.94 PKR 259

-29.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 PKR 146

$0.72 PKR 200

-26.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 PKR 292

$1.30 PKR 361

-19.23%

Eggs

$1.07 PKR 295

$1.22 PKR 339

-12.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.49 PKR 967

$6.05 PKR 1,674

-42.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 PKR 869

$3.09 PKR 855

1.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.65 PKR 1,009

$5.35 PKR 1,482

-31.78%

Apples (1kg)

$0.92 PKR 255

$1.26 PKR 350

-26.98%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$0.87 PKR 241

-35.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.42 PKR 115

$1.04 PKR 288

-59.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 156

$0.53 PKR 146

5.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 85.5

$0.29 PKR 81.2

6.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.6

$0.36 PKR 99.4

-8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.18 PKR 49.06

$0.28 PKR 76.4

-35.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.25 PKR 68.5

$0.39 PKR 108

-35.90%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.86 PKR 514

$1.95 PKR 539

-4.62%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 PKR 195

$1.19 PKR 331

-40.34%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 PKR 190

$2.68 PKR 743

-74.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.86 PKR 514

$2.24 PKR 619

-16.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 PKR 52.2

$0.16 PKR 43.07

18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.95 PKR 3,031

$21.34 PKR 5,905

-48.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 PKR 306

$1.24 PKR 344

-10.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 PKR 208

$0.74 PKR 204

1.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 PKR 394

$1.60 PKR 442

-11.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 PKR 326

$1.37 PKR 378

-13.87%

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

$22.3K PKR 6.2M

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

-59.03%

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

$25.4K PKR 7.0M

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

6.32%

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

$120 PKR 33.3K

$103 PKR 28.6K

16.66%

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

$8.21 PKR 2,273

$5.99 PKR 1,658

37.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.68 PKR 4,062

$17.15 PKR 4,746

-14.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.97 PKR 4,696

$28.20 PKR 7,806

-39.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.66 PKR 2,397

$8.47 PKR 2,344

2.24%

Cinema Ticket

$2.01 PKR 556

$4.43 PKR 1,226

-54.63%

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

$47.01 PKR 13.0K

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

-37.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,007 PKR 278.8K

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

-79.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$7.11 PKR 1,969

$25.72 PKR 7,118

-72.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.33 PKR 4,519

$34.48 PKR 9,543

-52.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.2 PKR 13.9K

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

-47.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.41 PKR 9,248

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

-19.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$108 PKR 30.0K

$276 PKR 76.5K

-60.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$80.2 PKR 22.2K

$139 PKR 38.3K

-42.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 PKR 65.7K

$572 PKR 158.2K

-58.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 PKR 38.2K

$270 PKR 74.9K

-49.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$974 PKR 269.7K

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

-40.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$478 PKR 132.2K

$836 PKR 231.5K

-42.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$380 PKR 105.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

-15.90%

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

Last update for Talagang: October 13, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Talagang

$143 31%

Islamabad

$126 21.1% 11.8% $17

Accommodation & Living

Talagang

$80 17.4%

Islamabad

$139 23.1% 72.7% $58

Eating Out

Talagang

$77 16.8%

Islamabad

$80 13.3% 2.8% $2.2

Groceries & Markets

Talagang

$75 16.3%

Islamabad

$102 17% 35.8% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Talagang

$48 10.4%

Islamabad

$89 14.8% 84% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Talagang

$21 4.5%

Islamabad

$37 6.2% 76.6% $16

Getting Around

Talagang

$17 3.6%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 62.4% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $108 in Talagang versus $276 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 $9.00 in Talagang versus $23.00 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $75.0 vs $102 – making Talagang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Talagang

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

10:40 10:40 AM

Same time as Talagang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,855

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Talagang Islamabad 100 km

From you

Talagang
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

Talagang vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $693 per month in Talagang and $899 in Islamabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 36% 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 $9.00 in Talagang 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 $462 in Talagang and $599 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Talagang – 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 Talagang. 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.