Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wah and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Wah: $417 a month against $602 in Islamabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Wah
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Wah Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index

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Wah

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$417

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$602

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $417 per month in Wah vs $602 in Islamabad, rent included.

Wah $417
Islamabad $602

A couple spends around $635 per month in Wah vs $937 in Islamabad, rent included.

Wah $635
Islamabad $937

A family of three spends $853 per month in Wah vs $1,272 in Islamabad, rent included.

Wah $853
Islamabad $1,272

Wah is about 31% cheaper than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Wah and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Wah 69% lower, Islamabad 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.86 PKR 514

$3.52 PKR 975

-47.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.65 PKR 2,946

$22.86 PKR 6,326

-53.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 PKR 1,541

$5.27 PKR 1,458

5.69%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 PKR 684

$3.72 PKR 1,030

-33.60%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 PKR 593

$6.70 PKR 1,855

-68.06%

Cappuccino

$1.24 PKR 344

$2.63 PKR 727

-52.85%

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

$0.33 PKR 92.0

$0.33 PKR 90.5

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 72.2

$0.21 PKR 58.1

23.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 PKR 211

$0.95 PKR 262

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 PKR 166

$0.78 PKR 216

-23.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 349

$1.29 PKR 358

-2.33%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 334

$1.21 PKR 335

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.51 PKR 2,355

$6.32 PKR 1,748

34.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.50 PKR 692

$3.14 PKR 869

-20.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.00 PKR 1,107

$5.51 PKR 1,525

-27.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 PKR 307

$1.27 PKR 351

-12.60%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 PKR 174

$0.82 PKR 227

-23.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.58 PKR 160

$1.07 PKR 295

-45.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 PKR 175

$0.55 PKR 152

14.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 PKR 84.2

$0.27 PKR 74.4

11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 PKR 131

$0.38 PKR 106

23.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$0.30 PKR 83.7

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 119

$0.40 PKR 110

7.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.57 PKR 157

$1.99 PKR 550

-71.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 PKR 154

$1.19 PKR 328

-52.94%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 PKR 194

$2.59 PKR 718

-72.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.41 PKR 390

$2.31 PKR 639

-38.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 PKR 42.83

$0.20 PKR 54.2

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.97 PKR 2,761

$21.41 PKR 5,925

-53.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 PKR 304

$1.25 PKR 346

-12.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 PKR 291

$0.70 PKR 194

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 PKR 791

$1.59 PKR 440

79.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 PKR 323

$1.36 PKR 377

-13.97%

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

$23.7K PKR 6.5M

$54.4K PKR 15.1M

-56.50%

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

$23.0K PKR 6.4M

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

-2.12%

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

$66.8 PKR 18.5K

$100 PKR 27.8K

-33.52%

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

$5.70 PKR 1,577

$6.12 PKR 1,694

-6.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.27 PKR 3,951

$17.33 PKR 4,795

-17.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.99 PKR 4,149

$28.40 PKR 7,861

-47.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.84 PKR 2,170

$8.87 PKR 2,456

-11.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 PKR 2,058

$4.82 PKR 1,335

54.36%

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

$26.43 PKR 7,315

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

-64.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,033 PKR 562.7K

$5,109 PKR 1.4M

-60.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.26 PKR 5,331

$26.32 PKR 7,284

-26.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.79 PKR 7,415

$35.60 PKR 9,854

-24.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.9 PKR 15.2K

$98.1 PKR 27.2K

-44.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.15 PKR 8,345

$40.95 PKR 11.3K

-26.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$127 PKR 35.1K

$269 PKR 74.4K

-52.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$78.7 PKR 21.8K

$141 PKR 38.9K

-44.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$250 PKR 69.3K

$577 PKR 159.8K

-56.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 PKR 40.7K

$279 PKR 77.2K

-47.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$923 PKR 255.4K

$1,679 PKR 464.8K

-45.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$483 PKR 133.6K

$847 PKR 234.4K

-43.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$388 PKR 107.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.83

13.08

-9.56%

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

Last update for Wah: October 18, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Wah

$97 23.3%

Islamabad

$104 17.3% 7.5% $7.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wah

$87 20.8%

Islamabad

$124 20.6% 42.8% $37

Accommodation & Living

Wah

$79 18.9%

Islamabad

$141 23.4% 78.6% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Wah

$59 14.1%

Islamabad

$90 15% 53.4% $31

Eating Out

Wah

$49 11.7%

Islamabad

$78 12.9% 59% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Wah

$30 7.2%

Islamabad

$38 6.3% 27.4% $8.2

Getting Around

Wah

$17 4.1%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 59% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $127 in Wah 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 $11.00 in Wah versus $23.00 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $97.0 vs $104 – making Wah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Wah

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

22:45 10:45 PM

Same time as Wah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

400,733

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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Between locations

Wah Islamabad 33 km

From you

Wah
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

Wah vs Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Islamabad is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $626 per month in Wah 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 Wah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% 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 $11.00 in Wah 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 $417 in Wah and $602 in Islamabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Wah – 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 Wah. 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.