Islamabad at a glance
- Islamabad is the most expensive of Pakistan's 9 priced cities: $427 a month in essentials, 72% above Quetta at $248.
- The average net salary of $383 covers that 0.9×.
- PM2.5 averages 37.4 µg/m³ a year, 7× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 10 Pakistan cities we track, so every row says whether Islamabad is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $427 | $305 | 1.40× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $141 | $74 | 1.92× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $269 | $120 | 2.24× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $57 | $52 | $5 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $88 | $54 | 1.63× as much |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $119 | $119 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $22 | $7 | 3.14× as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $383 | $179 | 2.14× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $270 | $164 | 1.64× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $586 | $242 | 2.43× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Islamabad, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $3.60 | $2.34 | 1.54× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $22.69 | $11.71 | 1.94× as much |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $5.40 | $5.40 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.38 | $1.72 | 1.39× as much |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.36 | $0.34 | $0.02 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.25 | $0.23 | $0.02 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $0.97 | $0.85 | $0.12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.74 | $0.59 | $0.15 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.22 | $1.21 | $0.01 |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.24 | $1.21 | $0.03 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $5.96 | $6.03 | $0.07 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $2.94 | $2.83 | $0.11 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $1.24 | $1.15 | $0.09 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $0.85 | $0.60 | 1.42× as much |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $0.42 | $0.53 | 1.25× as much |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.28 | $0.30 | $0.02 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.34 | $0.34 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.39 | $0.40 | $0.01 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.18 | $0.18 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $21.61 | $9.00 | 2.40× as much |
| Taxi start | $1.17 | $0.90 | 1.30× as much |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.72 | $0.72 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.27 | $1.15 | $0.12 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $104.45 | $104.45 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $14.75 | $14.75 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $5.60 | $5.60 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $29.62 | $16.83 | 1.76× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $4.86 | $4.05 | $0.81 |
How Islamabad ranks against every city we track
Islamabad sits ahead of 90% of the 542 cities we track on cost of living. On city-centre rent it is ahead of 88% of 553. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 5% of 898.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Islamabad sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Fassifarooq, CC BY-SA 4.0.
