Cost of living in Islamabad
Most cost-of-living pages for Islamabad are a dollar figure converted badly, or one confident rent number somebody made up. This one is built from the same model that prices a real household plan — and it tells you where the numbers are uncertain.
Written for Pakistan · Prices in PKR · Updated September 2026
What your salary supports in rent in Islamabad
Rent is the decision that shapes every other line of the month, and it does not scale in a straight line with income. These are Guzara's own comfortable mid-points — not ceilings, and not the cheapest thing you could find.
| Take-home salary | Comfortable rent in Islamabad | vs. Karachi |
|---|---|---|
| Rs 60,000 | Rs 25,500 | +Rs 3,500 |
| Rs 100,000 | Rs 32,500 | +Rs 4,500 |
| Rs 150,000 | Rs 39,500 | +Rs 5,500 |
| Rs 200,000 | Rs 45,500 | +Rs 6,000 |
| Rs 300,000 | Rs 55,500 | +Rs 7,500 |
| Rs 400,000 | Rs 64,000 | +Rs 8,500 |
| Rs 600,000 | Rs 78,500 | +Rs 11,000 |
| Rs 1,000,000 | Rs 100,500 | +Rs 14,000 |
Islamabad carries a rent multiplier of 1.16 against Karachi. At the bottom of the ladder that is a difference of a few thousand rupees a month; at the top it compounds into something that decides which city you can afford to take a job in.
Rent by area in Islamabad
The city-wide figure above is an average of places that have very little to do with each other. This is what 4 of Islamabad's most-searched areas actually ask.
| Area | A 2-bed portion or flat | A family house |
|---|---|---|
| F-11 | Rs 50,000 – Rs 110,000 | Rs 150,000 – Rs 350,000 |
| G-11 | Rs 45,000 – Rs 90,000 | Rs 130,000 – Rs 300,000 |
| E-11 | Rs 45,000 – Rs 95,000 | Rs 130,000 – Rs 300,000 |
| DHA | Rs 55,000 – Rs 120,000 | Rs 160,000 – Rs 380,000 |
The bills that arrive whatever you earn
Two bills barely move with your salary, and both are worth knowing before you sign a lease.
| Bill | In Islamabad | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Water | Rs 450 | Whether the building has its own supply, or you buy tankers |
| Internet | Rs 3,500 | Broadband is priced nationally — the same package costs the same everywhere |
Everything else scales with the people in the house rather than the city it is in. Electricity is slab-priced, so the same flat costs a couple and a family of six completely different amounts; the grocery basket moves with headcount, not postcode; school fees move with the school. Guzara prices those from your own answers rather than pretending there is a Islamabad number for them, because there is not.
Getting around Islamabad
Petrol is Rs 342 a litre nationally. What differs by city is how far you have to go, and Islamabad carries a lower-than-average distance load.
| A 30 km weekday commute | A month |
|---|---|
| By car, all in — petrol, servicing, wear | Rs 21,160 |
| By bike, all in | Rs 5,520 |
| What the bike saves you | Rs 15,640 |
That gap is the single largest lever most households have that is not rent. It is also the one people are most reluctant to pull, which is fair — but it is worth knowing that it is roughly Rs 15,640 a month you are choosing to spend.
The salary where Islamabad stops being a struggle
There is no single number, because it is a household question far more than a city one. What the city decides is the size of the rent line, and that is the part this page can answer exactly.
| If your rent is | Tight but workable | Comfortable, with savings |
|---|---|---|
| The cheapest 2-bed portion on this page — Rs 45,000 | Rs 129,000 | Rs 180,000 |
| A mid-range 2-bed portion — Rs 76,250 | Rs 218,000 | Rs 305,000 |
| A family house in a mid-range area — Rs 237,500 | Rs 679,000 | Rs 950,000 |
Those are rent at 35% and 25% of take-home. The first column is a month that closes with the savings line thin; the second is one that closes with room. Neither is a rule — they are the two ends of the range inside which a household in Islamabad is not fighting its own rent every month.
For the whole picture — grocery, bijli, school fees, what is left at the end — read how much salary is enough in Pakistan, or just build your own month.
Stop guessing. See the actual number.
Answer a few questions about your salary, your city and your household. Guzara builds the whole month for you — and you can drag any line to see what it costs you elsewhere.
Build my plan — freeQuestions people actually ask
How much salary do you need to live in Islamabad?
For one person or a couple in a mid-range 2-bed portion, a take-home of Rs 218,000 – Rs 305,000 covers it — the lower figure with the savings line thin, the upper with room. You can live on considerably less by sharing or moving out; G-11 portions start around Rs 45,000, and a family house needs more.
Is Islamabad more expensive than Karachi?
On rent, yes — Islamabad runs about 16% above Karachi. On grocery it is slightly higher, and on utilities lower. Rent is the line that decides it.
Which area of Islamabad is cheapest to rent in?
Of the areas on this page, G-11 starts lowest — a 2-bed portion from around Rs 45,000 a month. Cheap rent usually costs you something else, most often distance, so price the commute before you price the flat.
What is a comfortable rent on a Rs 200,000 salary in Islamabad?
About Rs 45,500 a month. That is a mid-point rather than a limit — you can pay more, and Guzara will show you exactly what it costs you elsewhere in the same month.
Are these Islamabad prices current?
The rent bands are asking rents gathered on 2026-09-01 from Pakistani listing portals, and petrol is read from the live OGRA price. Everything else is a calibrated reference point rather than a market feed. Treat it as a well-informed starting estimate and correct it with your own bills.