What Does Life Cost in Pakistan (as of 2025)
- Pakistan is among countries with lower cost of living globally. The overall Cost of Living Index (COL Index) is about 18.8, reflecting that many everyday expenses (food, transport, housing) are much cheaper than in many Western countries.
- Major cities like Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi have higher costs than smaller cities: • Islamabad shows COL Index ~ 20.7; Lahore ~ 17.9; Karachi ~ 17.8.
- Some sample local prices: • A simple meal at an inexpensive restaurant ~ ₨ 500. • Mid-range restaurant meal for two ~ ₨ 3,600. • A cappuccino ~ ₨ 500.
- For a single person, monthly living costs (excluding rent) are significantly lower than many Western capitals. For example, Expatistan estimates around ₨ 154,367 per month for a single person covering basics (food, transport, utilities etc.) excluding rent.
- Key variables that determine cost: whether you live in a major city vs smaller town; whether housing is simple or higher standard; how much you cook vs eat out; whether your lifestyle includes imported goods, frequent travel, foreign subscriptions etc.
How Dogpay Can Help Reduce Financial Pain Points in Pakistan
When moving to or living in Pakistan, especially as an expat / someone who sends or receives money across borders, there are several payment / financial friction points. Here’s how Dogpay can help:
- Transparent Currency Conversions & Lower Fees Many imports, foreign subscriptions, or international remittances suffer high exchange rate spreads or hidden fees. Dogpay can allow you to send/receive in foreign currencies with clearer fee disclosure, better conversion rates, and less “surprise cost.”
- Rent / Deposit / Housing Payments If renting a place in a major city, you’ll often need a deposit, first rental period, and sometimes advance payment. If funds are coming from abroad (home country / foreign bank), Dogpay helps ensure you see upfront what fees are, that enough funds arrive, and payment tracking is solid.
- Paying for Imported Goods / Specialty Items If you like imported electronics, fashion, branded cosmetics etc., or order from abroad, you may face shipping, customs, markup, bank fees. Dogpay helps by allowing cleaner overseas payments, sometimes optimizing when to convert currency, and helping avoid heavy bank/intermediary charges.
- Handling Remittance / Salary / Foreign Income If you receive funds from abroad (salary, investment, freelance, family support), you want to minimize losses in exchange rate or bank transfer fees. Dogpay’s features in cross-currency / cross-border transfers help you keep more of what you receive, speed up arrival, and maintain documentation of transactions.
- Recurring Bills & Local Services Utilities, internet, insurance, phone, subscriptions — even though many are local currency, if you have any foreign subscriptions or international service providers, or if your bank account is outside Pakistan, you may incur foreign-related fees. Dogpay can help manage recurring payments, schedule them, and keep visibility.
Key Tips & Advice for Living Comfortably in Pakistan
- Choose housing carefully: living in the city center (Lahore/Islamabad/Karachi) will cost more; suburbs or smaller towns are cheaper.
- Estimate cost of food / groceries by cooking most meals rather than eating out; local markets are much cheaper than imported brands.
- Keep track of inflation and currency fluctuations — Pakistan has had inflation, currency depreciation, utility price changes — that can affect cost of living over time.
- If you depend on foreign income or need to send money abroad / receive abroad, pay attention to remittance / conversion costs. Tools like Dogpay can help.
- Always keep receipts / documentation for larger payments (housing deposit, imported goods, etc.) — useful for budgeting, taxes, possibly customs or warranty purposes.
