Pakistan Travel Budget: How Much Does it Cost To Travel Pakistan?

badshahi mosque as seen from havelli restauarant in lahore pakistan

Last updated on: 8 June 2022

Planning on traveling Pakistan, but not sure what to budget? Read our Pakistan travel budget guide where we share exactly how much it costs to travel Pakistan, including plenty of example prices!

Pakistan, a country filled with friendly people, delicious foods, bustling cities and stunning nature, a country that is worth visiting! And while we might not like it, the costs of a destination determines for many of us if we could visit this country or not. Lucky for you (and for us) Pakistan is one of the most affordable destinations of Asia, a destination you can visit even on a backpacker budget! With plenty of street foods, low budget guesthouses and affordable transportation Pakistan is a true dream destination for those who travel on a budget. Keep on reading to find out more about how much it costs to travel in Pakistan, including plenty of example prices and a full breakdown of exactly how much we spent!

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Money & ATMS in Pakistan

Before we start talking about how much it costs to travel Pakistan we quickly wanted to talk about a couple of things you should know before going to Pakistan when it comes to money… the currency and the ATMs in Pakistan!

Pakistan’s Currency

The currency used in Pakistan is the Pakistani Rupee. The lowest bank note is 5 Rs. and the highest is 5000 Rs., the notes in between are 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 Rupees. The Pakistani Rupee also has coins in the denomination of 1,2, 5 and 10 Rupees, however I must admit that during our whole stay we were given a total of two coins in return. It might be good to know that during our travels in May 2022 195 PKR = 1 USD = 0.95 EUR. You can find the latest exchange rate here on xe.com.

ATMs in Pakistan

ATMs are widely available in Pakistan, however, not all of them accept foreign cards and it is common that a fee is charged for withdrawing cash (on top of what your own bank charges you). We have tried and tested many ATMs in Pakistan, these are the ones that accepted our foreign cards:

Habib Bank Limited (HBL) accepted our Visa card but not our Maestro card - withdrawal fee was 200 Rs.
Bank Alfalah accepted our Maestro Card (a brand of debit card issued by Mastercard) - withdrawal fee was 650 Rs. or 250 Rs. depending on which ATM we used.

ATMs that did not accept our foreign cards:

A MCB bank ATM denied our Maestro, Mastercard and Visa
A Silk Bank ATM denied our Maestro, Mastercard and Visa

ATM scams in Pakistan are not uncommon so be sure to be careful when using ATMs and to bring a backup card with you in case your card gets compromised. We personally use our Wise debit cards as our backup cards when travelling as it easily allows you to block (and unblock) your card from the app.

Pakistan Travel Costs & Example Prices

Now that you are more familiar with the currency and the ATMs in Pakistan let’s talk budget. One of the reasons you are probably reading this article is because you are interested in traveling Pakistan and you are curious what to budget, we wondered the exact same thing. The good news is that you can travel Pakistan on any budget, no matter if you are a backpacker trying to get by on $25 a day or if your budget is $200 a day. In the next section we will break down what kind of costs you can come across, and some example prices for accommodation, food, transport, sightseeing and any other costs that might add to your budget!

During our travels in May 2022 195 PKR = 1 USD = 0.95 EUR

Accommodation

No matter what budget you are traveling on, there is something for everyone in Pakistan. While Pakistan might not be the #1 backpacking destination, it still has a large variety of hotels and guesthouses available. You can find a large selection of guesthouses on Booking.com as well as Agoda. This is what you can expect to budget per night (for a double room) while traveling Pakistan:

BUDGET | If you are traveling on a budget you will be able to find budget double rooms for about $10 - $30 a night.

MEDIUM | If you are traveling on a slightly higher budget you can expect to pay around $50 - $100 a night. We personally traveled on this budget and had no trouble finding accommodation with clean rooms and stable internet connection (much needed as we work online). These are the hotels we stayed at:

Shelton’s Ambassador in Islamabad: 72640 Rs. or $46.56 per night for a double room
Luxus Grand Hotel in Lahore: 10909 Rs. or $55.50 per night for a double room

LUXURY | If you prefer to travel more luxurious and stay in the more luxury hotels such as Serena Hotels or the Pearl Continental chain you can expect to pay anywhere from $100 - $350 a night. Our budget unfortunately did not allow us to try any of these hotels, however, we did stay for one night at the 108 Hotel in Islamabad (24476 Rs. or $125.52 a night) which was definitely more on the modern and luxurious side!

Food & Drinks

One of the reasons we loved Pakistan is for the incredibly delicious food. Kebabs, biryanis, channa, daal, halwa puri, what is not to love? Food is affordable, both when it comes to street food as well as eating out at restaurants! Here is what you can expect to pay per meal:

STREET FOOD | Street food is one of the most affordable options when it comes to eating food in Pakistan. Street food is widely available and you many cities will have entire markets and streets dedicated to it. Here are some example prices of street food in Pakistan:

Pani Puri - 80 Rs. or $0.41
Samosa - 30 Rs. or $0.15
Pakora - 30 Rs. or $0.15
Chicken Biryani - 200 Rs. or $1.03
Gulab Jamun - 20 Rs. or $0.10

DINING AT A RESTAURANT | Besides street food you will also find plenty of restaurants available selling desi food! You can find budget restaurants as well as luxury restaurants, so it truly depends on your budget what kind of restaurants you might pick. Here are some example prices at local restaurants we came across during our travels:

Chicken Biryani - 370 Rs. or $1.90
Chicken Karahi - 900 Rs. or $4.60
Daal Mash - 220 Rs. or $1.13
Full Roasted Chicken - 810 Rs. or $4.15
Haleem - 180 Rs. or $0.92
Soft drink - 75 Rs. or $0.38
Mint Margarita - 275 Rs. or $1.41

Please note that at many restaurants the prices stated are without tax and16% G.S.T. will be added to your bill.

ROOM SERVICE | Room service tends to be a bit more on the expensive side when it comes to food in Pakistan, however, it is still not crazy expensive compared to room service prices we have seen in Western countries such as the USA. Here are some example prices of room service prices we saw when staying in medium range hotels:

Chicken Biryani - 850 Rs. or $4.36
Daal Mash - 675 Rs. or $3.46
Chicken Karahi - 1075 Rs. or $5.51
Roti - 80 Rs. or $0.41
Chicken Malai Boti - 950 Rs. or $4.87
Soft Drink - 160 Rs. or $0.82
Water (1.5L) - 190 Rs. or $0.97

Please note that when ordering room service the prices stated are often without tax and16% G.S.T. can be added to your bill when not included.

WESTERN FOOD | Western food such as burgers, pizza and pasta tend to be a bit more on the expensive side. When it comes to Western restaurants and cafes, here are some prices we came across during our travels:

Zinger Burger with drink and fries (KFC) - 690 Rs. or $3.54
Chicken with Pasta in Mushroom Sauce (Howdy) - 1099 Rs. or $5.63
Medium Ice Coffee (Gloria Jeans) - 595 Rs. or $3.05
Eggs Florentine (Loafology Islamabad) - 625 Rs. or $3.20
Cupcake (Layer’s Bakeshop) - 150 Rs. or $0.77

Please note that when ordering food at restaurants the G.S.T. is not always included (16%) and can be added to your bill later.

Transportation

Transport is one of these things that can make or break your budget. Luckily Pakistan offers a large variety of transport options, so you can make it as affordable or as expensive as your budget allows. Here are some example prices that you might come across:

DOMESTIC FLIGHTS | If you are on a slightly higher budget, and prefer to get around the country quicker you might be thinking about taking a flight instead of a bus or a train. Flights across the country or flights to the North of Pakistan can range anywhere from $40 - $115 when booked in advance. We personally have taken only overland transport in Pakistan as this is our personal preference.

TRAINS | Pakistan has a larger train network that connects the South to the larger cities in the North. Currently there are no trains going to the mountains of Pakistan. Prices differ largely based on the distance, class and type of train taking. You can check what prices to expect online on the Pakistan Railways Website (if the website works though). If you are planning on taking a train in Pakistan we highly recommend checking out this train travel in Pakistan guide!

BUSES | If there is no train to get you to your next destination then most likely there will be a bus that will be able to get you there! Similar to trains the price of a bus depends largely on what type of bus you take and the distance of course. Two of the more well known premium bus companies are Faisal Movers and Daewoo Express, so you can check out their website to see what prices to expect. We personally have only taken one luxury bus with Q connect between Islamabad and Lahore and ended up paying ±$13 for the both of us. Tickets can be more affordable when booked in advance as our ticket would have been $17 per person at full price.

RICKSHAW | When it comes to traveling within cities one of the easiest, and most fun ways to get around town is by taking a rickshaw. In larger cities you will find them simply everywhere, and for short distances they often only cost 100 - 300 Rs. ($0.51 - $1.54). They are one of our personal favourite ways to get around town, however, a little knowledge of where you need to go (such as nearby landmarks) might help!

TAXIS | If you prefer taking a taxi we highly recommend downloading the app Careem. Careem is an easy and affordable way to get around town. Similar to Uber you just type in your pick up destination, as well as where you need to go. After that a price will be given, and after you choose your transport option you will be matched with a driver. Similar to rickshaws, Careem is an affordable way to get around town as a 20 min ride would cost us around 400 Rs. ($2.05) in Lahore and Islamabad!

view from inside rickshaw on the busy streets of lahore pakistan

Sightseeing

Sightseeing was one of our lowest expenditures during our time in Pakistan as many of the sights in Pakistan are free to enter, or have a very low entrance fee! We spent a total of 1000 Rs. ($5.12) to enter Lahore Fort, and another 500 Rs. ($2.56) for the Pakistan Monument all other sights were either free or donation based.

Other

Now the categories above will cover your main expenses. But as every traveler knows there are many other costs that can occur before, or during, your travels (especially if you travel long term). If you are planning a trip to Pakistan you might want to take into consideration some of these costs when creating your budget:

Flights in and out of the country
Vaccinations
Travel gear
Covid tests
Visa
Gyms
Laundry
Sim card & internet
Health & beauty supplies during your travels
Souvenirs & shopping
Tips

This is Exactly How Much We Spent Traveling Pakistan

During our 17 days in Pakistan we spent a total of $1626.39 as a couple which averages to $47.85 per person per day. If you are curious what exactly we spent our money on you can find a breakdown of the costs below! It might be good to know that during our travels we visited only two cities. We have a second, longer, trip to Pakistan planned where we will visit more destinations (including the mountains) which should give a more accurate representation of the travel costs in Pakistan! Please note that these costs do not include any personal expenses or tips.

During our travels in May 2022 195 PKR = 1 USD = 0.95 EUR

Accommodation	$ 1033.91
Luxus Grand Hotel (9 nights)	$ 503.49
Shelton’s Ambassador (6 nights)	$ 279.38
The 108 Hotel (2 nights)	$ 251.04
Transportation	$ 87.35
Transport Within Lahore	$ 38.99
Transport Within Islamabad	$ 35.30
Bus from Lahore to Islamabad	$ 13.06
Sightseeing	$ 7.69
Food & Drinks	$ 394.75
Eating Out & Room Service	$ 357.70
Coffee & Tea	$ 25.97
Groceries & Water	$ 11.08
Other	$ 102.69
Visa	$ 95
Sim Card & Internet	$ 7.69

Now it might be good to know that you can travel on a much lower budget, however, we are personally travelling on a budget of $100 a day for the both of us so as such we had to option to splurge a bit on food and accommodation. If you would like to know how you can spent less during your trip to Pakistan keep on reading!

How to Spent Less While Traveling Pakistan

No matter where you go in the world, there is always the option to spend less money. Here are some of our tips if you want to travel Pakistan on a lower budget!

Book Transport in Advance

Prices of flights, trains and sometimes even buses can be significantly lower when you book them in advance! We saved over 50% on our bus tickets when we booked them 2 weeks in advance, small things like this can save you up to hundreds of dollars in the long run when you are on a multi week or multi month trip!

Book Accommodation in Advance

Similar to transportation accommodation prices are lower when you book them in advance, especially on popular booking websites such as Booking.com and Agoda. Booking accommodation in advance will also mean that you will have more options available as during the high season many of the more popular options tend to fill up completely (or you might be stuck booking the most expensive room).

Stay at Smaller Guesthouses

Large hotel chains such as Serena and Pearl Continental tend to be the most luxurious but also the most expensive options when it comes to accommodation. Smaller guesthouses and homestays tend to be a lot more affordable!

Eat More street Food

Street food, compared to all other food in Pakistan, is much more affordable and it is delicious of course! You can easily cut your food expenses in half by eating mainly street food, or eat at local restaurants, and by staying away from Western food and room service. Be careful when eating street food in Pakistan though as it is not uncommon to hear people get food poisoning from the street food. Our advice: stay away from uncooked food such as salads, street food stalls with flies sitting on the food, and food that has been sitting for too long. Fresh cooked food that is steaming hot or boiled in burning hot oil will be your best bet!

EXPLORE Pakistan WITH OUR TRAVEL GUIDES

And there you have it, our full breakdown of how much it costs to travel Pakistan! Before you go be sure to check out our other Pakistan travel guides filled with tips and tricks of things to do in Pakistan:

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