Average monthly household expenses in Pakistan (2026)

Average household expenses at a glance

Average monthly household consumption spending in HIES 2024-25:

Average monthly household income in the same survey was Rs 82,179 (Rs 96,767 urban, Rs 72,157 rural). In other words, the average household spent almost everything it earned. Spending more than doubled from Rs 37,159 in HIES 2018-19.

Remember that these are averages. Many households spend much less, and a smaller number spend much more, which pulls the average up.

Where the money goes: spending by category

HIES 2024-25 splits spending into standard groups. The rupee amounts are our calculation: each share multiplied by the national average of Rs 79,150 and rounded.

Food and the home together take more than 60% of the average budget. That is why the biggest savings usually come from groceries and electricity, not from small treats. Our guides to the family grocery budget and cutting your electricity bill start there.

Education looks small at 2.48% because it is an average over all households, including those with no children in school. For a family paying private school fees, it is often one of the biggest lines.

City and village: how spending differs

Urban households spent about Rs 27,600 a month more than rural ones (our calculation: Rs 95,533 minus Rs 67,894), even though they were slightly smaller. Per person, urban spending was Rs 16,795 against Rs 10,991.

The main reasons are familiar:

• Rent. Many rural families own their home, while city families often rent.
• Food. City households buy almost everything, while some rural households grow or raise part of their food.
• Transport and schooling. Longer commutes and private school fees are more common in cities.

Big cities and smaller cities

The published HIES report gives figures for urban and rural areas, not for individual cities. Rent in Karachi, Lahore or Islamabad is usually far higher than in a smaller city, so a family in a big city may spend well above the urban average while a family in a small town spends below it. Use the urban figure as a middle point, not a target.

Household expenses by family size

HIES reports spending per household and per person. As a rough guide only, multiplying the per-person figure by the number of people gives the following (our calculation):

Real costs don't grow exactly with the number of people. Rent, the electricity connection and the internet are shared, so a couple usually spends more per person than a family of six. Treat the 2-person figure as a likely minimum and the 6-person figure as a likely maximum.

Allowing for price rises

The survey took place between September 2024 and June 2025. Prices have risen since: PBS put average inflation at 7.05% for 2025-26 and year-on-year inflation at 9.6% in October 2026. If the average household's spending had simply risen by 7.05%, it would be about Rs 84,730 a month (our calculation: Rs 79,150 × 1.0705). This is a rough estimate, not a survey figure.

Why cost-of-living websites show different numbers

Crowd-sourced cost-of-living sites often show much higher costs for Pakistani cities than HIES. Neither is lying; they measure different things.

• Who answers. Crowd-sourced sites rely on visitors who choose to enter prices. They tend to be city-based, online and better-off, and sometimes foreigners or overseas Pakistanis.
• What they price. They often ask about a flat in the city centre, imported brands, cafés and gyms, not the rented portion, local brands and weekly bazaar a typical family uses.
• How many answers. A few hundred entries for a city can swing the result. HIES surveyed 32,814 households chosen to represent the whole country.
• What they leave out. A survey records what households actually spent, including families who cut back. A price list shows what a lifestyle would cost.

Crowd-sourced figures can help you compare one neighbourhood or lifestyle with another. For a realistic picture of a typical household, the official survey is the better guide.

How to compare your own spending

1. Add up three months of real spending from bank statements, wallet history and bills, then divide by three.
2. Group it into the same categories as the table above.
3. Compare shares, not rupees. If food is 50% of your spending against an average of 36.72%, that is worth a look, whatever your income.
4. Pick one category to work on first, usually the biggest gap.

Also compare spending with income. In HIES 2024-25, the average household spent Rs 79,150 of an income of Rs 82,179, leaving very little spare. If your spending is close to your income too, even a small cut of Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 a month gives you a cushion for the next surprise bill.

For a ready-made starting point at your salary, see our monthly budget plan for any salary in Pakistan.

The monthly averages also hide a few costs worth planning for. Big one-off expenses such as a wedding, Hajj or Umrah don't appear as a regular line, so see how to save for a wedding, Hajj or Umrah to spread them over the months ahead. If shop instalments or buy now, pay later apps take part of your income, our guide to buy now, pay later in Pakistan shows what they really cost. And once you have a little left over each month, compare committees, bank savings and National Savings to decide where to keep it.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Monthly budget plan for any salary in Pakistan
• How to set a grocery budget for your family (and stick to it)
• How to reduce your electricity bill without living in the dark

Sources

• Pakistan Bureau of Statistics: Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) 2024-25, report
• Pakistan Bureau of Statistics: HIES 2024-25 overview page
• Pakistan Bureau of Statistics: Monthly Review on Price Indices, October 2026
• Pakistan Bureau of Statistics: CPI press release, June 2026 (average inflation for 2025-26)
• Dawn: report on HIES 2024-25 results (1 January 2026)