Despite the increase in public services invoices and daily expenses, three of the cheapest cities in the world are in Pakistan, according to a global cost of life index.
The 2025 cost of living index classified Lahore and Karachi as the third and fourth cheapest cities worldwide, with Islamabad also making the list in the 314th place of 327 cities surveyed.
The index compares global life expenses based on the cost of living of New York City, rental for rent, groceries, restaurant prices and purchasing power.
According to the report, Zurich, Lausana and Geneva in Switzerland were classified as the most expensive cities in the world, with New York in fourth place.
The Swiss cities Basel and Bern took the fifth and sixth places, while San Francisco and Honolulu in the United States occupied the seventh and eighth place, respectively. Reykjavik, Iceland and Boston, USA, completed the ten most expensive cities.
At the other end of the spectrum, Coimbatore in India was named the cheapest city in the world, followed by Alexandria in Egypt. It was discovered that Lahore and Karachi were 85% cheaper than Zurich, while Islamabad was 83% less expensive.
