Islamabad has outperformed several world-famous cities in a global quality-of-life ranking, placing ahead of London, Paris, and New York. The Pakistani capital scored 140.7 points in Numbeo’s 2026 Mid-Year Quality of Life Index, highlighting its relative strengths in safety and living costs. However, the results also reveal areas where Islamabad continues to face challenges.
Islamabad Scores Higher Than Major Global Cities
According to Numbeo’s 2026 mid-year rankings, Islamabad achieved a quality-of-life score of 140.7. This placed the capital ahead of Paris, which scored 138.8, New York at 137.3, and London at 135.8.
Islamabad also ranked above Kuala Lumpur, Budapest, and Johannesburg. These results put Pakistan’s capital ahead of several internationally recognised urban centres in the index.
However, the ranking does not mean Islamabad performs better in every aspect of daily life. Instead, the overall score reflects a combination of factors, including safety, healthcare, affordability, pollution, and purchasing power.
Islamabad Leads Among Pakistani Cities
Islamabad also recorded the highest quality-of-life score among the Pakistani cities included in the comparison. Lahore followed with 98.4 points, while Karachi scored 76.1.
The difference highlights Islamabad’s stronger overall performance across the index’s combined indicators. Nevertheless, the figures represent comparative index scores rather than direct measurements of every resident’s living experience.
Safety and Affordability Strengthen Islamabad’s Position
Safety and living costs contributed to Islamabad’s performance. The capital recorded a Safety Index score of 69.2 and a Cost of Living Index score of 25.3.
By comparison, New York recorded a cost-of-living score of 100.0, while London scored 88.2 and Paris reached 78.6. These figures indicate substantially higher relative living costs in those cities under Numbeo’s index.
However, lower living costs do not automatically translate into greater financial comfort for every resident. Income levels and purchasing power also influence how easily people can afford housing, food, transport, and other essentials.
Healthcare, Climate and Purchasing Power Scores
Islamabad recorded a healthcare score of 63.7 and a climate score of 76.9. Its pollution score stood at 41.5, while its Purchasing Power Index reached 43.7.
The purchasing-power figure highlights a potential weakness despite the capital’s comparatively low living costs. Residents’ ability to afford goods and services depends partly on their earnings relative to local prices.
Therefore, Islamabad’s overall ranking presents a mixed picture. The city performs relatively well in several categories, but its purchasing-power score shows that affordability alone does not tell the whole story.
Which Cities Still Outrank Islamabad?
Despite its performance against London, Paris, and New York, Islamabad remains below the index’s leading cities.
The Hague in the Netherlands topped the ranking with 221.5 points. Eindhoven followed with 210.7, while Seattle recorded 182.5, considerably higher than Islamabad’s score.
These results show that Islamabad’s position among the cities highlighted in the comparison does not place it among the index’s highest-scoring locations overall.
How Numbeo Measures Quality of Life
Numbeo’s Quality of Life Index combines several indicators to compare living conditions across cities. These include purchasing power, safety, healthcare, cost of living, housing affordability, traffic, pollution, and climate.
Importantly, Numbeo relies on user-contributed data and surveys rather than official government statistics. Consequently, its rankings provide a comparative snapshot, not a definitive assessment of every city’s living standards.
Islamabad’s performance nevertheless places it ahead of several major international cities in the 2026 mid-year comparison. Its affordability and safety scores support that position, while purchasing power remains an important consideration when assessing residents’ everyday financial circumstances.
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