Islamabad - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Usually, the expected standards of cleanliness and tidiness have to be explained beforehand and repeatedly. Apart from that, it is possible to hire inexpensive domestic help - and for those interested, even to have a helper or driver living within the premises of the house. This is very common for wealthy/upper-middle class Pakistanis but it is not recommended for non locals (helpers tend to be rather indiscreet and you wouldn't like to have them around you on a 24 hours basis). - Oct 2023
Lots available, extremely industrious. Be careful thinking you’ve hired someone full-time, as they all have many, many clients in addition to their “full-time” employer. Typically you’ll hire a man as your housekeeper, but he will expect to do shopping and cooking while his wife will come along and do the cleaning. Most housekeepers are Christians and will observe Christian holidays. Typical salary for an experienced housekeeper is $100 a month for every day of the week they work (so, three days a week, $300/month). They will also typically ask for a recommendation letter at the end of your tour and may be pushy about referrals to arriving personnel. Some will ask you to help find clients for their children or siblings. If you live off-compound, you are responsible for maintaining the exterior of your home as well, including the yard, so most people employ a gardener. They are of wildly varying quality (and many won’t really listen to your preferences in favor of just planting and replanting seasonal flowers a few times a year that they will overcharge you for), but some have relationships with housekeepers who will push you hard to hire them. Get recommendations from folks who’ve served in Islamabad previously or who have already been in the country for a year on which gardener to hire. - Jun 2022
Household help is pretty cheap, however if you live in a SDA you will only be able to hire off a pre-approved domestic workker list. - Feb 2019
More expensive than other posts, and expensive for both expats and local-hire Pakistanis pay, due to the fact that we can only hire screened staff. - Jan 2017
Rates vary depending on how often you'd like them to come and what duties you want to include but most pay around 70-100 USD per month. I would really suggest getting household help even if you are by yourself. Having someone to do the grocery shopping for you when you go on lockdown is more than worth it. Many also cook really well. - Sep 2016
VERY available and VERY cheap - you can still live like a Rajah in Pakistan for little money, if that's your fancy. There are countless drivers, cooks, nannies, butlers, gardeners, etc. willing to work for expats for US$ 200-300 a month. - Sep 2015
Don't use any. This is another thing driven by peer pressure. We hold multiple events at our home, both official and unofficial, and do not use domestic help. - Aug 2015
Excellent. I have a housekeeper couple almost full time who also cook and shop -- US$400/month, part time gardener US$60/month, dog walker twice per weekday US$190/ month. I had to hire all Christians because of my dogs. Other locals were not able to deal with the (very well behaved) dogs. - Aug 2015
Depending on how often you want them, you can get someone for between US$100 and $250 a week. There is plenty of help available. - Apr 2014
Cost is cheap but skill level and motivation of our household staff was shockingly poor. Lots of problems getting them to do the basic cleaning we required, while they maintained a strong sense of entitlement to continuous salary increases and bonuses. - Feb 2014
I had read that you needed a bearer and a cook and a maid, etc. The good news is that it is not necessary: one person can do everything. They won't be perfect at everything but much more reliable because then you can employ them "full time" - If full time is 6 hours, they'll probably do another full time somewhere else. We liked having someone every day for our dog and to have a warm meal for dinner. We paid US$200/month all the time, even when absent and a month bonus upon departure. - Dec 2013
My bearer cost $120/mon (and I gave him a $250 bonus when I left). He did everything, cleaned, mended, took my car for repairs, and cooked amazing Kashmiri food. - Mar 2012
Part-time housecleaner/cook is $140. Plenty of help is available. - Aug 2011
Cheap and super available. I know many people who had 3 or 4 people on their staff. Part time help is less than $100 a month. - May 2011
I have a mother-son team clean my massive house 3 times/week and cook for me, and I pay them $100/month. - Jan 2010
There is plentiful domestic help and it is not expensive. There are cooks with western experience -- although few can follow recipes directly. Most are willing to learn. There are issues of petty thieving by domestic staff. - Oct 2009
Readily available (particularly among the Christian community who find it difficult to obtain remunerative employment) and of varying quality/with varying aptitudes. Inexpensive. - Oct 2008
