Islamabad - Post Report Question and Answers
What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
The city is very quiet - for better or worse. It was built from the scratch as the capital of Pakistan in the 50s and it is entirely inhabited by civil servants and members of the diplomatic community (Karachi remains the financial, commercial, etc center of the country). Therefore, it is not vibrant, seeing people (men only) walking in the night is a very rare spectacle. On the other hand, this provides a very settled life for families with small children. There are blackouts and there might be shortage of water, internet may not be steady, etc, but in general life can be easy with all these locals who are more than happy to help you for a few bucks. Islamabad can be used as the base in order to visit destinations as diverse as the alpine lakes and the Himalayas in the north or the deserts of Baluchistan in the south and the Arabic Sea. Visiting the Kalasha people, descendants of Alexander the Great still living in the highlands of Peshawar is extremely interesting from a historical and cultural point of view. - Oct 2023
There is a vibrant, welcoming local social scene. Pakistan is a large country with a big economy, meaning Islamabad has many (but certainly not all) of the resources of a major European or North American city. Regional travel is pretty easy, especially now that direct flights to and from Bangkok are back. Regional travel would be a lot easier if we were permitted to transit Karachi, but hopefully that will come in time. - Jun 2022
Great quality of life.
Very low cost of living.
Easy flights to Thailand for a weekend away. - Sep 2016
Political/diplomatic relevance, rich culture, unique experience, saving money. - Sep 2015
Money. - Aug 2015
saving money; buying carpets; interesting work - Aug 2015
The food is greasy but good. You should save a good bit of money. The weather is great from November until April. The people are generally very nice. - Apr 2014
Saving money, buying carpets, furniture, and jewelry. - Feb 2014
Islamabad is one of the nicest cities in South Asia: very green and relatively clean with almost no traffic. It is built into the Margalla Hills which are at the foothill of the Himalayas. The hiking is amazing in the city, you can climb to the top in 1h30 and there are good restaurants at the top. There are two golf courses; amateurs told me they like the one in Rawalpindi better than the one in Islamabad. There is a nice horseback riding club on the road to Murree, in Islamabad. The Embassy has a large swimming pool, usually heated up in winter, a great gym club with some yoga or abs classes depending on who is at post. There are several tennis courts with teachers under US$10/hour; basketball, volley ball, etc. Household help is cheap. You can purchase antique / wood furniture, gemstones, custom-made clothes & shoes, Islamabad is ideal for shopping and if you like the style between shopping and travelling, you won't save any money! - Dec 2013
Islamabad is truly the garden spot of South Asia. It is built into the Margalla Hills which are one of the foothills of the Himalayas. The hiking is amazing in the city. One can be very active with sports clubs for squash (some of the best instructors in the world on the cheap), tennis, football, and golf. The Pakistani people (vice the government) are amazing -- warm, educated, and, even when religiously conservative, open and hospitable. When we went horseback riding in Nathia Gali, we ran into a Pashtun imam with a dozen of his students on holiday. They invited us (two men and a women plus our police escort and intelligence minder) to break bread with them. The trekking in the north is among the best the world. You can get together with expats, rent a 737 and do a air "safari" of Mount Everest. Plus, it all happens (for most expats) with amazing "danger" bonuses so one can save money hand over fist. - Mar 2012
Oof... not much. Getting worse by the day. If you work for the USG then you are severely restricted in your ability to travel, for security reasons. - Aug 2011
Islamabad is cheap. House help (cook, clean, shop, etc) can be had for $100 a month for part time and about $200 a month full time/live in. In country travel is possible but very tightly controlled by the Embassy. Multiple safety concerns etc. Out of country travel is very possible. Islamabad has direct flights to Bangkok, Kathmandu, Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, and London. - May 2011
