ISLAMABAD: Construction material prices in Pakistan’s major cities showed striking regional gaps in January 2026, with bricks costing more than double in Islamabad compared to Dadu, government data revealed, highlighting challenges for affordable housing and urban development.
Bricks soared to 24,732 rupees per 1,000 units in the capital while falling to 12,000 rupees in smaller centers, especially Dadu. In Karachi, it was at Rs18,000, Lahore Rs17,463, Peshawar 18,331, and Rs14,742 in Quetta.
The figures, compiled in an urban inter-city consumer price index for construction and energy items, highlight how costs for key building supplies like bricks, cement and iron bars fluctuate widely across 35 centers.
In the priciest spots, Quetta led with iron bars at 227,994.15 rupees per tonne and cement bags at 1,489.98 rupees. Bargains emerged in smaller cities, such as Hyderabad’s lowest iron bars at 204,749.54 rupees per tonne and D I Khan’s cheapest cement at 1,280 rupees per bag.
In Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar, the cement prices were Rs1,391; Rs1,467; Rs1,377 and Rs1,353/bag respectively. Similarly, iron bar price was Rs211331/ton in Karachi, Rs222583 in Islamabad, Rs212333 in Lahore, and Rs208162 in Peshawar.
Likewise, Bajri price was highest at Rs17,500/truck in Bahawalnagar and lowest Rs4,466 in Khuzdar. In Karachi its price was Rs7,854, Islamabad (Rs14,486), Peshawar (Rs7,533), Quetta (Rs6,649) and Lahore (17,463).
Sand price also highest at Rs11773/truck in Islamabad, while lowest at Rs3,000 in Dadu. In Karachi it was at Rs6811, Lahore Rs7573, Peshawar Rs6,208, and Rs6199 in Quetta. Labour rates also varied, with masons commanding an average daily wage of 1,929.33 rupees, peaking at 2,478.44 rupees in Karachi but falling to 1,500 rupees in places like Bahawalnagar, R.Y. Khan and Mirpurkhas. In Islamabad, it was at Rs2,404, Lahore 2,260, Peshawar 2,000 and Quetta at Rs2,194.
Unskilled labourers averaged 1,188.13 rupees daily, with the highest pay of 1,693.86 rupees in Abbottabad and the lowest of 865.35 rupees in Dera Murad Jamali.
This pattern underscores the uneven cost of construction across Pakistan, with urban centers facing higher material and labor expenses than smaller cities, potentially shaping regional development trends.
