Buying a House in Lahore in 2026: Society-by-Society Price Guide

In mid-2026 a 5 marla house in Lahore's main societies typically costs roughly 1.9–3.4 crore, a 10 marla house roughly 3.4–6.7 crore and a 1 kanal house roughly 6.2–14 crore, before about 3–4% in taxes and transfer costs for a filer.

If you want to buy a house in Lahore in 2026, budget roughly 1.9–3.4 crore for a 5 marla house in the established societies, roughly 3.4–6.7 crore for 10 marla, and roughly 6.2–14 crore for 1 kanal. Add another 3–4% of the price for a filer's taxes and transfer costs, and far more if you are not on the Active Taxpayer List.

Quick answer: what a house costs in Lahore by size

The table below uses Houseplot's indicative price data (Jun–Aug 2026). Each figure is a society average converted into a ±7% range. It is a starting point for negotiation, not a valuation.

DHA Lahore's own bylaws define a marla as 225 sq ft and a kanal as 4,500 sq ft (DHA bylaws 2026). Older revenue records may use a larger marla, so always confirm the square footage on the transfer papers.

Prices by society: DHA, Bahria, Lake City, Johar Town, Park View

Here is the society-by-society view for houses, again from Houseplot's indicative price data (Jun–Aug 2026). Blank cells mean we do not have reliable data for that size, so we have left them blank rather than guess.

Two patterns stand out. First, DHA's premium is steepest at 1 kanal, where Phase 6 runs well above Bahria. Second, Lake City prices its houses closer to DHA Phase 8 than to Bahria Town. That reflects its newer stock and its position next to the Ring Road.

Johar Town is the odd one out. It is an older LDA scheme, not a gated society, yet its 10 marla houses sit above Bahria Town. Buyers there are paying for the central location and the schools and hospitals already in place, not for gated security.

What changes the price: block, corner, condition

A society average hides a wide spread. In our experience three things move a specific house most.

Block and phase. Inside DHA, Phase 5 and Phase 6 differ by close to 2 crore at 1 kanal in our data. Inside Bahria, blocks near the main boulevard and the mosque sell above back blocks. Ask for recent sale prices in the same block, not the society.

Corner and park-facing. These carry a premium. DHA's bylaws state that if re-planning means a plot is no longer a corner, the owner must accept a non-corner plot and gets a refund of "the extra amount paid" (DHA bylaws 2026). In other words, DHA itself charges extra for corners. Corner plots also have extra setback rules, so the house you get may be smaller than the plot suggests.

Age and build quality. Rebuilding is expensive. A standard-specification 10 marla house in Lahore costs about PKR 2.23–2.52 crore to build from scratch, at September 2026 rates (Avenir Developments). If a 20-year-old house needs gutting, deduct a realistic renovation figure from your offer.

Hidden costs: taxes, transfer fee, commission

These are the costs buyers forget. Legal rates below are exact and sourced. Society fees vary.

Sources: FBR's withholding rate card (updated to 30 June 2026), The News on the 1% stamp duty ordinance, Daily Pakistan for the TMA line, and Profit for PLRA fees. DHA says its transfer charges depend on phase, size and type (DHA Lahore).

Worked example: a 3 crore house

Assume a filer buys a house valued at Rs30,000,000 for both FBR and stamp-duty purposes.

1. Advance tax 236K at 1.25%: Rs375,000.
2. Stamp duty at 1%: Rs300,000.
3. TMA fee at 1% (if charged): Rs300,000.
4. PLRA e-registration at 0.1%: Rs30,000.
5. Society transfer through PLRA system: Rs3,000, plus the society's own fee.

That is roughly Rs1 million, or about 3.4% of the price, before the society fee and any commission. A non-filer buyer would pay 10.5% under 236K instead, which is Rs3,150,000 on the same house.

Commission. There is no legal rate. Agree the dealer's fee in writing before viewing, and confirm whether it is charged to both sides.

How to shortlist and verify

A good shortlist is short. Pick two societies and two sizes that fit your budget, then work through these steps.

1. Check the society's approval. LDA has said every approved society carries a QR code that shows its plots, mortgage and development status, and it advises buyers not to invest where no code is provided (ProPakistani).
2. Avoid files. From 1 July 2026, the LDA banned the sale and purchase of property files in private schemes. Transactions now move to official property certificates with QR codes (ProPakistani).
3. Get a Green Property Certificate. Punjab made the certificate mandatory for property transactions from 1 July 2026 (TechJuice). PLRA lists its fee at Rs800 (APP).
4. Verify with the society. DHA, for example, verifies a property within 24 hours for Rs2,000 and requires a No Demand Certificate before transfer (DHA Lahore).
5. Match the building to an approved map. Ask for the approved plan and completion certificate. Extra floors or a converted basement can create trouble at resale.
6. Check the seller's tax status on FBR's Active Taxpayer List. A non-filer seller pays 11.5%, which can delay a deal.

Red flags

• A price far below the ranges above with pressure to pay "today".
• A seller who cannot produce the original allotment or transfer letter.
• Any request to pay the full price in cash or to a third party's account.
• A house built beyond the approved map, especially extra storeys.

Bottom line

If we were buying today, we would set the budget from the ranges above and then add 4% for costs. We would become a filer before signing anything, because that alone saves several lakh on a typical house. And we would only pay a token after the society verification and the Green Property Certificate come back clean.

This guide is general information; confirm current rates with FBR/the bank/a lawyer before you pay.

Sources