The retail price of a standard household LPG cylinder in Pakistan has climbed to Rs 6,498, according to market data reported on 8 November, an increase of nearly 80 percent since the start of 2026. The figure, based on the latest market data available as of 5 November, covers an 11.67kg cylinder and underlines how far cooking fuel costs have risen for households that depend on bottled gas.

The burden has fallen hardest on families without access to piped natural gas, and on those already coping with irregular gas supplies. For these consumers, LPG is not a secondary option but a primary fuel, leaving them with little room to absorb such a sharp rise in costs as winter approaches.

Official price far below market rates

The gap between the official rate and what households actually pay remains wide. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) set the official LPG price for November at Rs 294.07 per kilogram, putting the notified price of an 11.8kg domestic cylinder at Rs 3,470.09. In practice, consumers have been paying close to double that amount in the open market, according to the market data reported on 8 November.

Regional differences are striking. LPG has recently been sold for as much as Rs 500 per kilogram in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while rates in some hilly areas have reached Rs 600 per kilogram. A price tracker updated on 8 November puts the 11.8kg cylinder at between Rs 5,500 and Rs 6,500 in major cities, reaching Rs 7,000 in severe shortage zones, and as high as Rs 6,800 to Rs 7,500 in Quetta, Murree and Gilgit.

Border closure cut Iranian supplies

Supply conditions have tightened considerably in recent weeks. Pakistan has faced disruptions to LPG imports following the closure of key border crossings with Iran in October. Traders say Pakistan imported about 7,000 tonnes of LPG a day from Iran before the crossings closed on 17 October, and the interruption has reduced availability in the domestic market, pushing retail prices higher. Iran supplies a significant share of the country's LPG imports, and the shortfall has been felt most acutely in Balochistan, which borders Iran.

The regulator linked its November increase to a 6.47 percent rise in the Saudi Aramco contract price, partly offset by a small fall in the average dollar exchange rate. But the official notification has had little effect on street prices, where loose LPG has been selling at Rs 500 to Rs 650 per kilogram against the official Rs 294 rate.

Winter demand adds pressure

With winter approaching, demand for cooking and heating fuel is expected to rise further. That seasonal increase could place additional pressure on LPG supplies and on household budgets, particularly for lower- and middle-income families who already spend a large share of their income on energy. Winter gas load shedding on the piped network typically pushes more households towards cylinders, compounding the strain.

The government has moved to sell 90 percent of locally produced LPG through transparent public auctions, a plan operationalised on 7 November, while LPG marketing companies have warned they will suspend operations from 16 November if a proposed new LPG policy proceeds without adequately involving the private sector. For now, households face a market in which the official price and the price at the neighbourhood shop describe two very different realities.