Cost of Living Comparison Between Afghanistan and India Cost of Living Comparison Between Afghanistan and India

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $209 per month in Afghanistan vs $366 in India, rent included.

A couple spends around $294 per month in Afghanistan vs $581 in India, rent included.

A family of three spends $379 per month in Afghanistan vs $795 in India, rent included.

The cost of living in Afghanistan is roughly 43% lower than in India on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Afghanistan and India are more affordable than the global median – Afghanistan 85% lower, India 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.36 ؋152

$2.15 ₹205

9.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.83 ؋696

$10.42 ₹996

3.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.77 ؋242

$3.59 ₹343

5.01%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 ؋135

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.42 ؋477

Cappuccino

$1.01 ؋65.2

$1.67 ₹160

-39.52%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 ؋28.27

$0.39 ₹37.26

12.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 ؋12.16

$0.17 ₹15.92

11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 ₹179

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₹304

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 ؋51.9

$0.64 ₹61.1

26.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.28 ؋18.20

$0.45 ₹42.66

-37.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 ؋118

$0.63 ₹59.9

190.48%

Eggs

$1.60 ؋103

$0.87 ₹83.5

83.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.61 ؋296

$4.62 ₹442

-0.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.75 ؋241

$2.86 ₹273

31.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.54 ؋421

Apples (1kg)

$0.69 ؋44.51

$1.95 ₹186

-64.62%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 ؋64.0

$0.67 ₹64.3

47.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 ؋65.2

$0.99 ₹94.3

2.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 ؋33.63

$0.51 ₹48.45

1.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 ؋35.14

$0.35 ₹33.23

57.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ؋26.25

$0.42 ₹39.69

-2.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 ؋24.76

$0.44 ₹41.87

-11.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 ؋21.56

$0.31 ₹29.80

9.68%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.78 ؋114

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ؋43.78

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 ؋68.1

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ؋151

$5.14 ₹491

-54.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.58 ₹724

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₹160

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₹266

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.36 ₹512

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ؋19.01

$0.25 ₹23.64

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.68 ؋944

$8.53 ₹815

72.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ؋90.9

$0.94 ₹89.4

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 ؋28.38

$0.27 ₹25.96

62.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 ؋106

$1.60 ₹153

3.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 ؋65.5

$1.12 ₹107

-8.93%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$8,438 ؋542.6K

$12.4K ₹1.2M

-32.19%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.4K ؋2.1M

$20.2K ₹1.9M

65.73%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$56.9 ؋3,660

$37.28 ₹3,562

52.68%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.81 ؋888

$3.49 ₹334

295.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$165 ؋10.6K

$7.20 ₹688

2184.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.61 ؋682

$14.69 ₹1,403

-27.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.02 ؋258

$7.31 ₹698

-45.01%

Cinema Ticket

$2.62 ؋168

$3.08 ₹294

-14.94%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$20.34 ؋1,308

$59.1 ₹5,646

-65.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,316 ؋84.6K

$1,693 ₹161.8K

-22.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.99 ؋835

$23.25 ₹2,221

-44.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.54 ؋1,128

$24.03 ₹2,296

-27.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.06 ؋2,769

$40.99 ₹3,917

5.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.95 ؋2,055

$30.46 ₹2,911

4.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$117 ؋7,531

$143 ₹13.7K

-18.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$90.3 ؋5,807

$93.2 ₹8,902

-3.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$200 ؋12.9K

$332 ₹31.7K

-39.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 ؋7,229

$214 ₹20.4K

-47.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$654 ؋42.1K

$1,203 ₹115.0K

-45.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$354 ؋22.8K

$643 ₹61.5K

-44.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$255 ؋16.4K

$441 ₹42.1K

-42.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.22

8.93

104.03%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Afghanistan: September 5, 2026

Last update for India: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $27.00 in Afghanistan vs $121 in India. For reference, capital cities sit at $124 in Kabul and $272 in Delhi.

Average salary: $226 in Afghanistan vs $410 in India. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 348% higher in India.

Dining out costs 67% more in India.

Public transport is 40% more expensive in India.

Salaries are 81% higher in India.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Afghanistan vs India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Afghanistan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 109% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in India, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but India consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Afghanistan, contributing to the overall 109% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$800 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Afghanistan, but in India it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Afghanistan is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.