Cost of Living Comparison Between Afghanistan and Pakistan Cost of Living Comparison Between Afghanistan and Pakistan

Name: Pakistan
Address: PK

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $237 per month in Afghanistan vs $392 in Pakistan, rent included.

A couple spends around $329 per month in Afghanistan vs $592 in Pakistan, rent included.

A family of three spends $421 per month in Afghanistan vs $792 in Pakistan, rent included.

Afghanistan is roughly 40% cheaper than Pakistan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Afghanistan and Pakistan are more affordable than the global median – Afghanistan 82% lower, Pakistan 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.15 ؋138

$1.75 PKR 488

22.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.94 ؋638

$12.30 PKR 3,421

-19.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.61 ؋232

$4.12 PKR 1,147

-12.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 ؋182

$1.76 PKR 488

61.36%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 ؋464

$4.18 PKR 1,161

73.21%

Cappuccino

$0.94 ؋60.3

$1.72 PKR 479

-45.35%

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

$0.39 ؋24.78

$0.33 PKR 92.6

18.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ؋10.15

$0.21 PKR 58.2

-23.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 ؋44.73

$0.82 PKR 227

-14.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.23 ؋14.80

$0.55 PKR 152

-58.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ؋112

$1.17 PKR 325

48.72%

Eggs

$1.53 ؋98.4

$1.21 PKR 337

26.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.73 ؋239

$5.92 PKR 1,645

-36.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ؋212

$2.91 PKR 810

13.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.74 ؋368

$4.14 PKR 1,151

38.65%

Apples (1kg)

$0.65 ؋41.43

$1.06 PKR 294

-38.68%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 ؋53.8

$0.62 PKR 172

35.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.71 ؋45.36

$0.76 PKR 213

-6.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.47 ؋30.44

$0.53 PKR 147

-11.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.43 ؋27.78

$0.38 PKR 106

13.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ؋23.72

$0.48 PKR 134

-22.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 ؋19.12

$0.38 PKR 106

-21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ؋19.04

$0.39 PKR 108

-23.08%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.93 ؋124

$1.99 PKR 552

-3.02%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ؋45.05

$1.06 PKR 295

-33.96%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ؋95.1

$2.01 PKR 558

-26.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 ؋144

$2.04 PKR 567

9.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ؋17.92

$0.20 PKR 56.5

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.18 ؋781

$7.26 PKR 2,020

67.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ؋93.4

$0.90 PKR 252

62.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ؋41.54

$0.52 PKR 146

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 ؋111

$1.74 PKR 484

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ؋66.5

$0.96 PKR 268

8.33%

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

$8,673 ؋556.4K

$17.4K PKR 4.8M

-50.16%

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

$36.4K ؋2.3M

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

55.27%

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

$77.7 ؋4,986

$111 PKR 30.9K

-29.99%

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

$14.49 ؋930

$4.55 PKR 1,266

218.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$150 ؋9,647

$15.24 PKR 4,236

886.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.95 ؋638

$13.26 PKR 3,686

-24.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.22 ؋207

$8.49 PKR 2,360

-62.07%

Cinema Ticket

$2.38 ؋153

$4.28 PKR 1,191

-44.39%

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

$23.51 ؋1,508

$38.97 PKR 10.8K

-39.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,442 ؋92.5K

$1,177 PKR 327.3K

22.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.96 ؋896

$15.65 PKR 4,352

-10.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.61 ؋1,258

$23.01 PKR 6,398

-14.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.77 ؋2,167

$72.5 PKR 20.2K

-53.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.49 ؋1,892

$32.10 PKR 8,925

-8.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$82.6 ؋5,300

$111 PKR 30.8K

-25.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$52.2 ؋3,350

$66.4 PKR 18.5K

-21.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$183 ؋11.7K

$271 PKR 75.5K

-32.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$102 ؋6,547

$166 PKR 46.0K

-38.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$630 ؋40.4K

$987 PKR 274.5K

-36.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$343 ؋22.0K

$517 PKR 143.8K

-33.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$269 ؋17.3K

$184 PKR 51.0K

46.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.22

18.97

-14.50%

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

Last update for Afghanistan: June 7, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $38.00 in Afghanistan vs $78.0 in Pakistan. For reference, capital cities sit at $86.0 in Kabul and $201 in Islamabad.

Average salary: $233 in Afghanistan vs $183 in Pakistan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 105% higher in Pakistan.

Dining out costs 83% more in Pakistan.

Salaries are 27% higher in Afghanistan, giving Afghanistan stronger purchasing power.

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 Pakistan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Afghanistan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 24% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Afghanistan, contributing to the overall 24% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$800 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Afghanistan, but in Pakistan 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.