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 $236 per month in Afghanistan vs $391 in Pakistan, rent included.

A couple spends around $329 per month in Afghanistan vs $593 in Pakistan, rent included.

A family of three spends $421 per month in Afghanistan vs $794 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

$2.11 ؋135

$1.72 PKR 480

22.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.98 ؋639

$12.23 PKR 3,414

-18.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.67 ؋235

$4.15 PKR 1,157

-11.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 ؋186

$1.80 PKR 503

61.67%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 ؋461

$4.03 PKR 1,125

78.91%

Cappuccino

$0.95 ؋60.7

$1.73 PKR 482

-45.09%

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

$0.41 ؋26.24

$0.33 PKR 92.9

24.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ؋10.28

$0.21 PKR 58.5

-23.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 ؋45.79

$0.81 PKR 226

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.23 ؋14.75

$0.55 PKR 153

-58.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 ؋110

$1.20 PKR 336

43.33%

Eggs

$1.52 ؋97.4

$1.21 PKR 337

25.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.66 ؋234

$5.94 PKR 1,657

-38.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ؋217

$2.95 PKR 824

15.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.82 ؋372

$4.22 PKR 1,179

37.91%

Apples (1kg)

$0.62 ؋39.58

$1.05 PKR 294

-40.95%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 ؋51.2

$0.62 PKR 173

29.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.76 ؋48.61

$0.81 PKR 227

-6.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.50 ؋32.05

$0.52 PKR 145

-3.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.47 ؋29.81

$0.36 PKR 100

30.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ؋25.47

$0.48 PKR 135

-16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ؋20.73

$0.39 PKR 108

-17.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 ؋18.88

$0.39 PKR 108

-25.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.88 ؋120

$1.98 PKR 554

-5.05%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ؋46.90

$1.11 PKR 309

-34.23%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ؋95.4

$2.07 PKR 579

-28.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 ؋140

$1.97 PKR 551

11.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ؋17.67

$0.16 PKR 44.55

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.02 ؋769

$7.00 PKR 1,953

71.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ؋93.4

$0.90 PKR 250

62.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ؋43.63

$0.51 PKR 143

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 ؋111

$1.74 PKR 485

-0.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 ؋63.6

$0.90 PKR 252

10.00%

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

$8,570 ؋548.4K

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

-52.16%

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

$36.6K ؋2.3M

$23.8K PKR 6.6M

53.60%

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

$76.7 ؋4,909

$111 PKR 30.9K

-30.67%

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

$14.82 ؋949

$4.75 PKR 1,325

212.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$150 ؋9,581

$15.51 PKR 4,328

865.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.54 ؋611

$13.30 PKR 3,713

-28.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.31 ؋212

$8.50 PKR 2,372

-61.06%

Cinema Ticket

$2.41 ؋154

$4.22 PKR 1,178

-42.89%

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

$23.20 ؋1,484

$39.14 PKR 10.9K

-40.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,412 ؋90.4K

$1,145 PKR 319.5K

23.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.26 ؋913

$15.80 PKR 4,409

-9.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.37 ؋1,239

$23.72 PKR 6,621

-18.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.94 ؋2,172

$72.3 PKR 20.2K

-53.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.82 ؋1,844

$33.09 PKR 9,236

-12.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$82.8 ؋5,300

$114 PKR 31.8K

-27.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$51.8 ؋3,312

$67.1 PKR 18.7K

-22.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$186 ؋11.9K

$280 PKR 78.2K

-33.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.8 ؋6,388

$165 PKR 46.0K

-39.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$640 ؋41.0K

$888 PKR 248.0K

-27.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$354 ؋22.6K

$530 PKR 148.1K

-33.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$268 ؋17.2K

$188 PKR 52.4K

42.85%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $38.00 in Afghanistan vs $78.0 in Pakistan. For reference, capital cities sit at $83.0 in Kabul and $200 in Islamabad.

Average salary: $235 in Afghanistan vs $181 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 30% 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 26% 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 26% 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.