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 $235 per month in Afghanistan vs $391 in Pakistan, rent included.

A couple spends around $327 per month in Afghanistan vs $590 in Pakistan, rent included.

A family of three spends $418 per month in Afghanistan vs $788 in Pakistan, rent included.

The cost of living in Afghanistan is roughly 40% lower than in 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

$2.19 ؋144

$1.74 PKR 484

25.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.11 ؋666

$12.15 PKR 3,371

-16.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.54 ؋233

$4.31 PKR 1,196

-17.87%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.83 ؋186

$1.73 PKR 479

63.58%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ؋469

$4.05 PKR 1,123

75.80%

Cappuccino

$0.89 ؋58.9

$1.80 PKR 500

-50.56%

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

$0.39 ؋25.60

$0.34 PKR 94.0

14.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ؋9.33

$0.23 PKR 64.1

-39.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 ؋50.3

$0.76 PKR 211

White Bread (500g)

$0.21 ؋13.78

$0.55 PKR 151

-61.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 ؋111

$1.18 PKR 327

43.22%

Eggs

$1.60 ؋106

$1.16 PKR 321

37.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.76 ؋248

$5.84 PKR 1,620

-35.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.38 ؋222

$2.91 PKR 806

16.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.54 ؋365

$4.15 PKR 1,151

33.49%

Apples (1kg)

$0.62 ؋40.51

$1.06 PKR 294

-41.51%

Banana (1kg)

$0.79 ؋52.1

$0.61 PKR 170

29.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.70 ؋45.80

$0.80 PKR 222

-12.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 ؋33.37

$0.49 PKR 137

4.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.47 ؋31.01

$0.39 PKR 107

20.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ؋26.08

$0.51 PKR 142

-21.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ؋21.31

$0.38 PKR 107

-15.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 ؋21.24

$0.39 PKR 107

-17.95%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.86 ؋123

$1.98 PKR 549

-6.06%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ؋49.00

$1.06 PKR 295

-30.19%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ؋95.3

$2.01 PKR 559

-27.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 ؋150

$1.97 PKR 547

15.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ؋19.83

$0.17 PKR 46.85

76.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.31 ؋811

$6.96 PKR 1,932

76.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ؋97.0

$0.84 PKR 232

75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ؋42.72

$0.57 PKR 157

14.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 ؋111

$1.81 PKR 504

-6.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 ؋65.1

$0.96 PKR 268

3.13%

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

$8,713 ؋573.6K

$17.5K PKR 4.8M

-50.13%

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

$36.8K ؋2.4M

$23.6K PKR 6.6M

55.85%

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

$75.8 ؋4,988

$110 PKR 30.4K

-30.89%

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

$14.54 ؋957

$4.74 PKR 1,315

206.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$147 ؋9,682

$15.16 PKR 4,208

870.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.72 ؋640

$13.16 PKR 3,654

-26.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.27 ؋215

$8.95 PKR 2,483

-63.46%

Cinema Ticket

$2.51 ؋165

$4.12 PKR 1,145

-39.08%

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

$23.65 ؋1,557

$39.53 PKR 11.0K

-40.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,454 ؋95.7K

$1,143 PKR 317.3K

27.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.17 ؋933

$15.62 PKR 4,335

-9.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.60 ؋1,290

$23.22 PKR 6,444

-15.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.38 ؋2,197

$72.4 PKR 20.1K

-53.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.62 ؋1,950

$32.81 PKR 9,106

-9.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$81.7 ؋5,379

$111 PKR 30.7K

-26.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$52.8 ؋3,479

$67.8 PKR 18.8K

-22.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$188 ؋12.4K

$274 PKR 76.1K

-31.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$100 ؋6,596

$163 PKR 45.3K

-38.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$650 ؋42.8K

$984 PKR 273.1K

-33.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$344 ؋22.6K

$502 PKR 139.2K

-31.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$261 ؋17.2K

$186 PKR 51.7K

39.80%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: July 25, 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 $197 in Islamabad.

Average salary: $225 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 57% more in Pakistan.

Salaries are 24% higher in Afghanistan, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Afghanistan.

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 27% 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 27% 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.