Cost of Living Comparison Between Afghanistan and United Kingdom Cost of Living Comparison Between Afghanistan and United Kingdom

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $237 per month in Afghanistan vs $2,363 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A couple spends around $329 per month in Afghanistan vs $3,471 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A family of three spends $420 per month in Afghanistan vs $4,579 in United Kingdom, rent included.

The cost of living in Afghanistan is roughly 90% lower than in United Kingdom on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Afghanistan sits 82% below the global median, while United Kingdom is 77% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Afghanistan
United Kingdom
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.18 ؋143
$20.23 £15.04
-89.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$9.84 ؋647
$88.3 £65.6
-88.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.53 ؋232
$10.35 £7.69
-65.89%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.84 ؋187
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.13 ؋469
-
-
Cappuccino
$0.90 ؋59.0
$4.77 £3.55
-81.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38 ؋25.14
$2.44 £1.82
-84.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.13 ؋8.49
$1.73 £1.29
-92.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$6.85 £5.09
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$6.52 £4.84
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Afghanistan
United Kingdom
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.71 ؋46.89
$1.66 £1.23
-57.23%
White Bread (500g)
$0.21 ؋13.79
$1.71 £1.27
-87.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.72 ؋113
$2.21 £1.64
-22.17%
Eggs
$1.60 ؋105
$4.09 £3.04
-60.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.74 ؋246
$9.52 £7.08
-60.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.41 ؋224
$9.02 £6.71
-62.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.80 ؋381
$14.18 £10.54
-59.10%
Apples (1kg)
$0.60 ؋39.74
$2.96 £2.20
-79.73%
Banana (1kg)
$0.83 ؋54.4
$1.68 £1.25
-50.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.75 ؋49.02
$2.84 £2.11
-73.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.51 ؋33.64
$3.41 £2.53
-85.04%
Potato (1kg)
$0.47 ؋30.59
$1.69 £1.26
-72.19%
Onion (1kg)
$0.40 ؋26.00
$1.58 £1.17
-74.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.32 ؋21.24
$1.12 £0.84
-71.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.30 ؋19.47
$1.53 £1.14
-80.39%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$1.82 ؋120
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.69 ؋45.11
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.50 ؋98.9
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.19 ؋144
$20.16 £14.99
-89.14%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$10.47 £7.78
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.87 £2.14
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.30 £2.45
-
🚌 Getting Around
Afghanistan
United Kingdom
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.30 ؋19.88
$3.33 £2.48
-90.99%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.08 ؋794
$96.3 £71.6
-87.46%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.46 ؋95.8
$5.53 £4.11
-73.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 ؋42.02
$1.60 £1.19
-60.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.69 ؋111
$27.51 £20.45
-93.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 ؋64.9
$1.90 £1.41
-47.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$8,783 ؋577.3K
$38.1K £28.3K
-76.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.5K ؋2.3M
$41.0K £30.5K
-13.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Afghanistan
United Kingdom
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$74.7 ؋4,913
$326 £242
-77.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.65 ؋963
$17.18 £12.77
-14.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$148 ؋9,707
$42.96 £31.94
243.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Afghanistan
United Kingdom
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$9.75 ؋641
$45.94 £34.15
-78.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.32 ؋218
$15.87 £11.80
-79.08%
Cinema Ticket
$2.43 ؋160
$13.80 £10.26
-82.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Afghanistan
United Kingdom
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$23.76 ؋1,562
$1,723 £1,281
-98.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,445 ؋95.0K
$20.9K £15.5K
-93.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Afghanistan
United Kingdom
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$13.90 ؋914
$90.3 £67.1
-84.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.40 ؋1,275
$44.39 £33.00
-56.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$33.36 ؋2,193
$103 £76.7
-67.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$29.07 ؋1,911
$103 £76.3
-71.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Afghanistan
United Kingdom
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$81.9 ؋5,384
$1,419 £1,055
-94.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$53.1 ؋3,488
$1,143 £850
-95.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$182 ؋11.9K
$2,298 £1,708
-92.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$103 ؋6,743
$1,873 £1,392
-94.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$606 ؋39.8K
$5,728 £4,258
-89.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$341 ؋22.4K
$4,339 £3,226
-92.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Afghanistan
United Kingdom
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$256 ؋16.8K
$3,264 £2,427
-92.17%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
16.22
5.75
182.09%

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

Last update for Afghanistan: July 12, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $38.00 in Afghanistan vs $1,266 in United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $85.0 in Kabul and $2,937 in London.

Average salary: $221 in Afghanistan vs $3,192 in United Kingdom. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 3232% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 1300% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 1214% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 1344% higher in United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United Kingdom.

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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is cheaper: Afghanistan or United Kingdom?
Afghanistan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 736% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.
Is rent more expensive in Afghanistan or in United Kingdom?
Housing costs more in United Kingdom, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but United Kingdom consistently has higher rents.
How do daily expenses compare in Afghanistan vs United Kingdom?
Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Afghanistan, contributing to the overall 736% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.
Can you live in both Afghanistan and United Kingdom on $800 per month?
$800 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Afghanistan, but in United Kingdom it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Which country is better for expats: Afghanistan or United Kingdom?
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.

Afghanistan vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar countries