Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Afghanistan Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Afghanistan

Name: Afghanistan
Address: AF

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,184 per month in Australia vs $236 in Afghanistan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,217 per month in Australia vs $329 in Afghanistan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,249 per month in Australia vs $421 in Afghanistan, rent included.

Australia costs about 825% more than Afghanistan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 63% above the global median, while Afghanistan is 82% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.24 A$22.73

$2.11 ؋135

669.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$108

$9.98 ؋639

672.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 A$13.74

$3.67 ؋235

167.30%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 ؋186

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 ؋462

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.01

$0.95 ؋60.8

276.84%

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

$2.57 A$3.60

$0.41 ؋26.26

526.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.05

$0.16 ؋10.29

1262.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.28

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 A$9.97

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.10

$0.72 ؋45.83

108.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.54

$0.23 ؋14.76

1000.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.90

$1.72 ؋110

20.35%

Eggs

$4.29 A$6.01

$1.52 ؋97.5

182.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 A$12.11

$3.66 ؋235

136.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 A$11.68

$3.40 ؋218

145.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 A$19.47

$5.82 ؋373

138.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.61

$0.62 ؋39.61

432.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.88

$0.80 ؋51.2

246.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.13

$0.76 ؋48.64

288.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 A$5.87

$0.50 ؋32.08

738.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.39

$0.47 ؋29.83

414.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.94

$0.40 ؋25.49

425.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 A$3.16

$0.32 ؋20.75

606.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.10

$0.29 ؋18.89

417.24%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.88 ؋121

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ؋46.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ؋95.5

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.58 A$44.22

$2.19 ؋140

1342.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.29 A$20.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 A$6.42

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 A$6.75

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 A$4.22

$0.28 ؋17.68

978.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.3 A$138

$12.02 ؋770

717.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 A$4.88

$1.46 ؋93.5

138.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.45

$0.68 ؋43.66

157.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.97 A$53.2

$1.73 ؋111

2094.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 A$1.69

$0.99 ؋63.6

22.22%

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

$29.0K A$40.6K

$8,570 ؋548.8K

238.81%

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

$22.6K A$31.6K

$36.6K ؋2.3M

-38.27%

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

$177 A$248

$76.7 ؋4,912

131.20%

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

$26.85 A$37.59

$14.82 ؋949

81.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 A$73.4

$150 ؋9,588

-64.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.57 A$66.6

$9.54 ؋611

398.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.46 A$23.04

$3.31 ؋212

397.28%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 A$19.23

$2.41 ؋155

469.71%

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

$1,593 A$2,231

$23.20 ؋1,486

6767.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.8K

$1,412 ؋90.4K

799.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 A$101

$14.26 ؋913

405.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 A$71.8

$19.37 ؋1,240

164.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 A$144

$33.94 ؋2,174

203.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$152

$28.82 ؋1,845

276.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 A$1,961

$82.8 ؋5,304

1591.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,512

$51.8 ؋3,314

1986.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,340 A$3,276

$186 ؋11.9K

1158.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,756 A$2,459

$99.8 ؋6,393

1659.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,733 A$10.8K

$640 ؋41.0K

1107.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,563 A$7,788

$354 ؋22.6K

1473.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,000 A$5,600

$268 ؋17.2K

1390.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

16.22

-60.85%

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

Last update for Australia: April 27, 2026

Last update for Afghanistan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $38.00 in Afghanistan. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,529 in Canberra and $83.0 in Kabul.

Average salary: $3,878 in Australia vs $235 in Afghanistan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 3142% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 1183% more in Australia.

Public transport is 857% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1550% higher in Australia, giving Australia 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

Australia vs Afghanistan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Afghanistan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 564% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Afghanistan, contributing to the overall 564% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

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