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 $2,487 per month in Australia vs $211 in Afghanistan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,622 per month in Australia vs $294 in Afghanistan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,757 per month in Australia vs $376 in Afghanistan, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 1079% higher than in Afghanistan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 82% above the global median, while Afghanistan is 85% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.49 A$24.56

$2.22 ؋144

687.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.0 A$118

$10.80 ؋700

678.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 A$15.04

$3.70 ؋240

189.46%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 ؋130

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.69 ؋498

Cappuccino

$3.97 A$5.58

$0.93 ؋60.3

326.88%

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

$2.87 A$4.03

$0.47 ؋30.32

510.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 A$3.40

$0.17 ؋11.05

1323.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 A$11.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 A$11.16

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 A$2.52

$0.79 ؋50.9

127.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 A$4.02

$0.28 ؋18.35

921.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.24

$1.83 ؋119

26.23%

Eggs

$4.98 A$6.99

$1.59 ؋103

213.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.68 A$13.59

$4.79 ؋311

102.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 A$12.95

$3.61 ؋234

155.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.48 A$21.73

$6.44 ؋418

140.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 A$5.39

$0.63 ؋41.13

509.52%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.29

$0.99 ؋64.3

208.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.45

$1.04 ؋67.6

204.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 A$6.82

$0.57 ؋36.83

752.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.10

$0.51 ؋32.82

472.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.28

$0.43 ؋27.98

441.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 A$3.36

$0.39 ؋25.00

512.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 A$2.37

$0.34 ؋22.03

397.06%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.79 ؋116

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ؋44.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 ؋64.9

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.07 A$53.5

$2.23 ؋145

1607.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.26 A$20.03

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.84 A$6.80

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.08

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 A$4.00

$0.31 ؋20.29

819.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 A$133

$14.33 ؋930

561.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 A$5.09

$1.48 ؋95.7

145.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 A$2.34

$0.44 ؋28.26

277.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.92 A$57.5

$1.69 ؋109

2321.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.84

$1.02 ؋66.4

28.43%

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

$28.1K A$39.5K

$8,433 ؋546.9K

233.28%

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

$29.3K A$41.2K

$33.3K ؋2.2M

-12.05%

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

$200 A$280

$54.7 ؋3,545

265.32%

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

$29.33 A$41.19

$13.46 ؋873

117.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.9 A$81.3

$160 ؋10.4K

-63.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 A$79.0

$10.42 ؋676

439.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.23 A$27.00

$4.02 ؋261

378.36%

Cinema Ticket

$15.83 A$22.23

$2.64 ؋171

499.62%

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

$2,163 A$3,037

$19.73 ؋1,279

10862.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K A$25.5K

$1,295 ؋84.0K

1304.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 A$113

$12.91 ؋837

524.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 A$77.0

$17.79 ؋1,154

208.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$159

$43.60 ؋2,827

159.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$177

$31.72 ؋2,057

296.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 A$2,204

$115 ؋7,427

1270.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,245 A$1,748

$89.6 ؋5,807

1290.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,448 A$3,438

$194 ؋12.6K

1161.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,954 A$2,743

$110 ؋7,106

1682.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,257 A$11.6K

$653 ؋42.4K

1164.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,108 A$8,577

$348 ؋22.5K

1657.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,015 A$5,638

$249 ؋16.2K

1510.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

18.22

-67.45%

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

Last update for Australia: August 17, 2026

Last update for Afghanistan: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,376 in Australia vs $27.00 in Afghanistan. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,754 in Canberra and $120 in Kabul.

Average salary: $3,873 in Australia vs $224 in Afghanistan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 4996% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 1114% more in Australia.

Public transport is 1400% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1629% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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 756% 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 756% 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.