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 $3,221 per month in Australia vs $328 in Afghanistan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,257 per month in Australia vs $419 in Afghanistan, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 825% higher than in Afghanistan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 64% 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$23.14

$2.20 ؋142

638.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 A$113

$9.90 ؋637

703.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 A$14.08

$3.52 ؋227

180.68%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 ؋182

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.02 ؋452

Cappuccino

$3.57 A$5.09

$0.94 ؋60.6

279.79%

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

$2.59 A$3.70

$0.38 ؋24.59

581.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.05

$0.14 ؋8.73

1428.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 A$9.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.96

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.16

$0.76 ؋49.06

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 A$3.53

$0.21 ؋13.47

1080.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.99

$1.73 ؋112

21.39%

Eggs

$4.25 A$6.06

$1.55 ؋99.6

174.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.04 A$12.89

$3.66 ؋235

146.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.64 A$12.31

$3.28 ؋211

163.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 A$20.04

$5.81 ؋374

142.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.69

$0.60 ؋38.74

448.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.00

$0.84 ؋53.8

233.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.05

$0.70 ؋44.92

305.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 A$6.30

$0.47 ؋30.21

840.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.53

$0.43 ؋27.99

476.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.08

$0.36 ؋23.43

500.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 A$3.24

$0.32 ؋20.90

609.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.14

$0.30 ؋19.22

400.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.94 ؋125

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ؋47.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ؋93.4

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.89 A$44.04

$2.17 ؋139

1323.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.98 A$19.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.42 A$6.31

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 A$6.91

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 A$4.15

$0.30 ؋19.39

870.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.7 A$138

$12.20 ؋785

692.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 A$5.25

$1.46 ؋93.9

152.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.50

$0.68 ؋43.88

157.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.19 A$54.4

$1.76 ؋113

2069.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.64

$0.99 ؋63.7

16.16%

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

$29.2K A$41.6K

$8,575 ؋551.7K

240.74%

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

$22.4K A$31.9K

$36.2K ؋2.3M

-38.09%

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

$178 A$254

$76.0 ؋4,891

134.02%

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

$26.86 A$38.29

$14.45 ؋929

85.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$75.1

$152 ؋9,751

-65.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.75 A$66.6

$9.50 ؋611

392.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 A$23.57

$3.22 ؋207

413.66%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 A$19.40

$2.51 ؋162

442.23%

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

$1,612 A$2,298

$23.27 ؋1,497

6827.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K A$17.8K

$1,459 ؋93.9K

755.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 A$101

$14.22 ؋915

395.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$73.0

$20.02 ؋1,288

155.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 A$147

$33.11 ؋2,130

211.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$156

$29.82 ؋1,919

266.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,394 A$1,988

$82.4 ؋5,303

1591.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,540

$51.7 ؋3,328

1988.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,268 A$3,233

$187 ؋12.0K

1113.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 A$2,479

$102 ؋6,549

1608.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,445 A$10.6K

$613 ؋39.5K

1114.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,628 A$8,023

$342 ؋22.0K

1545.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,996 A$5,696

$268 ؋17.3K

1389.39%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Afghanistan: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $38.00 in Afghanistan. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,583 in Canberra and $86.0 in Kabul.

Average salary: $3,853 in Australia vs $237 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 1000% more in Australia.

Public transport is 857% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1526% 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 560% 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 560% 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.