Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Afghanistan

Name: Afghanistan
Address: AF

For one person, living is cheaper in Afghanistan: $551 a month against $2,537 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $23,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Afghanistan
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Afghanistan Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,537

/mo nomad

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$551

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in Afghanistan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Australia and in Afghanistan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,537 per month in Australia vs $551 in Afghanistan, rent included.

Australia $2,537
Afghanistan $551

A couple spends around $3,682 per month in Australia vs $741 in Afghanistan, rent included.

Australia $3,682
Afghanistan $741

A family of three spends $4,828 per month in Australia vs $930 in Afghanistan, rent included.

Australia $4,828
Afghanistan $930

The cost of living in Australia is about 360% higher than in Afghanistan on average.

Australia sits 89% above the global median, while Afghanistan is 59% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 A$25.27

$2.35 ؋152

651.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.8 A$118

$10.67 ؋691

675.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.22 A$16.05

$3.86 ؋250

190.67%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 ؋137

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.74 ؋501

Cappuccino

$3.85 A$5.51

$1.02 ؋66.4

277.45%

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

$2.85 A$4.08

$0.45 ؋28.93

533.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 A$3.39

$0.19 ؋12.01

1147.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 A$11.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.49 A$12.16

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.49

$0.79 ؋51.3

120.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$3.98

$0.28 ؋18.17

892.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 A$3.16

$1.94 ؋126

13.92%

Eggs

$5.06 A$7.25

$1.59 ؋103

218.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 A$14.12

$4.73 ؋306

108.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.95 A$12.80

$3.85 ؋249

132.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.71 A$21.06

$6.72 ؋435

118.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 A$5.39

$0.69 ؋44.50

444.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 A$4.28

$0.93 ؋60.0

221.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.43

$1.03 ؋66.5

200.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 A$6.61

$0.53 ؋34.53

771.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 A$4.03

$0.55 ؋35.89

412.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.29

$0.41 ؋26.32

460.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 A$3.32

$0.40 ؋25.72

480.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 A$2.44

$0.34 ؋22.25

402.94%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.82 ؋118

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ؋47.89

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 ؋66.3

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.17 A$54.6

$2.29 ؋148

1566.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 A$19.70

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$7.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 A$7.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 A$4.07

$0.30 ؋19.34

846.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.3 A$135

$14.43 ؋934

553.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 A$4.92

$1.49 ؋96.8

130.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.28

$0.48 ؋31.04

231.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.37 A$56.3

$1.73 ؋112

2175.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.88

$1.11 ؋71.6

18.02%

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

$27.7K A$39.7K

$8,439 ؋546.5K

228.66%

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

$28.1K A$40.2K

$34.2K ؋2.2M

-17.95%

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

$201 A$288

$57.5 ؋3,724

249.73%

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

$28.45 A$40.72

$13.64 ؋884

108.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.4 A$82.2

$163 ؋10.6K

-64.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 A$81.1

$10.68 ؋692

430.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.28 A$27.60

$4.03 ؋261

378.41%

Cinema Ticket

$15.07 A$21.56

$2.57 ؋166

486.38%

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

$2,116 A$3,028

$20.21 ؋1,309

10369.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K A$26.1K

$1,302 ؋84.3K

1303.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 A$114

$13.25 ؋858

500.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 A$78.5

$18.30 ؋1,185

199.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$43.65 ؋2,827

157.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$175

$32.51 ؋2,105

275.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 A$2,264

$115 ؋7,464

1272.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 A$1,753

$89.7 ؋5,810

1265.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,409 A$3,447

$196 ؋12.7K

1126.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,911 A$2,734

$111 ؋7,217

1614.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,995 A$11.4K

$652 ؋42.2K

1126.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,968 A$8,541

$351 ؋22.7K

1601.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,926 A$5,619

$259 ؋16.8K

1415.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

18.22

-67.51%

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

Last update for Australia: October 4, 2026

Last update for Afghanistan: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.2K 48%

Afghanistan

$90 16.1% 92.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$370 14.5%

Afghanistan

$102 18.4% 72.3% $268

Eating Out

Australia

$298 11.7%

Afghanistan

$45 8.1% 84.8% $253

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$287 11.3%

Afghanistan

$235 42.2% 18.3% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$166 6.5%

Afghanistan

$48 8.7% 70.8% $118

Getting Around

Australia

$117 4.6%

Afghanistan

$20 3.5% 83.3% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$87 3.4%

Afghanistan

$16 2.9% 81.8% $71

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,371 in Australia vs $27.00 in Afghanistan. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,711 in Canberra and $125 in Kabul.

Average salary: $3,856 in Australia vs $228 in Afghanistan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 4978% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 1086% more in Australia.

Public transport is 1420% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1591% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

🕒 Local time

00:06 12:06 AM

17:36 5:36 PM

6 h 30 min behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

41,454,761

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AFN, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 64.76 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.57 AFN (100 AFN = 1.38 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Australia Afghanistan 11,350 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
Afghanistan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 360% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,371 versus $27.00 in Afghanistan.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Afghanistan, adding to the overall 360% price gap.

$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.