Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Afghanistan

Name: Afghanistan
Address: AF

For one person, living is cheaper in Afghanistan: $555 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Canada
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Canada Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Afghanistan
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Afghanistan Living Index

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🇨🇦 Canada

$2,310

/mo nomad

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$555

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Canada 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 Canada and in Afghanistan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,310 per month in Canada vs $555 in Afghanistan, rent included.

Canada $2,310
Afghanistan $555

A couple spends around $3,356 per month in Canada vs $745 in Afghanistan, rent included.

Canada $3,356
Afghanistan $745

A family of three spends $4,403 per month in Canada vs $934 in Afghanistan, rent included.

Canada $4,403
Afghanistan $934

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in Afghanistan ($24–$504), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Canada is about 316% higher than in Afghanistan on average.

Canada sits 70% above the global median, while Afghanistan is 59% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.16 CA$25.52

$2.25 ؋146

707.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$100

$10.78 ؋700

560.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 CA$15.19

$3.76 ؋244

187.50%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 ؋132

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.61 ؋494

Cappuccino

$3.78 CA$5.31

$0.97 ؋62.8

289.69%

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

$2.11 CA$2.97

$0.48 ؋31.23

339.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.33

$0.17 ؋11.04

876.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 CA$7.89

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 CA$8.04

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CA$3.06

$0.81 ؋52.9

167.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 CA$3.66

$0.28 ؋18.33

828.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 CA$5.13

$1.85 ؋120

97.30%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.10

$1.67 ؋109

117.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 CA$15.12

$4.69 ؋305

129.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 CA$16.72

$3.69 ؋239

222.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.42 CA$21.67

$6.44 ؋418

139.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 CA$5.66

$0.68 ؋44.45

492.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.95

$1.01 ؋65.7

36.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.44

$1.02 ؋66.2

280.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.74

$0.58 ؋37.37

603.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 CA$3.61

$0.55 ؋36.01

367.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.48

$0.44 ؋28.35

463.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 CA$3.72

$0.36 ؋23.49

636.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.41

$0.38 ؋24.46

350.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.90 ؋123

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ؋45.21

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 ؋66.0

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.32 CA$20.12

$2.37 ؋154

504.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.49 CA$18.95

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$3.99

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 CA$4.64

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.59

$0.32 ؋21.03

696.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.9 CA$101

$14.55 ؋945

394.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 CA$4.47

$1.42 ؋92.2

123.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 CA$2.16

$0.44 ؋28.82

250.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.69 CA$37.50

$1.72 ؋112

1451.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.75

$1.11 ؋72.1

11.71%

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

$27.9K CA$39.2K

$8,359 ؋542.8K

233.48%

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

$21.1K CA$29.6K

$34.8K ؋2.3M

-39.40%

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

$147 CA$207

$57.1 ؋3,709

158.06%

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

$41.80 CA$58.7

$13.94 ؋905

199.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.2 CA$84.6

$165 ؋10.7K

-63.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.01 CA$54.8

$10.77 ؋699

262.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.06 CA$26.78

$4.05 ؋263

370.62%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.75

$2.66 ؋173

321.43%

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

$721 CA$1,013

$20.34 ؋1,321

3444.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K CA$20.9K

$1,292 ؋83.9K

1049.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 CA$77.7

$13.49 ؋876

309.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.95 CA$54.7

$17.97 ؋1,167

116.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 CA$123

$43.87 ؋2,849

99.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 CA$142

$31.87 ؋2,070

217.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 CA$1,813

$117 ؋7,586

1004.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 CA$1,588

$89.7 ؋5,827

1159.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,036 CA$2,861

$202 ؋13.1K

906.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 CA$2,432

$113 ؋7,332

1432.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,769 CA$6,700

$664 ؋43.1K

618.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,730 CA$5,240

$347 ؋22.6K

973.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,070 CA$4,313

$261 ؋17.0K

1075.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

18.22

-73.27%

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

Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026

Last update for Afghanistan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Canada

$1.1K 48.9%

Afghanistan

$90 16.2% 92.1% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Canada

$371 16.1%

Afghanistan

$102 18.4% 72.5% $269

Eating Out

Canada

$278 12%

Afghanistan

$43 7.8% 84.4% $234

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canada

$249 10.8%

Afghanistan

$236 42.5% 5.4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Canada

$127 5.5%

Afghanistan

$48 8.7% 62.1% $79

Getting Around

Canada

$93 4%

Afghanistan

$19 3.5% 79% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Canada

$61 2.7%

Afghanistan

$16 2.9% 73.8% $45

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,250 in Canada vs $89 in Afghanistan. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,434 in Ottawa and $122 in Kabul.

Average salary: $2,968 in Canada vs $228 in Afghanistan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1304% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 482% more in Canada.

Public transport is 288% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are about 13 times higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Canada

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

13:17 1:17 PM

8 h 30 min ahead of Canada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,991,981

41,454,761

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.712 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AFN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.712 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 64.94 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.27 AFN (100 AFN = 1.38 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Canada Afghanistan 10,450 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Canada
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

Canada vs Afghanistan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Afghanistan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 76% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 versus $89 in Afghanistan.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Afghanistan, adding to the overall 316% price gap.

Afghanistan is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.