Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Afghanistan Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Afghanistan

Name: Afghanistan
Address: AF

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,316 per month in Canada vs $235 in Afghanistan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,376 per month in Canada vs $327 in Afghanistan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,436 per month in Canada vs $419 in Afghanistan, rent included.

Canada costs about 886% more than Afghanistan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Canada sits 73% above the global median, while Afghanistan is 82% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.44 CA$25.53

$2.18 ؋138

745.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 CA$103

$9.92 ؋630

650.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.07

$3.67 ؋233

196.46%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 ؋180

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 ؋461

Cappuccino

$3.90 CA$5.39

$0.92 ؋58.5

323.91%

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

$2.16 CA$2.99

$0.41 ؋26.04

426.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.40

$0.14 ؋8.89

1135.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$7.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 CA$8.37

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CA$3.05

$0.75 ؋47.82

193.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.81

$0.23 ؋14.62

1095.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 CA$5.07

$1.67 ؋106

119.16%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.03

$1.52 ؋96.7

138.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.72 CA$16.22

$3.76 ؋239

211.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.28 CA$17.01

$3.40 ؋216

261.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.88 CA$20.60

$5.84 ؋371

154.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 CA$5.73

$0.60 ؋38.26

590.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.01

$0.84 ؋53.5

72.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.25

$0.76 ؋48.03

398.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 CA$5.66

$0.47 ؋29.91

770.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 CA$3.78

$0.44 ؋27.80

520.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.83

$0.40 ؋25.16

592.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 CA$3.62

$0.32 ؋20.46

718.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 CA$2.59

$0.32 ؋20.32

484.38%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.87 ؋119

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ؋44.30

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ؋92.4

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.79 CA$20.48

$2.24 ؋142

560.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.08 CA$18.11

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 CA$4.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 CA$4.72

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 CA$3.49

$0.30 ؋19.16

740.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 CA$108

$12.38 ؋786

528.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 CA$4.83

$1.40 ؋88.7

149.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.04

$0.65 ؋41.51

127.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.25 CA$39.12

$1.68 ؋107

1581.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.59

$1.03 ؋65.6

11.65%

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

$25.4K CA$35.2K

$8,556 ؋543.4K

197.36%

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

$20.6K CA$28.6K

$36.8K ؋2.3M

-43.93%

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

$155 CA$214

$76.8 ؋4,875

101.72%

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

$45.76 CA$63.4

$14.68 ؋932

211.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 CA$86.1

$148 ؋9,381

-57.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.67 CA$60.5

$9.78 ؋621

346.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.11

$3.21 ؋204

465.11%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 CA$15.76

$2.51 ؋159

353.39%

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

$798 CA$1,104

$23.60 ؋1,499

3279.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K CA$16.8K

$1,454 ؋92.3K

733.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 CA$78.7

$14.15 ؋898

301.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.19 CA$58.4

$19.65 ؋1,248

114.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 CA$122

$33.36 ؋2,119

163.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$147

$29.58 ؋1,878

259.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 CA$1,882

$81.4 ؋5,169

1569.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 CA$1,667

$51.3 ؋3,260

2244.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 CA$2,957

$185 ؋11.7K

1056.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 CA$2,575

$101 ؋6,411

1742.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,642 CA$6,427

$631 ؋40.1K

635.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,852 CA$5,333

$340 ؋21.6K

1034.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,029 CA$4,194

$270 ؋17.2K

1020.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

16.22

-60.97%

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

Last update for Canada: May 31, 2026

Last update for Afghanistan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,281 in Canada vs $38.00 in Afghanistan. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,500 in Ottawa and $85.0 in Kabul.

Average salary: $2,972 in Canada vs $236 in Afghanistan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 3271% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 1033% more in Canada.

Public transport is 829% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 1159% higher in Canada, giving Canada 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

Canada vs Afghanistan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Afghanistan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 576% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Afghanistan, contributing to the overall 576% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

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