Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chandigarh and Kabul

For one person, living is cheaper in Chandigarh: $471 a month against $500 in Kabul, rent and utilities included – about $350 less a year. The total is higher in Kabul despite lower rent and utilities.

23

Cost of Living Index in Chandigarh
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Chandigarh Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Kabul
Learn more

Kabul Living Index

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Chandigarh

🇮🇳 India

$471

/mo nomad

Kabul

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$500

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chandigarh and in Kabul

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $471 in Chandigarh versus $500 in Kabul.

Chandigarh $471
Kabul $500

Estimated couple costs with rent: $760 in Chandigarh versus $682 in Kabul.

Chandigarh $760
Kabul $682

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,049 in Chandigarh versus $864 in Kabul.

Chandigarh $1,049
Kabul $864

Living in Chandigarh costs roughly 6% less than in Kabul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chandigarh 65% lower, Kabul 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.10 ₹294

$2.80 ؋182

10.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.56 ₹1,288

$7.75 ؋502

74.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.08 ₹387

$4.52 ؋293

-9.73%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ؋153

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 ؋122

Cappuccino

$2.72 ₹259

$1.07 ؋69.4

154.21%

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

$0.43 ₹41.05

$0.48 ؋31.36

-10.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ₹21.71

$0.15 ؋9.98

53.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 ₹193

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 ₹295

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 ₹67.4

$0.83 ؋53.6

-14.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 ₹51.5

$0.25 ؋16.24

116.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 ₹83.5

$1.80 ؋117

-51.11%

Eggs

$0.92 ₹87.7

$1.53 ؋99.2

-39.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.07 ₹481

$4.34 ؋281

16.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.84 ₹270

$4.07 ؋264

-30.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.71 ؋435

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 ₹156

$0.70 ؋45.14

134.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.71 ₹67.3

$0.85 ؋55.1

-16.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 ₹102

$0.93 ؋60.6

15.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 ₹64.6

$0.51 ؋33.12

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.28 ₹26.53

$0.65 ؋42.18

-56.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.30 ₹28.89

$0.47 ؋30.60

-36.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ₹62.7

$0.28 ؋17.93

135.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₹30.81

$0.37 ؋23.98

-13.51%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.82 ؋118

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ؋48.45

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 ؋68.0

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.91 ₹466

$2.43 ؋157

102.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 ₹1,090

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₹162

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ₹264

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.61 ₹627

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₹28.16

$0.16 ؋10.63

87.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.59 ₹341

$20.99 ؋1,361

-82.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₹102

$2.14 ؋139

-49.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₹21.80

$0.48 ؋31.27

-52.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 ₹155

$2.70 ؋175

-39.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ₹107

$1.08 ؋70.1

4.63%

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

$12.4K ₹1.2M

$8,472 ؋549.2K

46.28%

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

$24.6K ₹2.3M

$33.8K ؋2.2M

-27.33%

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

$37.66 ₹3,576

$41.65 ؋2,700

-9.58%

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

$4.04 ₹384

$12.84 ؋833

-68.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.49 ₹616

$96.1 ؋6,227

-93.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.70 ₹1,965

$10.86 ؋704

90.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.11 ₹770

$4.07 ؋264

99.26%

Cinema Ticket

$3.11 ₹295

$2.32 ؋151

34.05%

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

$58.6 ₹5,560

$19.99 ؋1,296

192.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,454 ₹233.0K

$1,035 ؋67.1K

137.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.27 ₹2,589

$10.80 ؋700

152.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ₹2,339

$15.92 ؋1,032

54.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.7 ₹5,477

$57.1 ؋3,704

0.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.07 ₹4,184

$25.12 ؋1,629

75.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$166 ₹15.8K

$123 ؋7,984

34.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$117 ₹11.1K

$107 ؋6,917

9.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$465 ₹44.2K

$213 ؋13.8K

118.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 ₹27.1K

$117 ؋7,553

144.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,052 ₹289.7K

$684 ؋44.4K

346.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,786 ₹169.6K

$352 ؋22.8K

407.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$432 ₹41.1K

$341 ؋22.1K

26.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Chandigarh: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kabul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chandigarh

$117 24.8%

Kabul

$107 21.3% 8.7% $10

Groceries & Markets

Chandigarh

$114 24.3%

Kabul

$101 20.2% 11.7% $13

Eating Out

Chandigarh

$89 18.8%

Kabul

$51 10.3% 42.1% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Chandigarh

$69 14.7%

Kabul

$49 9.8% 29.1% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chandigarh

$48 10.2%

Kabul

$151 30.1% 212% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Chandigarh

$27 5.7%

Kabul

$16 3.1% 42.4% $11

Getting Around

Chandigarh

$7 1.5%

Kabul

$26 5.2% 274% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $166 in Chandigarh and $123 in Kabul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chandigarh pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $14.00 in Chandigarh vs $8.00 in Kabul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $114 vs $101 per month, with Kabul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Chandigarh

🇦🇫 Kabul

🕒 Local time

16:38 4:38 PM

15:38 3:38 PM

1 h behind Chandigarh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,028,667

3,289,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AFN, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 64.83 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.89 AFN (100 AFN = 1.37 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chandigarh Kabul 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chandigarh
Kabul

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

Chandigarh vs Kabul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chandigarh wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Kabul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chandigarh the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Chandigarh, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $166 in Chandigarh versus $123 in Kabul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chandigarh runs roughly 485% less than in Kabul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $58.6 in Chandigarh versus $19.99 in Kabul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Chandigarh gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Chandigarh and Kabul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chandigarh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Kabul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.