Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Afghanistan

Name: Afghanistan
Address: AF

For one person, living is cheaper in Afghanistan: $555 a month against $791 in China, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Afghanistan
Learn more

Afghanistan Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$555

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $791 per month in China vs $555 in Afghanistan, rent included.

China $791
Afghanistan $555

A couple spends around $1,251 per month in China vs $745 in Afghanistan, rent included.

China $1,251
Afghanistan $745

A family of three spends $1,711 per month in China vs $934 in Afghanistan, rent included.

China $1,711
Afghanistan $934

The regional cost range is wider in China ($465–$1,222) than in Afghanistan ($24–$504), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in China is about 43% higher than in Afghanistan on average.

Both China and Afghanistan are more affordable than the global median – China 42% lower, Afghanistan 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.84

$2.25 ؋146

32.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$10.78 ؋700

104.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.66

$3.76 ؋244

38.30%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 ؋132

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.61 ؋494

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.77

$0.97 ؋62.8

206.19%

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

$0.48 ¥3.19

$0.48 ؋31.23

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$0.17 ؋11.04

76.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.18

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.98

$0.81 ؋52.9

122.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.17

$0.28 ؋18.33

500.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.14

$1.85 ؋120

-50.27%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.75

$1.67 ؋109

-3.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥89.2

$4.69 ؋305

185.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.31

$3.69 ؋239

-9.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.7

$6.44 ؋418

76.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.14

$0.68 ؋44.45

167.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.71

$1.01 ؋65.7

29.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.91

$1.02 ؋66.2

46.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.49

$0.58 ؋37.37

118.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.74

$0.55 ؋36.01

29.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.22

$0.44 ؋28.35

111.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$0.36 ؋23.49

72.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.75

$0.38 ؋24.46

47.37%

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)

$3.78 ¥25.19

$2.37 ؋154

59.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.9

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.55

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.23

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.32 ؋21.03

-9.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥119

$14.55 ؋945

22.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.91

$1.42 ؋92.2

4.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.50

$0.44 ؋28.82

-15.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.31

$1.72 ؋112

312.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.39

$1.11 ؋72.1

13.51%

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

$19.4K ¥129.6K

$8,359 ؋542.8K

132.62%

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

$17.5K ¥116.9K

$34.8K ؋2.3M

-49.55%

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

$54.6 ¥364

$57.1 ؋3,709

-4.47%

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

$8.73 ¥58.2

$13.94 ؋905

-37.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.8

$165 ؋10.7K

-93.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥272

$10.77 ؋699

278.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.5

$4.05 ؋263

257.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.19

$2.66 ؋173

154.89%

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

$517 ¥3,443

$20.34 ؋1,321

2439.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥132.0K

$1,292 ؋83.9K

1433.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥310

$13.49 ؋876

244.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥238

$17.97 ؋1,167

98.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥513

$43.87 ؋2,849

75.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥535

$31.87 ؋2,070

151.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,572

$117 ؋7,586

230.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,563

$89.7 ؋5,827

161.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,478

$202 ؋13.1K

306.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,020

$113 ؋7,332

301.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.3K

$664 ؋43.1K

607.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.8K

$347 ؋22.6K

582.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,286

$261 ؋17.0K

318.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

18.22

-81.01%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for Afghanistan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

Afghanistan

$90 16.2% 61.7% $145

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

Afghanistan

$102 18.4% 51.5% $108

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

Afghanistan

$48 8.7% 55.2% $59

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Afghanistan

$43 7.8% 50.7% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

Afghanistan

$236 42.5% 217% $162

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

Afghanistan

$16 2.9% 70.4% $38

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

Afghanistan

$19 3.5% 12.8% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $298 in China vs $89 in Afghanistan. For reference, capital cities sit at $933 in Beijing (Pekin) and $122 in Kabul.

Average salary: $873 in China vs $228 in Afghanistan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 235% higher in China.

Dining out costs 100% more in China.

Salaries are about 3.8 times higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

🕒 Local time

16:47 4:47 PM

13:17 1:17 PM

3 h 30 min behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

41,454,761

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AFN, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 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 CNY in detail →

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Between locations

China Afghanistan 4,170 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

China
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

China vs Afghanistan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Afghanistan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 30% lower on average.

Housing costs more in China: a central one-bedroom averages $298 versus $89 in Afghanistan.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Afghanistan, adding to the overall 43% price gap.

$800 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Afghanistan, but in China it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

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.