Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kabul and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Kabul: $511 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Kabul
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Kabul Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

Jump to prices

Kabul

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$511

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kabul and in Montreal

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $511 in Kabul versus $2,003 in Montreal.

Kabul $511
Montreal $2,003

Estimated couple costs with rent: $684 in Kabul versus $3,048 in Montreal.

Kabul $684
Montreal $3,048

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $857 in Kabul versus $4,092 in Montreal.

Kabul $857
Montreal $4,092

Living in Kabul costs roughly 74% less than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kabul is 62% below, Montreal is 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.70 ؋175

$19.31 CA$27.52

-86.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.89 ؋511

$75.5 CA$108

-89.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.51 ؋292

$10.63 CA$15.15

-57.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 ؋148

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 ؋122

Cappuccino

$1.09 ؋70.5

$3.93 CA$5.60

-72.26%

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

$0.45 ؋28.95

$1.92 CA$2.73

-76.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ؋10.83

$1.48 CA$2.11

-88.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 ؋52.4

$2.22 CA$3.17

-63.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.25 ؋16.23

$3.06 CA$4.36

-91.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 ؋121

$2.94 CA$4.19

-36.73%

Eggs

$1.54 ؋99.7

$3.53 CA$5.03

-56.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.46 ؋289

$13.19 CA$18.79

-66.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 ؋261

$11.24 CA$16.02

-64.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.71 ؋434

$13.81 CA$19.69

-51.41%

Apples (1kg)

$0.70 ؋45.11

$3.40 CA$4.85

-79.41%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 ؋57.4

$1.44 CA$2.06

-38.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 ؋61.5

$3.26 CA$4.65

-70.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 ؋35.47

$2.88 CA$4.10

-80.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 ؋39.34

$1.86 CA$2.65

-67.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 ؋32.74

$1.82 CA$2.60

-71.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 ؋19.48

$2.43 CA$3.46

-87.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 ؋23.89

$1.52 CA$2.17

-75.66%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.81 ؋117

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ؋52.0

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 ؋65.8

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.42 ؋157

$11.45 CA$16.32

-78.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 ؋8.60

$2.58 CA$3.67

-94.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.08 ؋1,366

$76.9 CA$110

-72.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 ؋138

$3.25 CA$4.64

-34.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 ؋29.02

$1.48 CA$2.11

-69.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 ؋179

$33.04 CA$47.09

-91.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ؋69.9

$1.36 CA$1.94

-20.59%

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

$8,341 ؋540.2K

$27.4K CA$39.1K

-69.59%

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

$33.8K ؋2.2M

$20.0K CA$28.5K

69.04%

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

$42.09 ؋2,726

$76.1 CA$109

-44.71%

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

$13.12 ؋850

$34.68 CA$49.43

-62.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$95.3 ؋6,174

$42.69 CA$60.9

123.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.15 ؋722

$28.94 CA$41.26

-61.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.11 ؋266

$20.33 CA$28.97

-79.78%

Cinema Ticket

$2.34 ؋152

$11.21 CA$15.98

-79.13%

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

$20.64 ؋1,337

$505 CA$720

-95.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,045 ؋67.7K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

-93.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.71 ؋694

$58.5 CA$83.4

-81.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.93 ؋1,032

$38.00 CA$54.2

-58.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.8 ؋3,741

$92.7 CA$132

-37.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.51 ؋1,652

$106 CA$151

-75.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$125 ؋8,092

$1,240 CA$1,768

-89.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$109 ؋7,043

$986 CA$1,405

-88.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$219 ؋14.2K

$2,102 CA$2,996

-89.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 ؋7,463

$1,615 CA$2,302

-92.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$675 ؋43.7K

$5,043 CA$7,188

-86.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$363 ؋23.5K

$3,830 CA$5,459

-90.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$339 ؋21.9K

$2,920 CA$4,163

-88.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

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

Last update for Kabul: October 6, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kabul

$151 29.9%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 2% $2.9

Accommodation & Living

Kabul

$109 21.6%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 807% $877

Groceries & Markets

Kabul

$102 20.2%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 238% $242

Eating Out

Kabul

$51 10.1%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 479% $242

Clothing & Footwear

Kabul

$49 9.8%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 168% $83

Getting Around

Kabul

$26 5.2%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 277% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Kabul

$16 3.2%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 224% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $125 in Kabul and $1,240 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 762% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $8.00 in Kabul vs $75.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $102 vs $344 per month, with Kabul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇫 Kabul

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

12:01 12:01 PM

03:31 3:31 AM

8 h 30 min behind Kabul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,289,000 Capital

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.38 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to AFN – Afghanistan Afghani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇫 Afghanistan Afghani (؋)

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 64.76 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.64 AFN (100 AFN = 1.38 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to AFN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kabul Montreal 10,360 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Kabul
Montreal

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

Kabul vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kabul and Montreal differ by about 292% in total monthly costs ($511 vs $2,003 including rent). Kabul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 762% lower in Montreal. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $125 in Kabul versus $1,240 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kabul runs roughly 265% less than in Montreal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $20.64 in Kabul versus $505 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $511 in Kabul versus $2,003 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kabul but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Kabul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Kabul and Montreal 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 Kabul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 292% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.