Cost of Living Comparison Between Pakistan and Afghanistan Cost of Living Comparison Between Pakistan and Afghanistan

Name: Afghanistan
Address: AF

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $391 per month in Pakistan vs $236 in Afghanistan, rent included.

A couple spends around $593 per month in Pakistan vs $329 in Afghanistan, rent included.

A family of three spends $794 per month in Pakistan vs $421 in Afghanistan, rent included.

Pakistan costs about 66% more than Afghanistan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Pakistan and Afghanistan are more affordable than the global median – Pakistan 71% lower, Afghanistan 82% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.72 PKR 479

$2.11 ؋135

-18.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.23 PKR 3,410

$9.98 ؋639

22.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.15 PKR 1,156

$3.67 ؋235

13.08%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 PKR 503

$2.91 ؋186

-38.14%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 PKR 1,123

$7.21 ؋462

-44.11%

Cappuccino

$1.73 PKR 481

$0.95 ؋60.8

82.11%

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

$0.33 PKR 92.8

$0.41 ؋26.26

-19.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.5

$0.16 ؋10.29

31.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 PKR 226

$0.72 ؋45.83

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 PKR 152

$0.23 ؋14.76

139.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 336

$1.72 ؋110

-30.23%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 337

$1.52 ؋97.5

-20.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.94 PKR 1,655

$3.66 ؋235

62.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 PKR 823

$3.40 ؋218

-13.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.22 PKR 1,178

$5.82 ؋373

-27.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.05 PKR 293

$0.62 ؋39.61

69.35%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 PKR 173

$0.80 ؋51.2

-22.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.81 PKR 227

$0.76 ؋48.64

6.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 145

$0.50 ؋32.08

4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 100

$0.47 ؋29.83

-23.40%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 PKR 135

$0.40 ؋25.49

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 PKR 108

$0.32 ؋20.75

21.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 PKR 108

$0.29 ؋18.89

34.48%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.98 PKR 553

$1.88 ؋121

5.32%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 PKR 308

$0.73 ؋46.93

52.05%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 PKR 578

$1.49 ؋95.5

38.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 PKR 550

$2.19 ؋140

-10.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 44.50

$0.28 ؋17.68

-42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.00 PKR 1,950

$12.02 ؋770

-41.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 PKR 250

$1.46 ؋93.5

-38.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 PKR 143

$0.68 ؋43.66

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 PKR 485

$1.73 ؋111

0.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 252

$0.99 ؋63.6

-9.09%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$8,570 ؋548.8K

109.04%

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

$23.8K PKR 6.6M

$36.6K ؋2.3M

-34.90%

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

$111 PKR 30.8K

$76.7 ؋4,912

44.24%

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

$4.75 PKR 1,324

$14.82 ؋949

-67.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.51 PKR 4,323

$150 ؋9,588

-89.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.30 PKR 3,708

$9.54 ؋611

39.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.50 PKR 2,369

$3.31 ؋212

156.80%

Cinema Ticket

$4.22 PKR 1,177

$2.41 ؋155

75.10%

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

$39.14 PKR 10.9K

$23.20 ؋1,486

68.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,145 PKR 319.1K

$1,412 ؋90.4K

-18.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.80 PKR 4,403

$14.26 ؋913

10.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.72 PKR 6,613

$19.37 ؋1,240

22.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 PKR 20.1K

$33.94 ؋2,174

112.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.09 PKR 9,224

$28.82 ؋1,845

14.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$114 PKR 31.7K

$82.8 ؋5,304

37.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$67.1 PKR 18.7K

$51.8 ؋3,314

29.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 PKR 78.1K

$186 ؋11.9K

50.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$165 PKR 45.9K

$99.8 ؋6,393

65.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$888 PKR 247.7K

$640 ؋41.0K

38.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$530 PKR 147.9K

$354 ؋22.6K

49.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$188 PKR 52.4K

$268 ؋17.2K

-30.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.97

16.22

16.95%

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

Last update for Pakistan: April 27, 2026

Last update for Afghanistan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $78.0 in Pakistan vs $38.00 in Afghanistan. For reference, capital cities sit at $200 in Islamabad and $83.0 in Kabul.

Average salary: $181 in Pakistan vs $235 in Afghanistan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 105% higher in Pakistan.

Dining out costs 83% more in Pakistan.

Salaries are 30% higher in Afghanistan, giving Afghanistan 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

Pakistan vs Afghanistan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Afghanistan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 26% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Afghanistan, contributing to the overall 26% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

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