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 $444 per month in Pakistan vs $211 in Afghanistan, rent included.

A couple spends around $674 per month in Pakistan vs $294 in Afghanistan, rent included.

A family of three spends $903 per month in Pakistan vs $376 in Afghanistan, rent included.

The cost of living in Pakistan is about 110% higher than in Afghanistan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Pakistan and Afghanistan are more affordable than the global median – Pakistan 68% lower, Afghanistan 85% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.20 PKR 611

$2.22 ؋144

-0.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.54 PKR 4,031

$10.80 ؋700

34.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 PKR 1,510

$3.70 ؋240

47.03%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 PKR 586

$2.01 ؋130

4.98%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 PKR 1,214

$7.69 ؋498

-43.04%

Cappuccino

$1.94 PKR 538

$0.93 ؋60.3

108.60%

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

$0.34 PKR 95.4

$0.47 ؋30.32

-27.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 PKR 60.7

$0.17 ؋11.05

29.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 PKR 236

$0.79 ؋50.9

7.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 PKR 157

$0.28 ؋18.35

103.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 PKR 320

$1.83 ؋119

-36.61%

Eggs

$1.17 PKR 324

$1.59 ؋103

-26.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.59 PKR 1,551

$4.79 ؋311

16.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 PKR 771

$3.61 ؋234

-22.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.75 PKR 1,316

$6.44 ؋418

-26.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 PKR 324

$0.63 ؋41.13

85.71%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 PKR 175

$0.99 ؋64.3

-36.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 PKR 232

$1.04 ؋67.6

-20.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$0.57 ؋36.83

-1.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$0.51 ؋32.82

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 107

$0.43 ؋27.98

-9.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 PKR 98.2

$0.39 ؋25.00

-10.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 PKR 109

$0.34 ؋22.03

14.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.04 PKR 566

$1.79 ؋116

13.97%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 PKR 315

$0.69 ؋44.52

65.22%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 PKR 630

$1.00 ؋64.9

127.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.12 PKR 588

$2.23 ؋145

-4.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 45.40

$0.31 ؋20.29

-48.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.79 PKR 2,713

$14.33 ؋930

-31.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 PKR 257

$1.48 ؋95.7

-37.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 PKR 156

$0.44 ؋28.26

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 PKR 614

$1.69 ؋109

30.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 PKR 319

$1.02 ؋66.4

12.75%

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

$17.7K PKR 4.9M

$8,433 ؋546.9K

110.28%

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

$25.3K PKR 7.0M

$33.3K ؋2.2M

-24.01%

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

$109 PKR 30.1K

$54.7 ؋3,545

98.85%

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

$5.39 PKR 1,494

$13.46 ؋873

-59.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.31 PKR 4,245

$160 ؋10.4K

-90.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.61 PKR 4,328

$10.42 ؋676

49.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.47 PKR 2,902

$4.02 ؋261

160.45%

Cinema Ticket

$4.37 PKR 1,211

$2.64 ؋171

65.53%

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

$43.21 PKR 12.0K

$19.73 ؋1,279

119.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,284 PKR 356.0K

$1,295 ؋84.0K

-0.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.94 PKR 4,421

$12.91 ؋837

23.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.84 PKR 6,334

$17.79 ؋1,154

28.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 PKR 20.9K

$43.60 ؋2,827

73.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.05 PKR 9,165

$31.72 ؋2,057

4.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$132 PKR 36.5K

$115 ؋7,427

14.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.6 PKR 21.0K

$89.6 ؋5,807

-15.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$293 PKR 81.2K

$194 ؋12.6K

50.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 PKR 48.2K

$110 ؋7,106

58.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$987 PKR 273.6K

$653 ؋42.4K

51.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$522 PKR 144.8K

$348 ؋22.5K

50.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 PKR 51.4K

$249 ؋16.2K

-25.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.02

18.22

-23.05%

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

Last update for Pakistan: August 16, 2026

Last update for Afghanistan: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $118 in Pakistan vs $27.00 in Afghanistan. For reference, capital cities sit at $274 in Islamabad and $120 in Kabul.

Average salary: $183 in Pakistan vs $224 in Afghanistan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 337% higher in Pakistan.

Dining out costs 100% more in Pakistan.

Public transport is 80% more expensive in Pakistan.

Salaries are 22% higher in Afghanistan, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Afghanistan.

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 74% 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 74% 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.