Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Afghanistan Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Afghanistan

Name: Afghanistan
Address: AF

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,363 per month in United Kingdom vs $235 in Afghanistan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,474 per month in United Kingdom vs $327 in Afghanistan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,585 per month in United Kingdom vs $419 in Afghanistan, rent included.

United Kingdom costs about 906% more than Afghanistan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

United Kingdom sits 76% above the global median, while Afghanistan is 82% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.41 £15.17

$2.18 ؋138

836.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.0 £64.7

$9.92 ؋630

777.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.13 £7.53

$3.67 ؋233

176.02%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 ؋180

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 ؋461

Cappuccino

$4.70 £3.49

$0.92 ؋58.5

410.87%

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

$2.36 £1.75

$0.41 ؋26.04

475.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 £1.30

$0.14 ؋8.89

1157.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 £4.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.43 £4.78

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 £1.27

$0.75 ؋47.82

126.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 £1.21

$0.23 ؋14.62

608.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 £1.70

$1.67 ؋106

37.13%

Eggs

$4.03 £2.99

$1.52 ؋96.7

165.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.77 £7.26

$3.76 ؋239

159.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 £6.63

$3.40 ؋216

162.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.31 £10.64

$5.84 ؋371

145.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.26

$0.60 ؋38.26

408.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 £1.19

$0.84 ؋53.5

91.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 £2.11

$0.76 ؋48.03

273.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 £2.62

$0.47 ؋29.91

651.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 £1.19

$0.44 ؋27.80

265.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$0.40 ؋25.16

292.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 £0.87

$0.32 ؋20.46

265.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 £1.16

$0.32 ؋20.32

387.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.87 ؋119

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ؋44.30

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ؋92.4

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.03 £14.89

$2.24 ؋142

794.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 £8.10

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 £2.16

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 £2.51

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 £2.35

$0.30 ؋19.16

956.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.2 £70.8

$12.38 ؋786

669.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.05

$1.40 ؋88.7

289.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 £1.18

$0.65 ؋41.51

144.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.31 £20.30

$1.68 ؋107

1525.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.03 ؋65.6

93.20%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$8,556 ؋543.4K

341.33%

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

$40.2K £29.9K

$36.8K ؋2.3M

9.16%

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

$323 £240

$76.8 ؋4,875

320.22%

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

$17.22 £12.80

$14.68 ؋932

17.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.23 £31.39

$148 ؋9,381

-71.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.03 £34.21

$9.78 ؋621

370.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.67 £11.65

$3.21 ؋204

388.16%

Cinema Ticket

$13.48 £10.02

$2.51 ؋159

437.05%

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

$1,713 £1,274

$23.60 ؋1,499

7159.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K £15.5K

$1,454 ؋92.3K

1331.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 £67.8

$14.15 ؋898

544.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.88 £33.36

$19.65 ؋1,248

128.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £75.9

$33.36 ؋2,119

205.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 £77.3

$29.58 ؋1,878

251.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,417 £1,053

$81.4 ؋5,169

1640.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 £841

$51.3 ؋3,260

2104.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 £1,715

$185 ؋11.7K

1150.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,839 £1,367

$101 ؋6,411

1721.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,727 £4,257

$631 ؋40.1K

807.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,523 £3,362

$340 ؋21.6K

1232.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,333 £2,477

$270 ؋17.2K

1133.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

16.22

-64.55%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: May 30, 2026

Last update for Afghanistan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,265 in United Kingdom vs $38.00 in Afghanistan. For reference, capital cities sit at $3,019 in London and $85.0 in Kabul.

Average salary: $3,219 in United Kingdom vs $236 in Afghanistan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 3229% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 1300% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 1229% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 1264% higher in United Kingdom, giving United Kingdom 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

United Kingdom vs Afghanistan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Afghanistan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 754% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Afghanistan, contributing to the overall 754% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$800 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Afghanistan, but in United Kingdom 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.