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 $237 in Afghanistan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,471 per month in United Kingdom vs $329 in Afghanistan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,579 per month in United Kingdom vs $420 in Afghanistan, rent included.

The cost of living in United Kingdom is about 897% higher than in Afghanistan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

United Kingdom sits 77% above the global median, while Afghanistan is 82% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 £15.05

$2.18 ؋143

827.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.3 £65.7

$9.84 ؋647

797.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 £7.70

$3.53 ؋232

193.20%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 ؋187

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 ؋469

Cappuccino

$4.77 £3.55

$0.90 ؋59.0

430.00%

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

$2.44 £1.82

$0.38 ؋25.14

542.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.29

$0.13 ؋8.49

1230.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 £5.10

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 £4.85

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 £1.23

$0.71 ؋46.89

133.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 £1.27

$0.21 ؋13.79

714.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 £1.64

$1.72 ؋113

28.49%

Eggs

$4.09 £3.04

$1.60 ؋105

155.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 £7.08

$3.74 ؋246

154.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 £6.71

$3.41 ؋224

164.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 £10.54

$5.80 ؋381

144.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 £2.20

$0.60 ؋39.74

393.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$0.83 ؋54.4

102.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 £2.11

$0.75 ؋49.02

278.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 £2.54

$0.51 ؋33.64

568.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 £1.26

$0.47 ؋30.59

259.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$0.40 ؋26.00

295.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 £0.84

$0.32 ؋21.24

250.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 £1.14

$0.30 ؋19.47

410.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.82 ؋120

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ؋45.11

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ؋98.9

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.16 £15.00

$2.19 ؋144

820.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 £7.79

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 £2.14

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 £2.45

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 £2.48

$0.30 ؋19.88

1010.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.3 £71.6

$12.08 ؋794

697.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 £4.11

$1.46 ؋95.8

278.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 £1.19

$0.64 ؋42.02

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.51 £20.47

$1.69 ؋111

1527.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.41

$0.99 ؋64.9

91.92%

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

$38.1K £28.3K

$8,783 ؋577.3K

333.65%

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

$41.0K £30.5K

$35.5K ؋2.3M

15.64%

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

$326 £243

$74.7 ؋4,913

336.26%

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

$17.18 £12.78

$14.65 ؋963

17.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.96 £31.96

$148 ؋9,707

-70.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.94 £34.17

$9.75 ؋641

371.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.87 £11.81

$3.32 ؋218

378.01%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 £10.26

$2.43 ؋160

467.90%

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

$1,723 £1,281

$23.76 ؋1,562

7150.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K £15.5K

$1,445 ؋95.0K

1344.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.3 £67.2

$13.90 ؋914

549.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.39 £33.02

$19.40 ؋1,275

128.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.7

$33.36 ؋2,193

209.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 £76.3

$29.07 ؋1,911

252.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 £1,055

$81.9 ؋5,384

1632.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 £850

$53.1 ؋3,488

2054.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 £1,709

$182 ؋11.9K

1164.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 £1,393

$103 ؋6,743

1725.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,728 £4,260

$606 ؋39.8K

845.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,339 £3,228

$341 ؋22.4K

1171.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,264 £2,428

$256 ؋16.8K

1176.50%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Afghanistan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,266 in United Kingdom vs $38.00 in Afghanistan. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,937 in London and $85.0 in Kabul.

Average salary: $3,192 in United Kingdom vs $221 in Afghanistan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 3232% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 1300% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 1214% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 1344% higher in United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United Kingdom.

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 736% 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 736% 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.