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 $2,405 per month in United Kingdom vs $209 in Afghanistan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,520 per month in United Kingdom vs $294 in Afghanistan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,635 per month in United Kingdom vs $379 in Afghanistan, rent included.

The cost of living in United Kingdom is about 1051% higher than in Afghanistan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

United Kingdom sits 74% above the global median, while Afghanistan is 85% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.52 £15.90

$2.36 ؋152

811.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.0 £65.0

$10.83 ؋696

712.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 £8.05

$3.77 ؋242

188.86%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 ؋135

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.42 ؋477

Cappuccino

$4.92 £3.64

$1.01 ؋65.2

387.13%

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

$2.59 £1.91

$0.44 ؋28.27

488.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.36

$0.19 ؋12.16

868.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.91 £5.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 £5.07

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 £1.23

$0.81 ؋51.9

106.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 £1.23

$0.28 ؋18.20

496.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 £1.63

$1.83 ؋118

20.22%

Eggs

$4.19 £3.10

$1.60 ؋103

161.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 £7.38

$4.61 ؋296

116.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 £7.00

$3.75 ؋241

152.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 £11.39

$6.54 ؋421

135.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 £2.23

$0.69 ؋44.51

337.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 £1.25

$0.99 ؋64.0

71.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 £2.16

$1.01 ؋65.2

189.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 £2.50

$0.52 ؋33.63

550.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 £1.36

$0.55 ؋35.14

234.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$0.41 ؋26.25

285.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.93

$0.39 ؋24.76

223.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.26

$0.34 ؋21.56

400.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.78 ؋114

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ؋43.78

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 ؋68.1

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.21 £17.90

$2.36 ؋151

925.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.00 £8.13

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.51

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 £2.53

$0.30 ؋19.01

1043.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 £77.9

$14.68 ؋944

617.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 £3.96

$1.41 ؋90.9

280.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 £1.75

$0.44 ؋28.38

438.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.55 £20.36

$1.65 ؋106

1569.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.02 ؋65.5

89.22%

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

$39.7K £29.3K

$8,438 ؋542.6K

370.32%

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

$40.7K £30.1K

$33.4K ؋2.1M

21.64%

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

$321 £238

$56.9 ؋3,660

464.76%

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

$18.67 £13.80

$13.81 ؋888

35.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.93 £32.47

$165 ؋10.6K

-73.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.56 £34.41

$10.61 ؋682

338.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 £13.83

$4.02 ؋258

365.42%

Cinema Ticket

$13.53 £10.00

$2.62 ؋168

416.41%

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

$1,739 £1,285

$20.34 ؋1,308

8449.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K £16.7K

$1,316 ؋84.6K

1622.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 £67.2

$12.99 ؋835

599.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.40 £35.04

$17.54 ؋1,128

170.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 £77.8

$43.06 ؋2,769

144.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 £74.9

$31.95 ؋2,055

217.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 £1,022

$117 ؋7,531

1080.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 £809

$90.3 ؋5,807

1112.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,216 £1,638

$200 ؋12.9K

1008.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 £1,341

$112 ؋7,229

1513.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,730 £4,235

$654 ؋42.1K

776.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,515 £3,337

$354 ؋22.8K

1174.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,329 £2,461

$255 ؋16.4K

1207.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

18.22

-70.80%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: September 5, 2026

Last update for Afghanistan: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,285 in United Kingdom vs $27.00 in Afghanistan. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,926 in London and $124 in Kabul.

Average salary: $3,292 in United Kingdom vs $226 in Afghanistan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 4659% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 1300% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 1620% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 1357% 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 973% 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 973% 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.