Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Jalalabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Jalalabad: $501 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $25,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Jalalabad
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Jalalabad Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Jalalabad

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$501

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Jalalabad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Jalalabad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $501 in Jalalabad.

Austin, TX $2,663
Jalalabad $501

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $684 in Jalalabad.

Austin, TX $4,133
Jalalabad $684

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $868 in Jalalabad.

Austin, TX $5,603
Jalalabad $868

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 432% more expensive than in Jalalabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Jalalabad is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.26 ؋146

819.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$7.56 ؋490

1018.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$3.80 ؋246

224.21%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$0.75 ؋48.49

650.67%

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

$3.72 $3.72

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.88 ؋56.9

27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.37 ؋23.66

913.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.89 ؋122

72.49%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.69 ؋110

146.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$5.53 ؋359

133.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$2.70 ؋175

424.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$6.20 ؋402

161.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$0.61 ؋39.26

609.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.65 ؋42.08

124.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$0.79 ؋51.1

470.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$0.48 ؋30.89

804.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.39 ؋25.38

561.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.30 ؋19.38

683.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.32 ؋21.06

456.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.30 ؋19.42

640.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.90 ؋253

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ؋51.4

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 ؋71.1

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$2.33 ؋151

324.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.13 ؋8.72

1046.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$10.98 ؋712

279.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.75 ؋48.74

264.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.44 ؋28.35

277.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$1.56 ؋101

2162.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.11 ؋71.9

-14.41%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$8,453 ؋548.0K

326.43%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

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

$229 $229

$23.42 ؋1,518

877.75%

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

$59.4 $59.4

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$233 ؋15.1K

-70.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$7.62 ؋494

651.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$4.76 ؋308

243.07%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$1.56 ؋101

815.38%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$15.22 ؋987

9794.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$1,222 ؋79.2K

1655.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$18.51 ؋1,200

185.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$15.27 ؋990

186.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$23.21 ؋1,505

265.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$30.36 ؋1,968

239.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$114 ؋7,396

1571.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$46.83 ؋3,036

2620.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$229 ؋14.9K

1497.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$123 ؋8,000

1956.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$468 ؋30.4K

1525.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$232 ؋15.1K

1259.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$183 ؋11.9K

2697.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

13.88

-51.08%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Jalalabad: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Jalalabad

$47 9.4% 96.3% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Jalalabad

$95 18.9% 76.6% $310

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Jalalabad

$256 * 51.2% 28.4% $102

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Jalalabad

$38 * 7.7% 89.1% $315

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Jalalabad

$39 7.9% 69.3% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Jalalabad

$11 2.2% 87.5% $75

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Jalalabad

$14 2.9% 75.4% $44

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $114 in Jalalabad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 2698% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $8.00 in Jalalabad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $95.0 per month, with Jalalabad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇦🇫 Jalalabad

🕒 Local time

23:08 11:08 PM

08:38 8:38 AM

9 h 30 min ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

168,600

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AFN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇫 Afghanistan Afghani (؋)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 64.83 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.88 AFN (100 AFN = 1.37 EUR).

AFN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Jalalabad 12,720 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Jalalabad

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Austin, TX vs Jalalabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jalalabad wins on cost – living expenses run 432% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jalalabad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2698% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $114 in Jalalabad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $501 in Jalalabad – a 432% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jalalabad runs roughly 280% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $501 in Jalalabad versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Jalalabad but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Jalalabad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Jalalabad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 432% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.