Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Mazar-i-Sharif

For one person, living is cheaper in Mazar-i-Sharif: $297 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $28,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Mazar-i-Sharif
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Mazar-i-Sharif Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Mazar-i-Sharif

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$297

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Mazar-i-Sharif

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 Mazar-i-Sharif actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $297 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Austin, TX $2,704
Mazar-i-Sharif $297

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $470 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Austin, TX $4,133
Mazar-i-Sharif $470

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $643 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Austin, TX $5,562
Mazar-i-Sharif $643

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 811% more expensive than in Mazar-i-Sharif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Mazar-i-Sharif is 78% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$2.31 ؋149

775.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$15.68 ؋1,015

442.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$3.90 ؋252

216.67%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 ؋487

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 ؋503

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$1.19 ؋77.3

359.66%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.56 ؋36.07

582.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.32 ؋20.97

681.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.60 ؋38.87

88.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$0.15 ؋9.41

2420.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.15 ؋139

51.16%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.59 ؋103

160.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$7.92 ؋513

65.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$3.37 ؋218

324.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$6.23 ؋404

156.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$0.59 ؋38.23

642.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.17 ؋76.0

23.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$0.81 ؋52.6

460.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$0.61 ؋39.57

586.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.51 ؋33.06

415.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.40 ؋25.83

490.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.52 ؋33.75

238.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.32 ؋20.76

575.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.82 ؋118

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$1.56 ؋101

528.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.80 ؋52.0

86.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$1.52 ؋98.7

2221.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.49 ؋96.3

-33.56%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$9,933 ؋643.3K

260.43%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

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

$219 $219

$83.8 ؋5,425

161.78%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$16.94 ؋1,097

242.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$11.69 ؋757

395.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$3.91 ؋253

279.03%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$4.72 ؋306

199.36%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$78.1 ؋5,058

1832.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$13.14 ؋851

293.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$18.75 ؋1,214

461.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$231 ؋15.0K

2110.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mazar-i-Sharif: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Mazar-i-Sharif

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$106 36.2% 73.6% $297

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$48 16.3% 86.2% $300

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$101 * 34.3% 70.9% $245

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$14 * 4.9% 88.9% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$21 7.2% 75.5% $65

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$3.2 * 1.1% 94.4% $54

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

Cost Breakdown

Austin, TX pays 2111% 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 $16.00 in Mazar-i-Sharif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $106 per month, with Mazar-i-Sharif cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇦🇫 Mazar-i-Sharif

🕒 Local time

05:49 5:49 AM

15:19 3:19 PM

9 h 30 min ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

300,600

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.38 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 64.76 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.57 AFN (100 AFN = 1.38 EUR).

AFN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Mazar-i-Sharif 12,400 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Mazar-i-Sharif

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 Mazar-i-Sharif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mazar-i-Sharif wins on cost – living expenses run 811% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mazar-i-Sharif the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2111% 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.

Childcare runs $1,509 in Austin, TX versus $78.1 in Mazar-i-Sharif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mazar-i-Sharif – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $297 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mazar-i-Sharif but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Mazar-i-Sharif 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 Mazar-i-Sharif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 811% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.