Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Herat and Kabul

For one person, living is cheaper in Herat: $399 a month against $504 in Kabul, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Kabul despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Kabul
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Kabul Living Index

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Herat

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$399

/mo nomad

Kabul

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$504

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Herat and in Kabul

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

A single person spends $399 per month in Herat vs $504 in Kabul, rent included.

Herat $399
Kabul $504

A couple spends around $478 per month in Herat vs $683 in Kabul, rent included.

Herat $478
Kabul $683

A family of three spends $558 per month in Herat vs $862 in Kabul, rent included.

Herat $558
Kabul $862

Herat is about 21% cheaper than Kabul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Herat and Kabul are more affordable than the global median – Herat 71% lower, Kabul 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.70 ؋175

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.41 ؋611

$7.75 ؋503

21.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.75 ؋243

$4.68 ؋304

-19.87%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 ؋98.4

$2.33 ؋151

-34.76%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 ؋511

$1.89 ؋123

316.40%

Cappuccino

$0.79 ؋51.5

$1.12 ؋72.4

-29.46%

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

$0.44 ؋28.56

$0.48 ؋31.20

-8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 ؋8.66

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 ؋39.47

$0.82 ؋53.3

-25.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.25 ؋16.30

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 ؋116

Eggs

$1.89 ؋123

$1.57 ؋102

20.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 ؋285

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.89 ؋252

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 ؋408

$6.68 ؋434

-5.99%

Apples (1kg)

$0.63 ؋41.15

$0.68 ؋44.40

-7.35%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 ؋48.82

$0.84 ؋54.7

-10.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 ؋61.3

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 ؋41.71

$0.55 ؋35.87

16.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ؋19.37

$0.61 ؋39.32

-50.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.32 ؋20.80

$0.48 ؋30.95

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 ؋19.61

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ؋19.18

$0.39 ؋25.52

-23.08%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.81 ؋117

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ؋30.52

$0.75 ؋48.44

-37.33%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 ؋68.7

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 ؋206

$2.43 ؋158

30.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 ؋10.13

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.62 ؋1,339

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 ؋132

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 ؋31.24

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 ؋178

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ؋70.1

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

$8,581 ؋557.2K

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

$33.9K ؋2.2M

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

$312 ؋20.3K

$42.52 ؋2,761

634.88%

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

$13.17 ؋855

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$95.5 ؋6,201

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.41 ؋1,001

$11.01 ؋715

39.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.01 ؋260

Cinema Ticket

$2.29 ؋149

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

$19.86 ؋1,290

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,052 ؋68.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.53 ؋684

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.26 ؋1,056

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.5 ؋3,797

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$24.87 ؋1,615

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$122 ؋7,934

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$110 ؋7,172

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$220 ؋14.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$114 ؋7,433

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$669 ؋43.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$355 ؋23.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$339 ؋22.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Herat: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kabul: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Herat

–

Kabul

$151 30%

Accommodation & Living

Herat

–

Kabul

$110 21.9%

Groceries & Markets

Herat

–

Kabul

$101 19.9%

Eating Out

Herat

–

Kabul

$51 10.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Herat

–

Kabul

$50 9.8%

Getting Around

Herat

–

Kabul

$26 5.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Herat

–

Kabul

$16 3.1%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9 in Herat versus $8 in Kabul. Groceries tell a different story – $48 in Herat vs $101 in Kabul – so Herat wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇫 Herat

🇦🇫 Kabul

🕒 Local time

09:55 9:55 AM

Same time as Herat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

349,000

3,289,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

📈 Exchange rate

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.38 EUR

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Herat Kabul 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Herat
Kabul

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

Herat vs Kabul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kabul is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $598 per month in Herat and $757 in Kabul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 107% more in Kabul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9 in Herat and $8 in Kabul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $399 in Herat and $504 in Kabul, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.