Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jalalabad and Austin, TX

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.

24

Cost of Living Index in Jalalabad
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Jalalabad Living Index
130

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

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Jalalabad

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$501

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Jalalabad $501
Austin, TX $2,663

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

Jalalabad $684
Austin, TX $4,133

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

Jalalabad $868
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Jalalabad costs roughly 81% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ؋146

$20.77 $20.77

-89.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.56 ؋490

$84.6 $84.6

-91.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.80 ؋246

$12.32 $12.32

-69.16%

Cappuccino

$0.75 ؋48.49

$5.63 $5.63

-86.68%

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)

$0.88 ؋56.9

$1.12 $1.12

-21.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.37 ؋23.66

$3.75 $3.75

-90.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 ؋122

$3.26 $3.26

-42.02%

Eggs

$1.69 ؋110

$4.17 $4.17

-59.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.53 ؋359

$12.90 $12.90

-57.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.70 ؋175

$14.16 $14.16

-80.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.20 ؋402

$16.22 $16.22

-61.78%

Apples (1kg)

$0.61 ؋39.26

$4.33 $4.33

-85.91%

Banana (1kg)

$0.65 ؋42.08

$1.46 $1.46

-55.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.79 ؋51.1

$4.51 $4.51

-82.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.48 ؋30.89

$4.34 $4.34

-88.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 ؋25.38

$2.58 $2.58

-84.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.30 ؋19.38

$2.35 $2.35

-87.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ؋21.06

$1.78 $1.78

-82.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ؋19.42

$2.22 $2.22

-86.49%

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)

$2.33 ؋151

$9.88 $9.88

-76.42%

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)

$0.13 ؋8.72

$1.49 $1.49

-91.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.98 ؋712

$41.72 $41.72

-73.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ؋48.74

$2.73 $2.73

-72.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 ؋28.35

$1.66 $1.66

-73.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 ؋101

$35.30 $35.30

-95.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ؋71.9

$0.95 $0.95

16.84%

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

$8,453 ؋548.0K

$36.0K $36.0K

-76.55%

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)

$23.42 ؋1,518

$229 $229

-89.77%

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

$59.4 $59.4

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$233 ؋15.1K

$69.9 $69.9

233.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$7.62 ؋494

$57.2 $57.2

-86.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.76 ؋308

$16.33 $16.33

-70.85%

Cinema Ticket

$1.56 ؋101

$14.28 $14.28

-89.08%

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

$15.22 ؋987

$1,506 $1,506

-98.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,222 ؋79.2K

$21.5K $21.5K

-94.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.51 ؋1,200

$52.8 $52.8

-64.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.27 ؋990

$43.82 $43.82

-65.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.21 ؋1,505

$84.8 $84.8

-72.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.36 ؋1,968

$103 $103

-70.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$114 ؋7,396

$1,907 $1,907

-94.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$46.83 ؋3,036

$1,274 $1,274

-96.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 ؋14.9K

$3,664 $3,664

-93.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$123 ؋8,000

$2,538 $2,538

-95.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$468 ؋30.4K

$7,614 $7,614

-93.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$232 ؋15.1K

$3,157 $3,157

-92.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 ؋11.9K

$5,121 $5,121

-96.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.88

6.79

104.42%

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

Last update for Jalalabad: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jalalabad

$256 * 51.2%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 39.7% $102

Groceries & Markets

Jalalabad

$95 18.9%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 328% $310

Accommodation & Living

Jalalabad

$47 9.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 2621% $1.2K

Clothing & Footwear

Jalalabad

$39 7.9%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 226% $89

Eating Out

Jalalabad

$38 * 7.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 821% $315

Getting Around

Jalalabad

$14 2.9%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 306% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Jalalabad

$11 2.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 699% $75

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 $114 in Jalalabad and $1,907 in Austin, TX. 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: $8.00 in Jalalabad vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $95.0 vs $405 per month, with Jalalabad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇫 Jalalabad

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

07:51 7:51 AM

22:21 10:21 PM

9 h 30 min behind Jalalabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

168,600

974,447

💱 Currency

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.37 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AFN – Afghanistan Afghani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇫 Afghanistan Afghani (؋)

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).

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

USD to AFN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Jalalabad
Austin, TX

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

Jalalabad vs Austin, TX: 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.

On paper, salaries run 2698% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

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

All in, you'll spend $501 per month in Jalalabad versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – 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.