Cost of Living Comparison Between Jalalabad and Kabul Cost of Living Comparison Between Jalalabad and Kabul

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $490 per month in Jalalabad vs $497 in Kabul, rent included.

A couple spends around $677 per month in Jalalabad vs $688 in Kabul, rent included.

A family of three spends $865 per month in Jalalabad vs $879 in Kabul, rent included.

Jalalabad is about 1% cheaper than Kabul, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Jalalabad and Kabul are more affordable than the global median – Jalalabad 64% lower, Kabul 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.36 ؋152

$2.72 ؋175

-13.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.52 ؋484

$7.80 ؋502

-3.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.79 ؋244

$4.68 ؋301

-19.02%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 ؋153

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ؋118

Cappuccino

$0.75 ؋48.54

$1.11 ؋71.6

-32.43%

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

$0.46 ؋29.45

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ؋10.33

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 ؋56.5

$0.81 ؋52.3

8.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.40 ؋25.43

$0.25 ؋16.09

60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 ؋118

$1.84 ؋118

-0.54%

Eggs

$1.67 ؋108

$1.52 ؋97.9

9.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.42 ؋349

$4.46 ؋287

21.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.69 ؋173

$4.08 ؋263

-34.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.97 ؋384

$6.70 ؋431

-10.90%

Apples (1kg)

$0.63 ؋40.66

$0.67 ؋43.42

-5.97%

Banana (1kg)

$0.61 ؋38.95

$0.86 ؋55.1

-29.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.79 ؋51.1

$0.88 ؋56.8

-10.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.47 ؋30.39

$0.55 ؋35.30

-14.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.36 ؋23.31

$0.60 ؋38.69

-40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.32 ؋20.81

$0.47 ؋30.56

-31.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 ؋18.99

$0.28 ؋17.96

7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 ؋20.94

$0.37 ؋23.65

-10.81%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.96 ؋254

$1.88 ؋121

110.64%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ؋48.81

$0.76 ؋48.87

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 ؋68.6

$1.04 ؋67.2

2.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ؋152

$2.35 ؋151

0.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 ؋8.50

$0.16 ؋10.46

-18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.86 ؋699

$20.69 ؋1,331

-47.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ؋48.45

$2.02 ؋130

-62.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 ؋28.80

$0.45 ؋28.76

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ؋96.5

$2.68 ؋172

-44.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ؋71.1

$1.04 ؋66.8

6.73%

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

$8,328 ؋535.8K

$8,583 ؋552.2K

-2.98%

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

$34.8K ؋2.2M

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

$22.94 ؋1,476

$43.02 ؋2,768

-46.68%

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

$12.87 ؋828

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$232 ؋14.9K

$96.6 ؋6,213

140.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$7.51 ؋483

$10.93 ؋703

-31.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.67 ؋300

$4.02 ؋259

16.17%

Cinema Ticket

$1.57 ؋101

$2.25 ؋145

-30.22%

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

$15.40 ؋991

$20.40 ؋1,313

-24.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,244 ؋80.1K

$1,036 ؋66.7K

20.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.22 ؋1,172

$10.77 ؋693

69.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.33 ؋986

$15.95 ؋1,027

-3.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$22.90 ؋1,474

$58.7 ؋3,775

-60.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.24 ؋2,010

$24.65 ؋1,586

26.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$115 ؋7,412

$122 ؋7,822

-5.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$45.51 ؋2,928

$107 ؋6,861

-57.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$233 ؋15.0K

$218 ؋14.1K

6.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$124 ؋8,008

$116 ؋7,438

7.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$467 ؋30.1K

$689 ؋44.3K

-32.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$235 ؋15.1K

$366 ؋23.5K

-35.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$186 ؋12.0K

$340 ؋21.9K

-45.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.88

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

Last update for Jalalabad: September 15, 2026

Last update for Kabul: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $115 in Jalalabad versus $122 in Kabul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 83% higher in Kabul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $8.00 in Jalalabad versus $8.00 in Kabul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $94.0 vs $101 – making Jalalabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Kabul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $490 in Jalalabad, $497 in Kabul – roughly 2% apart. Kabul costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $734 per month in Jalalabad and $745 in Kabul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jalalabad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Kabul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $8.00 in Jalalabad and $8.00 in Kabul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $490 in Jalalabad and $497 in Kabul, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Jalalabad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Jalalabad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kabul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.