Cost of Living Comparison Between Jalalabad and Mazar-i-Sharif Cost of Living Comparison Between Jalalabad and Mazar-i-Sharif

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $473 per month in Jalalabad vs $650 in Mazar-i-Sharif, rent included.

A couple spends around $637 per month in Jalalabad vs $839 in Mazar-i-Sharif, rent included.

A family of three spends $800 per month in Jalalabad vs $1,028 in Mazar-i-Sharif, rent included.

Jalalabad is about 27% cheaper than Mazar-i-Sharif, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Jalalabad and Mazar-i-Sharif are more affordable than the global median – Jalalabad 64% lower, Mazar-i-Sharif 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.19 ؋144

$2.14 ؋140

2.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.16 ؋469

$14.56 ؋955

-50.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.56 ؋233

$3.23 ؋212

10.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 ؋240

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 ؋479

Cappuccino

$0.74 ؋48.74

$1.16 ؋76.0

-36.21%

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

$0.55 ؋36.35

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ؋16.25

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 ؋49.45

$0.59 ؋38.58

27.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.35 ؋22.75

$0.18 ؋11.78

94.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 ؋115

$1.60 ؋105

10.00%

Eggs

$1.52 ؋99.5

$1.55 ؋102

-1.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.98 ؋327

$4.93 ؋323

1.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.57 ؋169

$3.66 ؋240

-29.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.82 ؋381

$5.34 ؋350

8.99%

Apples (1kg)

$0.55 ؋36.05

$0.53 ؋35.05

3.77%

Banana (1kg)

$0.55 ؋36.19

$0.99 ؋65.2

-44.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.74 ؋48.19

$0.74 ؋48.34

Tomato (1kg)

$0.45 ؋29.47

$0.57 ؋37.07

-21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 ؋24.68

$0.47 ؋30.94

-19.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.28 ؋18.08

$0.36 ؋23.29

-22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 ؋19.77

$0.41 ؋26.89

-26.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ؋18.21

$0.30 ؋19.70

-6.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.74 ؋245

$1.85 ؋121

102.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ؋47.98

$0.42 ؋27.36

73.81%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 ؋67.0

$1.12 ؋73.3

-8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.17 ؋143

$1.13 ؋73.8

92.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 ؋8.27

$0.52 ؋33.84

-75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 ؋655

$21.92 ؋1,437

-54.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ؋49.22

$0.75 ؋49.04

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 ؋27.38

$1.38 ؋90.6

-69.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 ؋93.2

$1.41 ؋92.7

0.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 ؋64.5

$1.10 ؋72.2

-10.91%

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

$7,977 ؋522.9K

$10.1K ؋663.7K

-21.21%

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

$39.7K ؋2.6M

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

$21.83 ؋1,431

$109 ؋7,170

-80.04%

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

$15.88 ؋1,041

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$220 ؋14.4K

$283 ؋18.6K

-22.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$7.06 ؋463

$10.79 ؋707

-34.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.34 ؋285

$3.62 ؋237

19.89%

Cinema Ticket

$1.47 ؋96.6

$4.19 ؋275

-64.92%

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

$14.25 ؋934

$28.67 ؋1,879

-50.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,158 ؋75.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.95 ؋1,111

$12.46 ؋817

36.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.47 ؋949

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$21.29 ؋1,396

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.53 ؋1,870

$16.99 ؋1,114

67.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$107 ؋6,985

$87.2 ؋5,713

22.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$42.72 ؋2,800

$43.83 ؋2,873

-2.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$216 ؋14.2K

$146 ؋9,589

47.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$113 ؋7,397

$72.5 ؋4,751

55.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$466 ؋30.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$229 ؋15.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$180 ؋11.8K

$228 ؋14.9K

-20.99%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Mazar-i-Sharif: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $107 in Jalalabad versus $87.2 in Mazar-i-Sharif. 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 27% higher in Mazar-i-Sharif, 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 $7.00 in Jalalabad versus $15.00 in Mazar-i-Sharif. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $87.0 vs $91.0 – 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 Mazar-i-Sharif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $473 in Jalalabad, $650 in Mazar-i-Sharif – roughly 37% apart. Mazar-i-Sharif costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $710 per month in Jalalabad and $976 in Mazar-i-Sharif. 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 5% more in Mazar-i-Sharif, 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 $7.00 in Jalalabad and $15.00 in Mazar-i-Sharif. 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 $473 in Jalalabad and $650 in Mazar-i-Sharif, 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, Mazar-i-Sharif makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.