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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Kabul costs about 2% more than Jalalabad, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.72 ؋175

$2.36 ؋152

15.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.80 ؋502

$7.52 ؋484

3.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 ؋301

$3.79 ؋244

23.48%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 ؋153

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ؋118

Cappuccino

$1.11 ؋71.6

$0.75 ؋48.54

48.00%

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

$0.46 ؋29.45

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ؋10.33

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 ؋52.3

$0.88 ؋56.5

-7.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.25 ؋16.09

$0.40 ؋25.43

-37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 ؋118

$1.83 ؋118

0.55%

Eggs

$1.52 ؋97.9

$1.67 ؋108

-8.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.46 ؋287

$5.42 ؋349

-17.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.08 ؋263

$2.69 ؋173

51.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 ؋431

$5.97 ؋384

12.23%

Apples (1kg)

$0.67 ؋43.42

$0.63 ؋40.66

6.35%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 ؋55.1

$0.61 ؋38.95

40.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.88 ؋56.8

$0.79 ؋51.1

11.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 ؋35.30

$0.47 ؋30.39

17.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.60 ؋38.69

$0.36 ؋23.31

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 ؋30.56

$0.32 ؋20.81

46.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 ؋17.96

$0.30 ؋18.99

-6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 ؋23.65

$0.33 ؋20.94

12.12%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.88 ؋121

$3.96 ؋254

-52.53%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ؋48.87

$0.76 ؋48.81

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 ؋67.2

$1.07 ؋68.6

-2.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 ؋151

$2.37 ؋152

-0.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 ؋10.46

$0.13 ؋8.50

23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.69 ؋1,331

$10.86 ؋699

90.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 ؋130

$0.75 ؋48.45

169.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 ؋28.76

$0.45 ؋28.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 ؋172

$1.50 ؋96.5

78.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ؋66.8

$1.11 ؋71.1

-6.31%

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

$8,583 ؋552.2K

$8,328 ؋535.8K

3.07%

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)

$43.02 ؋2,768

$22.94 ؋1,476

87.53%

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

$12.87 ؋828

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$96.6 ؋6,213

$232 ؋14.9K

-58.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.93 ؋703

$7.51 ؋483

45.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.02 ؋259

$4.67 ؋300

-13.92%

Cinema Ticket

$2.25 ؋145

$1.57 ؋101

43.31%

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

$20.40 ؋1,313

$15.40 ؋991

32.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,036 ؋66.7K

$1,244 ؋80.1K

-16.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.77 ؋693

$18.22 ؋1,172

-40.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.95 ؋1,027

$15.33 ؋986

4.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.7 ؋3,775

$22.90 ؋1,474

156.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$24.65 ؋1,586

$31.24 ؋2,010

-21.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$122 ؋7,822

$115 ؋7,412

5.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$107 ؋6,861

$45.51 ؋2,928

134.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 ؋14.1K

$233 ؋15.0K

-6.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$116 ؋7,438

$124 ؋8,008

-7.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$689 ؋44.3K

$467 ؋30.1K

47.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$366 ؋23.5K

$235 ؋15.1K

55.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$340 ؋21.9K

$186 ؋12.0K

82.72%

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 Kabul: September 15, 2026

Last update for Jalalabad: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $122 in Kabul versus $115 in Jalalabad. 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 Kabul versus $8.00 in Jalalabad. Groceries tell a different story – $101 in Kabul vs $94.0 in Jalalabad – so Jalalabad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Kabul vs Jalalabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $745 per month in Kabul and $734 in Jalalabad. 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 Kabul and $8.00 in Jalalabad. 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 $497 in Kabul and $490 in Jalalabad, 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.