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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $408 per month in Kabul vs $473 in Jalalabad, rent included.

A couple spends around $600 per month in Kabul vs $637 in Jalalabad, rent included.

A family of three spends $792 per month in Kabul vs $800 in Jalalabad, rent included.

Kabul is about 14% cheaper than Jalalabad, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Kabul and Jalalabad are more affordable than the global median – Kabul 69% lower, Jalalabad 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.57 ؋169

$2.19 ؋144

17.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.65 ؋698

$7.16 ؋469

48.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.23 ؋277

$3.56 ؋233

18.82%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 ؋153

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ؋114

Cappuccino

$1.05 ؋68.7

$0.74 ؋48.74

41.89%

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

$0.34 ؋22.25

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ؋9.36

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 ؋49.20

$0.75 ؋49.45

White Bread (500g)

$0.20 ؋12.85

$0.35 ؋22.75

-42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 ؋110

$1.76 ؋115

-5.11%

Eggs

$1.37 ؋89.8

$1.52 ؋99.5

-9.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.68 ؋241

$4.98 ؋327

-26.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 ؋214

$2.57 ؋169

26.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.86 ؋384

$5.82 ؋381

0.69%

Apples (1kg)

$0.53 ؋35.01

$0.55 ؋36.05

-3.64%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 ؋49.25

$0.55 ؋36.19

36.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.70 ؋46.16

$0.74 ؋48.19

-5.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.43 ؋28.04

$0.45 ؋29.47

-4.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.44 ؋29.12

$0.38 ؋24.68

15.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ؋29.87

$0.28 ؋18.08

64.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.23 ؋15.02

$0.30 ؋19.77

-23.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 ؋21.44

$0.28 ؋18.21

17.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.84 ؋121

$3.74 ؋245

-50.80%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ؋61.0

$0.73 ؋47.98

27.40%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 ؋96.4

$1.02 ؋67.0

44.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.65 ؋173

$2.17 ؋143

22.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ؋15.11

$0.13 ؋8.27

76.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.12 ؋664

$9.99 ؋655

1.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.71 ؋112

$0.75 ؋49.22

128.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ؋36.72

$0.42 ؋27.38

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 ؋168

$1.42 ؋93.2

80.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 ؋64.5

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

$7,848 ؋514.5K

$7,977 ؋522.9K

-1.62%

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

$32.3K ؋2.1M

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

$49.58 ؋3,250

$21.83 ؋1,431

127.12%

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

$13.88 ؋910

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.2 ؋5,849

$220 ؋14.4K

-59.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$8.83 ؋579

$7.06 ؋463

25.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.87 ؋254

$4.34 ؋285

-10.83%

Cinema Ticket

$2.19 ؋144

$1.47 ؋96.6

48.98%

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

$18.05 ؋1,183

$14.25 ؋934

26.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,419 ؋93.0K

$1,158 ؋75.9K

22.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.47 ؋621

$16.95 ؋1,111

-44.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.23 ؋1,129

$14.47 ؋949

19.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.32 ؋2,184

$21.29 ؋1,396

56.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.37 ؋1,860

$28.53 ؋1,870

-0.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$85.8 ؋5,627

$107 ؋6,985

-19.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$57.0 ؋3,739

$42.72 ؋2,800

33.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$199 ؋13.1K

$216 ؋14.2K

-8.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 ؋7,311

$113 ؋7,397

-1.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$675 ؋44.2K

$466 ؋30.6K

44.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$364 ؋23.8K

$229 ؋15.0K

58.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$337 ؋22.1K

$180 ؋11.8K

87.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.5

13.88

33.29%

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

Last update for Kabul: July 25, 2026

Last update for Jalalabad: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $85.8 in Kabul versus $107 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 87% higher in Kabul, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11.00 in Kabul versus $7.00 in Jalalabad. Groceries tell a different story – $86.0 in Kabul vs $87.0 in Jalalabad – so Kabul 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: $408 in Kabul, $473 in Jalalabad – roughly 16% apart. Jalalabad costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $612 per month in Kabul and $710 in Jalalabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 1% more in Jalalabad, 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 $11.00 in Kabul and $7.00 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 $408 in Kabul and $473 in Jalalabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Kabul – 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 Kabul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Jalalabad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.