Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Mazar-i-Sharif: $291 a month against $406 in Khost, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Khost despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Khost
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Khost Living Index

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Khost

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$406

/mo nomad

Mazar-i-Sharif

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$291

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Khost and in Mazar-i-Sharif

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Khost versus $291 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Khost $406
Mazar-i-Sharif $291

Estimated couple costs with rent: $598 in Khost versus $459 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Khost $598
Mazar-i-Sharif $459

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $789 in Khost versus $628 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Khost $789
Mazar-i-Sharif $628

Living in Khost is roughly 40% more expensive than in Mazar-i-Sharif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Khost 70% lower, Mazar-i-Sharif 79% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.75 ؋178

$2.33 ؋152

18.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.61 ؋495

$15.33 ؋996

-50.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 ؋295

$3.92 ؋255

16.07%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ؋153

$7.88 ؋512

-70.05%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ؋117

$7.47 ؋485

-75.77%

Cappuccino

$1.12 ؋72.5

$1.23 ؋79.7

-8.94%

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

$0.49 ؋31.50

$0.54 ؋34.75

-9.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ؋10.08

$0.30 ؋19.44

-46.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 ؋55.9

$0.60 ؋39.03

43.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.25 ؋16.35

$0.17 ؋10.77

47.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 ؋117

$2.10 ؋136

-13.81%

Eggs

$1.51 ؋97.8

$1.59 ؋103

-5.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.47 ؋290

$7.58 ؋492

-41.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 ؋262

$3.47 ؋226

16.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.85 ؋445

$6.30 ؋409

8.73%

Apples (1kg)

$0.69 ؋44.79

$0.55 ؋35.89

25.45%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 ؋54.2

$1.12 ؋72.7

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 ؋58.2

$0.83 ؋54.1

8.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.54 ؋35.20

$0.61 ؋39.70

-11.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.60 ؋39.26

$0.48 ؋30.95

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 ؋33.05

$0.41 ؋26.78

24.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 ؋19.69

$0.56 ؋36.48

-46.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 ؋25.90

$0.30 ؋19.41

33.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.87 ؋121

$1.87 ؋122

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ؋51.4

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 ؋67.6

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 ؋158

$1.52 ؋98.8

59.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 ؋31.04

$0.76 ؋49.07

-36.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 ؋1,212

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ؋48.85

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 ؋28.45

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 ؋149

$1.51 ؋98.3

51.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ؋70.9

$1.52 ؋98.8

-28.29%

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

$8,296 ؋538.8K

$10.1K ؋653.9K

-17.60%

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

$34.1K ؋2.2M

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

$42.62 ؋2,768

$81.5 ؋5,290

-47.67%

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

$12.76 ؋829

$17.03 ؋1,106

-25.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$95.8 ؋6,224

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$7.80 ؋507

$11.75 ؋763

-33.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.01 ؋390

$3.78 ؋246

58.99%

Cinema Ticket

$2.27 ؋148

$4.61 ؋299

-50.76%

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

$20.43 ؋1,327

$76.8 ؋4,989

-73.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,054 ؋68.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.71 ؋696

$13.11 ؋852

-18.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.69 ؋1,019

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.4 ؋3,796

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.17 ؋1,635

$18.61 ؋1,209

35.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$30.85 ؋2,004

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$15.63 ؋1,015

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$76.5 ؋4,968

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$46.93 ؋3,048

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$188 ؋12.2K

$228 ؋14.8K

-17.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Khost: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mazar-i-Sharif: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Khost

$151 37.3%

Mazar-i-Sharif

–

Groceries & Markets

Khost

$102 25.2%

Mazar-i-Sharif

–

Eating Out

Khost

$52 12.7%

Mazar-i-Sharif

–

Clothing & Footwear

Khost

$50 12.2%

Mazar-i-Sharif

–

Getting Around

Khost

$24 5.8%

Mazar-i-Sharif

–

Accommodation & Living

Khost

$16 3.9%

Mazar-i-Sharif

–

Sport & Entertainment

Khost

$12 3%

Mazar-i-Sharif

–

Cost Breakdown

Mazar-i-Sharif pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $8 in Khost vs $15 in Mazar-i-Sharif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $102 vs $105 per month, with Khost cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇫 Khost

🇦🇫 Mazar-i-Sharif

🕒 Local time

08:32 8:32 AM

Same time as Khost

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,987

300,600

💱 Currency

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

📈 Exchange rate

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.38 EUR

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Khost Mazar-i-Sharif 450 km

From you

Khost
Mazar-i-Sharif

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

Khost vs Mazar-i-Sharif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mazar-i-Sharif is cheaper overall, especially in utilities, clothing, and transport. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Khost. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $20 in Khost versus $77 in Mazar-i-Sharif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Khost – a meal for two runs $8 versus $15 in Mazar-i-Sharif. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Mazar-i-Sharif gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.