Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Mazar-i-Sharif: $290 a month against $614 in Cairo, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan
Cairo, Egypt
Mazar-i-Sharif
🇦🇫 Afghanistan
$290
/mo nomad
Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $290 per month in Mazar-i-Sharif vs $614 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Mazar-i-Sharif $290
  • Cairo $614

A couple spends around $460 per month in Mazar-i-Sharif vs $974 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Mazar-i-Sharif $460
  • Cairo $974

A family of three spends $629 per month in Mazar-i-Sharif vs $1,333 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Mazar-i-Sharif $629
  • Cairo $1,333

Mazar-i-Sharif is about 53% cheaper than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Mazar-i-Sharif and Cairo are more affordable than the global median – Mazar-i-Sharif 79% lower, Cairo 55% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mazar-i-Sharif
Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.30 ؋149
$4.61 E£248
-50.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$15.53 ؋1,010
$27.32 E£1,469
-43.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.05 ؋263
$5.33 E£287
-24.02%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.90 ؋514
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.85 ؋510
-
-
Cappuccino
$1.18 ؋76.8
$1.64 E£88.1
-28.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.58 ؋37.69
$0.34 E£18.53
70.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ؋19.48
$0.16 E£8.49
87.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.39 E£74.9
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.11 E£113
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mazar-i-Sharif
Cairo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.64 ؋41.35
$0.85 E£45.69
-24.71%
White Bread (500g)
$0.18 ؋11.90
$0.74 E£39.73
-75.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.10 ؋137
$0.65 E£34.97
223.08%
Eggs
$1.61 ؋104
$1.15 E£61.8
40.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.65 ؋498
$3.84 E£207
99.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.39 ؋221
$4.69 E£252
-27.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.29 ؋409
$8.98 E£483
-29.96%
Apples (1kg)
$0.56 ؋36.14
$1.67 E£89.7
-66.47%
Banana (1kg)
$1.13 ؋73.2
$0.72 E£38.93
56.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.81 ؋52.7
$0.55 E£29.60
47.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.65 ؋42.18
$0.52 E£27.81
25.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.48 ؋30.97
$0.37 E£19.89
29.73%
Onion (1kg)
$0.39 ؋25.10
$0.39 E£21.20
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.52 ؋34.09
$0.30 E£16.10
73.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.32 ؋20.95
$0.22 E£11.85
45.45%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$1.90 ؋123
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.57 ؋102
$1.87 E£100
-16.04%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$7.34 E£395
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.47 E£78.9
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.93 E£104
-
🚌 Getting Around
Mazar-i-Sharif
Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.75 ؋48.58
$0.34 E£18.48
120.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$7.76 E£417
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$0.38 E£20.18
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.15 E£8.25
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.55 ؋101
$0.55 E£29.63
181.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 ؋98.3
$0.44 E£23.65
243.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$9,767 ؋635.0K
$31.8K E£1.7M
-69.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$25.0K E£1.3M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mazar-i-Sharif
Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.3 ؋5,221
$25.45 E£1,368
215.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.25 ؋1,122
$7.67 E£412
124.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$14.55 E£782
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mazar-i-Sharif
Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$11.61 ؋755
$27.17 E£1,461
-57.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.89 ؋253
$7.25 E£390
-46.34%
Cinema Ticket
$4.69 ؋305
$4.35 E£234
7.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mazar-i-Sharif
Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$77.0 ؋5,006
$123 E£6,589
-37.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$10.3K E£551.4K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mazar-i-Sharif
Cairo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$13.23 ؋860
$39.47 E£2,122
-66.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$49.07 E£2,638
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$113 E£6,090
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$18.44 ؋1,199
$54.0 E£2,905
-65.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mazar-i-Sharif
Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$210 E£11.3K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$186 E£9,981
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$465 E£25.0K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$306 E£16.5K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$808 E£43.4K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$491 E£26.4K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mazar-i-Sharif
Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$231 ؋15.0K
$184 E£9,902
25.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
15.93
-

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

Last update for Mazar-i-Sharif: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cairo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mazar-i-Sharif
–
Cairo
$186
Groceries & Markets
Mazar-i-Sharif
–
Cairo
$134
Clothing & Footwear
Mazar-i-Sharif
–
Cairo
$115
Eating Out
Mazar-i-Sharif
–
Cairo
$86
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mazar-i-Sharif
–
Cairo
$48
Sport & Entertainment
Mazar-i-Sharif
–
Cairo
$36
Getting Around
Mazar-i-Sharif
–
Cairo
$10

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 25% higher in Mazar-i-Sharif, 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 $16 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $27 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $106 vs $134 – making Mazar-i-Sharif the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇫 Mazar-i-Sharif
🇪🇬 Cairo
🕒 Local time
18:55 6:55 PM
16:25 4:25 PM
2 h 30 min behind Mazar-i-Sharif
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
300,600
9,120,350 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to AFN – Afghanistan Afghani Converter

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 65.02 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 73.02 AFN (100 AFN = 1.37 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 53.77 EGP (100 EGP = 1.86 USD). 1 EUR = 60.39 EGP (100 EGP = 1.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mazar-i-Sharif Cairo 3,390 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Mazar-i-Sharif
  • Cairo

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
Mazar-i-Sharif vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mazar-i-Sharif cheaper than Cairo?
Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 112%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $435 per month in Mazar-i-Sharif and $922 in Cairo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Mazar-i-Sharif and in Cairo?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $290 in Mazar-i-Sharif and $614 in Cairo. That makes Mazar-i-Sharif about 53% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $77 per month in Mazar-i-Sharif and $123 in Cairo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough for either Mazar-i-Sharif or Cairo?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $290 in Mazar-i-Sharif and $614 in Cairo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Mazar-i-Sharif or in Cairo?
It depends on your priorities. Cairo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $290 in Mazar-i-Sharif to $614 in Cairo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Mazar-i-Sharif vs other spots: cost of living compared

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