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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $661 per month in Mazar-i-Sharif vs $473 in Jalalabad, rent included.

A couple spends around $843 per month in Mazar-i-Sharif vs $640 in Jalalabad, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,024 per month in Mazar-i-Sharif vs $808 in Jalalabad, rent included.

Mazar-i-Sharif costs about 40% more than Jalalabad, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Mazar-i-Sharif and Jalalabad are more affordable than the global median – Mazar-i-Sharif 51% lower, Jalalabad 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ؋136

$2.20 ؋141

-3.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.31 ؋918

$7.06 ؋453

102.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.38 ؋217

$3.53 ؋226

-4.25%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 ؋226

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 ؋456

Cappuccino

$1.11 ؋71.2

$0.70 ؋45.09

58.57%

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

$0.52 ؋33.56

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ؋16.01

Milk (1 liter)

$0.59 ؋38.09

$0.81 ؋51.8

-27.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.22 ؋13.96

$0.37 ؋23.83

-40.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 ؋102

$1.69 ؋109

-5.33%

Eggs

$1.61 ؋103

$1.54 ؋98.5

4.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.89 ؋314

$5.18 ؋332

-5.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.70 ؋238

$2.62 ؋168

41.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.50 ؋353

$5.71 ؋367

-3.68%

Apples (1kg)

$0.56 ؋36.16

$0.60 ؋38.21

-6.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 ؋61.1

$0.55 ؋35.19

72.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.72 ؋46.12

$0.70 ؋45.14

2.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 ؋35.77

$0.44 ؋28.43

27.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.43 ؋27.66

$0.38 ؋24.15

13.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 ؋24.70

$0.28 ؋17.90

39.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 ؋26.90

$0.30 ؋19.34

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ؋19.32

$0.28 ؋17.90

7.14%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.86 ؋119

$3.91 ؋251

-52.43%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ؋28.57

$0.75 ؋48.23

-40.00%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 ؋71.7

$1.04 ؋66.4

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.18 ؋75.6

$2.21 ؋142

-46.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 ؋32.73

$0.15 ؋9.39

240.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.98 ؋1,410

$10.17 ؋653

116.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ؋45.12

$0.75 ؋48.36

-6.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 ؋85.2

$0.38 ؋24.61

250.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ؋94.2

$1.48 ؋94.9

-0.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ؋74.0

$1.02 ؋65.5

12.75%

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

$9,892 ؋634.6K

$7,992 ؋512.7K

23.78%

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

$39.7K ؋2.5M

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

$111 ؋7,135

$21.53 ؋1,381

416.54%

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

$15.54 ؋997

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$292 ؋18.7K

$212 ؋13.6K

37.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.60 ؋680

$7.28 ؋467

45.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.67 ؋236

$4.41 ؋283

-16.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 ؋284

$1.42 ؋90.8

211.27%

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

$28.24 ؋1,812

$14.15 ؋908

99.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,165 ؋74.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.29 ؋788

$17.12 ؋1,099

-28.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.48 ؋929

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$21.26 ؋1,364

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$17.33 ؋1,112

$28.60 ؋1,835

-39.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$86.9 ؋5,575

$106 ؋6,832

-18.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$42.51 ؋2,727

$42.73 ؋2,741

-0.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$145 ؋9,321

$218 ؋14.0K

-33.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.9 ؋4,547

$117 ؋7,506

-39.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$479 ؋30.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$234 ؋15.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$239 ؋15.4K

$189 ؋12.1K

26.37%

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 Mazar-i-Sharif: June 9, 2026

Last update for Jalalabad: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $86.9 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $106 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 26% 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 $14.00 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $7.00 in Jalalabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $92.0 vs $88.0 – 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $661 in Mazar-i-Sharif, $473 in Jalalabad – roughly 40% apart. Mazar-i-Sharif costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $991 per month in Mazar-i-Sharif and $709 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 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 $14.00 in Mazar-i-Sharif 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 $661 in Mazar-i-Sharif and $473 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, Mazar-i-Sharif makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.