Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Mazar-i-Sharif: $297 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Mazar-i-Sharif
Learn more

Mazar-i-Sharif Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index

Jump to prices

Mazar-i-Sharif

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$297

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $297 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $1,822 in Seoul.

Mazar-i-Sharif $297
Seoul $1,822

Estimated couple costs with rent: $470 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $2,847 in Seoul.

Mazar-i-Sharif $470
Seoul $2,847

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $643 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $3,872 in Seoul.

Mazar-i-Sharif $643
Seoul $3,872

Living in Mazar-i-Sharif costs roughly 84% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mazar-i-Sharif is 78% below, Seoul is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.31 ؋149

$9.10 ₩12.2K

-74.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.68 ؋1,015

$67.0 ₩89.8K

-76.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ؋252

$7.42 ₩9,941

-47.44%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 ؋487

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 ؋503

Cappuccino

$1.19 ؋77.3

$4.08 ₩5,470

-70.83%

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

$0.56 ؋36.07

$1.60 ₩2,141

-65.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ؋20.97

$0.80 ₩1,078

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,886

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,956

Milk (1 liter)

$0.60 ؋38.87

$2.05 ₩2,742

-70.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.15 ؋9.41

$3.08 ₩4,130

-95.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 ؋139

$4.21 ₩5,646

-48.93%

Eggs

$1.59 ؋103

$3.57 ₩4,784

-55.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 ؋513

$17.95 ₩24.1K

-55.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ؋218

$10.64 ₩14.3K

-68.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.23 ؋404

$26.44 ₩35.4K

-76.44%

Apples (1kg)

$0.59 ؋38.23

$7.42 ₩9,946

-92.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ؋76.0

$3.53 ₩4,732

-66.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.81 ؋52.6

$5.87 ₩7,866

-86.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 ؋39.57

$6.37 ₩8,534

-90.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 ؋33.06

$3.75 ₩5,028

-86.40%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ؋25.83

$2.49 ₩3,337

-83.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 ؋33.75

$2.92 ₩3,911

-82.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 ؋20.76

$1.15 ₩1,542

-72.17%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.82 ؋118

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.56 ؋101

$3.29 ₩4,408

-52.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,057

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,398

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 ؋52.0

$1.14 ₩1,526

-29.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,663

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ؋98.7

$8.70 ₩11.7K

-82.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ؋96.3

$1.50 ₩2,004

-0.67%

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

$9,933 ؋643.3K

$29.1K ₩39.0M

-65.88%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

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

$83.8 ؋5,425

$209 ₩279.9K

-59.90%

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

$16.94 ؋1,097

$35.13 ₩47.1K

-51.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.69 ؋757

$57.3 ₩76.8K

-79.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.91 ؋253

$15.89 ₩21.3K

-75.39%

Cinema Ticket

$4.72 ؋306

$11.33 ₩15.2K

-58.34%

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

$78.1 ؋5,058

$1,902 ₩2.5M

-95.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.14 ؋851

$58.9 ₩78.9K

-77.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$18.75 ؋1,214

$82.5 ₩110.5K

-77.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$231 ؋15.0K

$3,649 ₩4.9M

-93.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

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

Last update for Mazar-i-Sharif: October 5, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mazar-i-Sharif

$106 36.2%

Seoul

$479 26.7% 351% $373

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mazar-i-Sharif

$101 * 34.3%

Seoul

$265 14.8% 163% $164

Eating Out

Mazar-i-Sharif

$48 16.3%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 283% $136

Sport & Entertainment

Mazar-i-Sharif

$21 7.2%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 279% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Mazar-i-Sharif

$14 * 4.9%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 664% $95

Getting Around

Mazar-i-Sharif

$3.2 * 1.1%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 1660% $53

Accommodation & Living

Mazar-i-Sharif

- * 0%

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Seoul pays 1480% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $16.00 in Mazar-i-Sharif vs $67.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $106 vs $479 per month, with Mazar-i-Sharif cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇫 Mazar-i-Sharif

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

16:30 4:30 PM

21:00 9:00 PM

4 h 30 min ahead of Mazar-i-Sharif

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

300,600

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.38 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to AFN – Afghanistan Afghani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇫 Afghanistan Afghani (؋)

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 64.76 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.57 AFN (100 AFN = 1.38 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,502 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR).

USD to AFN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mazar-i-Sharif Seoul 5,210 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Mazar-i-Sharif
Seoul

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 Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mazar-i-Sharif is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 514% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1480% lower in Seoul. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 351% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $297 per month in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $1,822 in Seoul – a 514% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $297 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $1,822 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mazar-i-Sharif but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Mazar-i-Sharif the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mazar-i-Sharif and Seoul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mazar-i-Sharif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 514% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.