Kabul vs Ghazni: Which City Wins for Expats in 2026?
Ghazni costs roughly 7% less than Kabul. Beyond cost, the two cities are closely matched — lifestyle fit and visa options are likely the deciding factors. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.
Kabul is approximately 6% less expensive than Ghazni based on cost of living including rent. This makes Kabul a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.
Kabul has a FIRE Score of 75/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 30, suggesting moderate safety levels.
Recommended profile: Kabul is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.
About Kabul
Kabul is astonishingly cheap on paper: a city-centre one-bedroom runs $123/mo, a cappuccino costs $1, and a monthly gym membership is $11. But the average local net salary of $338/mo sits below even the $600/mo budget tier, and a safety index of 30/100 alongside an air quality index of 155 makes this a hard sell for anyone with a choice. The FIRE score of 75/100 will tempt the spreadsheet-minded, yet a retiree score of 34/100 and a very few expat community tell the real story. Come for the arithmetic, not the lifestyle.
About Afghanistan
Afghanistan is not suitable for any expat profile due to a US Travel Advisory Level 4 and nonexistent digital nomad or retirement visas. Its strongest advantage is extreme low cost: a one-bedroom apartment in the city center averages just $104.82/month, roughly 95% less than a typical US city. However, the key trade-off is severe political instability (score -2.21), a safety index of just 11.4 out of 100, and limited English-speaking doctors, making it unsafe and impractical for long-term residence.
$2,000/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
About Ghazni
Ghazni is brutally cheap, with a 1-bedroom city centre flat at $130/mo and a single person spending just $250/mo excluding rent, but that price buys you a safety index of 25/100, a crime index of 75/100, and poor healthcare. The internet is a dealbreaker for remote work: 5 Mbps average speed for $97/mo, paired with a digital nomad score of 42/100. Retirees should look elsewhere given a retiree score of 36/100, though the FIRE score of 74/100 will tempt anyone chasing extreme savings. Come only if you can tolerate limited English, an air quality index of 85, and an arid climate at 2173 m.
About Afghanistan
Afghanistan is not suitable for any expat profile due to a US Travel Advisory Level 4 and nonexistent digital nomad or retirement visas. Its strongest advantage is extreme low cost: a one-bedroom apartment in the city center averages just $104.82/month, roughly 95% less than a typical US city. However, the key trade-off is severe political instability (score -2.21), a safety index of just 11.4 out of 100, and limited English-speaking doctors, making it unsafe and impractical for long-term residence.
$2,630/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
Battle of Lifestyles
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| Metric | Kabul | Ghazni |
|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (Center) | $123.08 | $130 |
| 1BR Apartment (Outside) | $108.8 | N/A |
| 3BR Apartment (Center) | $216.92 | $260 |
| 3BR Apartment (Outside) | $114.83 | N/A |
| Safety Index | 30 | 25 |
| Internet Speed | 12Mbps | 5Mbps |
| Walkability Score | N/A | N/A |
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Kabul vs Ghazni -- Frequently Asked Questions
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