Cost Of Living For a Student in Kandahar 2024
Average Monthly Expenditure
Currency: AFN
Average monthly spending for students in Kandahar
How much money does a student need in a month to survive in Kandahar?
Students in Kandahar spend around 60,000 AFN per month on average. Depending on the lifestyle, a student can survive with a monthly budget as low as 9,000 AFN or as high as 400,000 AFN. Location is a very important factor and has a huge influence on expenditure and budget.
Prices and cost of goods and services in Kandahar
Dining, food, and beverages costs
Fast food combo meal
Restaurant meal for one
| 380 AFN | 580 AFN | 1,200 AFN |
Fine dining meal for one
| 770 AFN | 1,200 AFN | 4,600 AFN |
Cappuccino or latte
Grocery and market costs
Milk large bottle
12 eggs
Fresh whole chicken
Pack of beef
Medium bag of rice
Bag of tomatos
Bag of apples
Commute, travel, and transportation costs
20 minutes taxi ride
Average car full tank
| 560 AFN | 750 AFN | 1,500 AFN |
Average car 1-day rental
| 590 AFN | 790 AFN | 1,200 AFN |
Average car price
| 280,000 AFN | 560,000 AFN | 750,000 AFN |
Bus ticket one way
Car Service
| 790 AFN | 1,200 AFN | 2,400 AFN |
Utility cost (monthly)
Utility Bill - Student
| 360 AFN | 2,400 AFN | 16,000 AFN |
Internet and cable
| 560 AFN | 1,100 AFN | 1,500 AFN |
Mobile phone charges
| 450 AFN | 750 AFN | 2,200 AFN |
Leisure and activities costs
Movie ticket
One month gym membership
| 950 AFN | 1,200 AFN | 2,400 AFN |
Cloths and accessories costs
Pair of jeans or pants
| 700 AFN | 990 AFN | 1,500 AFN |
Woman dress
| 660 AFN | 910 AFN | 3,000 AFN |
Woman shoes
| 620 AFN | 850 AFN | 2,000 AFN |
Men's shoes
| 540 AFN | 660 AFN | 1,300 AFN |
Men suit
| 590 AFN | 740 AFN | 4,000 AFN |
Regular t-shirt
| 300 AFN | 400 AFN | 1,200 AFN |
Housing costs / monthly rent
Studio apartment
| 9,900 AFN | 15,000 AFN | 40,000 AFN |
1-bedroom apartment
| 15,000 AFN | 24,000 AFN | 59,000 AFN |
2-bedroom apartment
| 20,000 AFN | 30,000 AFN | 79,000 AFN |
Housing costs / Buying
Studio apartment
1-bedroom apartment
2-bedroom apartment
| $54,000 | $160,000 | $320,000 |
Furniture Costs
King Size Bed
| 11,000 AFN | 14,000 AFN | 19,000 AFN |
Double Bed
| 7,500 AFN | 11,000 AFN | 14,000 AFN |
Single Bed
| 6,600 AFN | 8,600 AFN | 11,000 AFN |
Living Room
| 12,000 AFN | 16,000 AFN | 56,000 AFN |
Dining Table
| 5,600 AFN | 7,500 AFN | 14,000 AFN |
Sofa or Couch
| 7,500 AFN | 10,000 AFN | 22,000 AFN |
Electronics and House Appliance Costs
TV Set
| 7,500 AFN | 11,000 AFN | 22,000 AFN |
Fridge or Freezer
| 6,600 AFN | 10,000 AFN | 14,000 AFN |
Washing Machine
| 8,600 AFN | 12,000 AFN | 22,000 AFN |
Stove or Cooker
| 8,000 AFN | 10,000 AFN | 14,000 AFN |
Mobile Phone
| 9,300 AFN | 11,000 AFN | 16,000 AFN |
Laptop or Computer
| 10,000 AFN | 12,000 AFN | 22,000 AFN |
How do students spend their money in Kandahar?
We asked thousands of students about their spending habits and expenditure break down.
Housing and accomodation expenditure for students
Accomodation Cost17%
17% of total expenses on average (12% to 23%)
| LOW | $30 2,200 AFN |
| AVERAGE | $200 14,000 AFN |
| HIGH | $1,300 96,000 AFN |
| Per Month |
Students in Kandahar typically spend from 12% to 23% of their total monthly expenditure on housing with 17% being the average. The average monthly spend on housing is 14,000 AFN with expenditure ranging from 2,200 AFN to 96,000 AFN. This cost mainly goes for rent but it also includes other accommodation-related expenses.
Electricity, utilities, energy, water, internet, and mobile expenditure for students
Cost of utilities7%
7% of total expenses on average (5% to 11%)
| LOW | $4.9 360 AFN |
| AVERAGE | $33 2,400 AFN |
| HIGH | $220 16,000 AFN |
| Per Month |
Utility expenditure like electricity, water, and gas in Kandahar ranges from 5% to 11% of total expenses with 7% being the average for most students. The average monthly cost of utilities is 2,400 AFN with 360 AFN and 16,000 AFN being the upper and lower limits for a student of four.
Transport, fuel, and commute expenditure for students
Cost of transport and fuel4%
4% of total expenses on average (4% to 10%)
| LOW | $8.6 630 AFN |
| AVERAGE | $57 4,200 AFN |
| HIGH | $380 28,000 AFN |
| Per Month |
Fuel consumption and cost of transport depend heavily on whether a student resides near school and work, but roughly speaking a student would expect to spend from 630 AFN to 28,000 AFN in a month on commuting with 4,200 AFN being the norm for most students. This means that money spent on transport constitutes about 4% of total spending on average but can go as low as 4% or as high as 10%.
Food, groceries, and basic shopping expenditure for students
Food and Groceries Cost23%
23% of total expenses on average (17% to 27%)
| LOW | $25 1,800 AFN |
| AVERAGE | $160 12,000 AFN |
| HIGH | $1,100 80,000 AFN |
| Per Month |
The average outlay on groceries and basic houshold items for a typical student in a month in Kandahar is 12,000 AFN. The cost of groceries can range between 1,800 AFN to 80,000 AFN. Students spend on average about 23% on food and groceries with upper and lower bounds of 17% and 27% respectively.
Healthcare and medical services expenditure for students
Cost of healthcare9%
9% of total expenses on average (6% to 12%)
| LOW | $7.4 540 AFN |
| AVERAGE | $49 3,600 AFN |
| HIGH | $330 24,000 AFN |
| Per Month |
Students in Kandahar allocate 6% to 12% of their total monthly expenditure to healthcare including health insurance and out-of-pocket medical expenses. The average spending on medical services and clinic visits is around 9%. The range of medical expenses range from 540 AFN to 24,000 AFN with 3,600 AFN being the norm for most students.
Leisure and shopping expenditure for students
Cost of leisure and shopping2%
2% of total expenses on average (2% to 6%)
| LOW | $6.2 450 AFN |
| AVERAGE | $41 3,000 AFN |
| HIGH | $270 20,000 AFN |
| Per Month |
This category mostly contains discretionary or non-essential expenses but also some non-discretionary spending like furniture for example. The monthly expenses range from 450 AFN to 20,000 AFN with 3,000 AFN being the average. Speaking of percentages, that equates to 2% to 6% of total expenses with an average of 2% for most students.
Education and schooling expenditure for students
Cost of education and schooling18%
18% of total expenses on average (11% to 23%)
| LOW | $23 1,700 AFN |
| AVERAGE | $160 11,000 AFN |
| HIGH | $1,000 76,000 AFN |
| Per Month |
Spending on education can vary drastically between different students. On average, education constitutes 18% of the monthly expenditure of students with 11% and 23% being the lower and upper bounds respectively. The average reported education cost is 11,000 AFN per month with 1,700 AFN being the minimum spent amount and 76,000 AFN being the maximum.
Other Expenses19%
19% of total expenses on average (13% to 25%)
| LOW | $18 1,400 AFN |
| AVERAGE | $120 9,000 AFN |
| HIGH | $820 60,000 AFN |
| Per Month |
A typical and healthy budgeting structure
The 50/30/20 rule
Spending among different people can vary significantly based on factors such as their income, lifestyle,
location, and personal preferences. A commonly used guideline for budgeting is the 50/30/20 rule,
which suggests allocating your income into three main categories in the following percentages.
50% for needs and financial obligations
This category includes essential expenses like housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, and healthcare.
30% for wants and discretionary spending
This category covers discretionary spending on non-essential items, such as dining out, entertainment, travel, and other lifestyle choices.
20% for savings and emergency fund
This is the percentage that must be allocated to savings, emergency funds, and retirement accounts.
About financial planning, money management, and household budgeting
The 50/30/20 rule is used as a general guideline but may not be the best choice for all people. There are in fact many budgeting plans out there like the 70/20/10 and the 60/20/20 rules, all claiming to be the best. More important than all of this is to establish financial discipline by creating a budget tailored to your specific financial goals and situation. It is very important that your financial outflow be less than your income to maintain a healthy cash flow.
Affordable living in Kandahar
Income and cost of living compatibility
We asked students one simple question and recorded their answers.
Is it affordable or economical to live in Kandahar?
Around 57% of surveyed students think that living in Kandahar is affordable with proper budgeting while 43% reported that it is just too expensive and not affordable even with frugality and thriftness.
Low-cost alternatives in Kandahar
People are always looking for ways to cut down expenses and reduce expenditures. The hallmark of any affordable place is the availability of discount stores, bargain deals, smart or secondhand shopping, refurbished items, and couponing. We asked students how easily cost-cutting is and the answers were distributed as follows:
Plenty of low-cost options60%
Few low-cost options40%
Based on the survey, 60% of the students living in Kandahar have no problem finding low-cost alternatives to support a frugal lifestyle while 40% think that thriftness is difficult due to scarcity in discount markets and secondhand outlets.
Emergency Funds For Students
An emergency fund is a financial safety net comprised of easily accessible savings set aside to cover unexpected expenses or financial emergencies, typically amounting to three to six months' worth of living expenses. We asked students of Kandahar whether they have an emergency fund and the answers were as follows.
Yes57%
No43%
Based on the survey, 43% of the students living in Kandahar said that they don't have an emergency fund while 57% said that they do.
Financial Literacy in Afghanistan
Financial literacy is the knowledge of concepts and principles related to personal finance that allow individuals to make informed decisions regarding their money such as budgeting, saving, investing, borrowing, managing debt, financial risk management, and planning.
Financial Leteracy49%
We asked student guardians and parents in Kandahar whether they acquired any adequate personal financial training in their lives. Approximately 51% of the people who participated in the survey said that they are not well informed about the topics of budgeting, saving, etc., and just manage things based on their own experience, while 49% said that they know about the general principles of personal finance from sources other than their own experience.
Difficulty in Budgeting and Financial Planning
We wanted to understand whether students of Afghanistan have problems or difficulties in managing their expenditures and savings so we asked people one simple question: do you struggle with your personal finances? 41% of the participants reported that they indeed struggle in creating budgets and in organizing their finances while 59% said that they have everything under control.
Struggles with finance41%
Easily manages finances59%
Housing costs, accommodation, and housing affordability in Kandahar
Rental costs and house/apartment prices can vary drastically between different areas and locations.
Rent Cost in Kandahar
Monthly Rent Prices
Studio apartment monthly rent cost
| 9,900 AFN | 15,000 AFN | 40,000 AFN |
1-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost
| 15,000 AFN | 24,000 AFN | 59,000 AFN |
2-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost
| 20,000 AFN | 30,000 AFN | 79,000 AFN |
3-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost
| 24,000 AFN | 40,000 AFN | 110,000 AFN |
Furnished apartment monthly rent cost
| 47,000 AFN | 120,000 AFN | 240,000 AFN |
Townhouse monthly rent cost
| 40,000 AFN | 59,000 AFN | 170,000 AFN |
House monthly rent cost
| 47,000 AFN | 120,000 AFN | 240,000 AFN |
Villa monthly rent cost
| 59,000 AFN | 150,000 AFN | 240,000 AFN |
The monthly rental cost of a studio apartment in Kandahar ranges between 9,900 AFN and 40,000 AFN, meanwhile the cost of monthly rental of a one-bedroom apartment can be anywhere from 15,000 AFN to 59,000 AFN. Two-bedroom rentals rate ranges between 20,000 AFN and 79,000 AFN per month. The monthly rental for a three-bedroom apartment ranges from 24,000 AFN to 110,000 AFN. The average rent of a townhouse in Kandahar is around 59,000 AFN while house rental costs can be as high as 120,000 AFN per month. Finally, if you want to rent a villa, expect to pay anywhere from 59,000 AFN to 240,000 AFN per month.
Apartment and house prices in Kandahar
Cost of buying a property
Studio apartment price
1-bedroom apartment price
2-bedroom apartment price
| $54,000 | $160,000 | $320,000 |
3-bedroom apartment price
| $180,000 | $270,000 | $810,000 |
Townhouse price
House price
| 20M AFN | 120M AFN | 170M AFN |
Villa price
| 24M AFN | 130M AFN | 200M AFN |
The average price of a studio apartment in Kandahar can range from 2M AFN to 5.9M AFN depending on location. One bedroom cost can be anywhere from 2.4M AFN to 15M AFN. A villa can cost you 130M AFN on average with prices ranging from 24M AFN to 200M AFN.
If you're leasing or purchasing, housing costs in Kandahar will probably constitute your biggest expenditure, yet it's an area where you wield considerable influence. This is due to the substantial variance in housing prices across communities. Keep in mind the location of your workplace and the accessibility of essential amenities to prevent negating the savings from lower rental rates with increased transportation expenses.
House / apartment prices to income ratio
Property price to income ratio
( average property price / average monthly income ) x 100
| 37 | x106 monthly income | 211 |
Property prices in Kandahar can be x106 to x211 multiples of the monthly income depending on the property and the income of the person. On average, property prices are approximately x106 multiples of the average monthly salary in Kandahar.
Rent to income ratio
Rent to income ratio
( monthly rental / monthly income ) x 100
The average rent-to-income ratio in Kandahar is around 32%. This means that people pay 32% of their income for rent. Those figures can range from 21% to 42% depending on the salary, location, and type of property.
The housing-to-income ratio is a very important metric to evaluate and measure how affordable living is in a particular area, city, or country since housing comprises the biggest chunk of expenditure. A higher housing to income ratio means that the place is relatively expensive. The figure by itself does tell much. It only starts to make sense when comparing the housing to income ratio across different locations.
Housing affordability index
The housing affordability index measures how affordable accommodation is in a particular place. This can measured in multiple ways, the most common being housing expenditure to total expenditure ratio and the rent to income ratio. The housing expenditure ratio is a figure reported by individuals on the percentage they allocate for housing. Rent to income ratio is calculated by dividing the average monthly rent by the average income. Because these values are both percentages, we can find their average and get the best of the two worlds.
Housing Affordability Index
29% Property Taxes
Real estate owners pay property taxes to local tax authorities, which are determined by the assessed value of their property. Typically, these taxes are paid once a year. Property tax funds contribute to community development, financing infrastructure improvements, public services, and local education initiatives.
Home Maintenance Costs
Home maintenance costs encompass various expenses associated with the upkeep and repair of a residence. These expenditures include regular tasks such as lawn care, pest control, and HVAC system servicing, as well as occasional repairs and renovations like fixing leaks, painting, or replacing appliances.
| 180 AFN | 2,400 AFN | 24,000 AFN |
Urban vs. rural living costs
Urban living typically entails higher housing and transportation costs due to demand and limited space, while rural areas generally offer lower housing expenses but may have higher prices for goods and services. The differnce in rental rates between urban areas and rural areas can be as high as 300% in some cases.
Monthly costs and expenses of energy and basic utilities in Kandahar
Utilities expenditure can vary slightly between different areas and locations.
Energy, electricity, water, gas, internet, and mobile cost in Kandahar
Utility Bill Cost / Electricity + Water + Gas / Student
| 360 AFN | 2,400 AFN | 16,000 AFN |
Internet and cable cost
| 560 AFN | 1,100 AFN | 1,500 AFN |
Mobile phone bill and charges
| 450 AFN | 750 AFN | 2,200 AFN |
Because most utility bills club electricity, water, and gas costs in one bill, we can't provide a breakup for each type of utility and will display electricity, gas, and water as single cost.
The average monthly energy and water consumption of students is around 2,400 AFN. The cost of internet and WiFi ranges from 560 AFN to 1,500 AFN with 1,100 AFN being the average internet bill. Finally, the average monthly mobile charges is around 750 AFN but can range between 450 AFN and 2,200 AFN depending on consumption. Mobile charges include both calling minutes as well as data packages.
Energy / Utility expense to income ratio
( monthly utility expenses / monthly income ) x 100
The average utility-to-income ratio in Kandahar is around 6.3%. This means that people pay 6.3% of their income for energy, water, internet, and mobile charges. Those figures can range from 3.2% to 11% depending on salary and location.
Food Prices, Dining Expenses, and Grocery Costs in Kandahar
Grocery / Food expenditure and prices can vary drastically between different areas and locations.
Prices and cost of goods and services in Kandahar
Dining out, food, and beverages costs. Price variations for common food items.
Fast food combo meal price
The average price of a regular combo meal at a fast food outlet or chain like McDonald's, Pizzahut, or KFC in Kandahar is approximatly 220 AFN with meal cost ranging from 110 AFN to 370 AFN. The typical combo meal consists of a burger, french fries, and a drink.
Restaurant meal for one price
| 380 AFN | 580 AFN | 1,200 AFN |
If you are planning to have a nice meal at a mid-range restaurant, expect to pay anywhere between 380 AFN and 1,200 AFN with 580 AFN being the average price of a plate for one person at a regular restaurant in Kandahar.
Fine dining meal for one price
| 770 AFN | 1,200 AFN | 4,600 AFN |
The price range of a meal at fine-dining restaurant is 770 AFN to 4,600 AFN with the average cost being 1,200 AFN for one person. This is what you would expect to pay a top-tier diner in Kandahar.
Beverage prices, cappuccino, latte etc..
The average price of a regular beverage like cappuccino or latte at Starbucks, Costa, or similar coffee shops and cafes in Kandahar is around 150 AFN. Price ranges between 93 AFN and 220 AFN depending on the type of beverage, the size, and optional add-ons.
Grocery and market costs
Large bottle of milk price
The average price of a large bottle of milk in Kandahar is 90 AFN. The maximum what you would pay for milk is 110 AFN and the minimum being 75 AFN depending on the brand of milk and other properties.
12 eggs price
A dozen eggs costs around 75 AFN on average with 56 AFN and 110 AFN being the lower and upper limits respectively.
Fresh whole chicken price
The price range of a fresh whole chicken in Kandahar is between 130 AFN and 230 AFN depending on the size of the chicken and whether it is oraganic or not. The average price is approximatly 160 AFN.
Pack of beef price
The price of a regular pack of beef or meat is around 220 AFN. A pack of beef contains around 1Kg or 1lb depending on packing.
Medium bag of rice price
A bag of rice in Kandahar costs around 82 AFN on average with prices rangeing between 60 AFN and 120 AFN depending on the brand and quality.
Bag of tomatos price
A bag of tomatoes costs anywhere from 22 AFN to 56 AFN. A bag of tomatoes denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.
Bag of apples price
A bag of apples costs 52 AFN on average. A bag of apples denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.
Grocery and food expenditure to income ratio
( monthly grocery expenses / monthly income ) x 100
The average grocery-to-income ratio in Kandahar is around 29%. This means that students spend 29% of their income on grocery and basic household items. The expenditure can range from 20% to 35% depending on salary and location.
Expenditure on food and grocery for students
Students' spending on grocery ranges from 1,800 AFN to 80,000 AFN with the location, income, and size of the student being the most determinite factors.
