Gold prices decrease slightly in Kabul as Indian rice rises compared to last week

KABUL (Pajhwok, Feb 21, 2026) -- Gold prices in Kabul have slightly decreased compared to seven days ago, while the price of Indian rice has increased, traders said.

Zamri Safi, head of the food traders' union in Kabul, told Pajhwok that the wholesale price of 24 kilograms of Indian rice rose from 2,600 afghanis to 3,000 afghanis due to reduced imports and increased demand. Other wholesale prices remained unchanged: 49 kilograms of Kazakh flour at 1,450 afghanis, 24 kilograms of first-grade Pakistani rice at 4,500 afghanis, 49 kilograms of Indian barley at 2,400 afghanis, 16 liters of Malaysian oil at 1,900 afghanis, one kilogram of African black tea at 380 afghanis, and one kilogram of Indonesian green tea at 350 afghanis.

Hamed Sofizada, a retail food seller in Kabul, said retail prices were: 49 kilograms of Kazakh flour at 1,500 afghanis, 24 kilograms of first-grade Pakistani rice at 4,550 afghanis, 24 kilograms of Indian rice at 3,050 afghanis, 49 kilograms of Indian barley at 2,450 afghanis, 16 liters of Malaysian oil at 1,950 afghanis, one kilogram of Indonesian green tea at 400 afghanis, and one kilogram of African black tea at 430 afghanis.

Mohammad Fouad, owner of a jewelry shop in Kabul, said the price per gram of Arabic gold (750 purity) fell from 8,200 afghanis to 8,170 afghanis, and Russian gold (585 purity) from 6,510 afghanis to 6,500 afghanis. Jewelers attributed the change to fluctuations in global markets.

Fuel prices were stable: one liter of petrol and diesel at 57 afghanis each, and one kilogram of liquefied gas at 52 afghanis, according to a worker at a fuel tank and a shopkeeper in Dehnbagh.

Haji Mohammad Hossein, owner of a currency exchange in Sarai Shahzada, said the buying rate for one U.S. dollar was 63.25 afghanis, down from 63.60 afghanis a week earlier on Feb 15. One thousand Pakistani rupees exchanged for 215 afghanis, unchanged.