Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Herat and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Herat: $390 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $29,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Herat

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$390

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Herat and in Melbourne

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Herat and in Melbourne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $390 per month in Herat vs $2,821 in Melbourne, rent included.

Herat $390
Melbourne $2,821

A couple spends around $467 per month in Herat vs $4,235 in Melbourne, rent included.

Herat $467
Melbourne $4,235

A family of three spends $544 per month in Herat vs $5,650 in Melbourne, rent included.

Herat $544
Melbourne $5,650

Herat is about 86% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Herat sits 71% below the global median, while Melbourne is 109% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.11 ؋591

$84.6 A$122

-89.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.81 ؋247

$12.46 A$17.92

-69.42%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 ؋101

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.48 ؋485

Cappuccino

$0.80 ؋51.9

$4.11 A$5.91

-80.54%

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

$0.47 ؋30.48

$3.06 A$4.40

-84.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

Milk (1 liter)

$0.59 ؋38.29

$1.48 A$2.14

-60.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

Eggs

$1.80 ؋117

$5.54 A$7.97

-67.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.97 ؋387

$15.22 A$21.91

-60.78%

Apples (1kg)

$0.60 ؋39.20

$3.99 A$5.75

-84.96%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 ؋48.69

$3.02 A$4.34

-75.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 ؋41.37

$4.82 A$6.93

-86.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ؋19.23

$3.03 A$4.36

-90.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.30 ؋19.17

$2.44 A$3.52

-87.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ؋19.25

$1.63 A$2.34

-81.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ؋28.95

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 ؋203

$44.07 A$63.4

-92.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

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

$305 ؋19.8K

$234 A$336

30.51%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.17 ؋983

$49.40 A$71.1

-69.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

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

$2,371 A$3,412

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

238.98%

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

Last update for Herat: October 10, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Herat

–

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Groceries & Markets

Herat

–

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Herat

–

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Eating Out

Herat

–

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Herat

–

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Getting Around

Herat

–

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Herat

–

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9.00 in Herat versus $85.0 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $47.00 vs $384 – making Herat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇫 Herat

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

20:24 8:24 PM

02:54 2:54 AM

6 h 30 min ahead of Herat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

349,000

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.37 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to AFN – Afghanistan Afghani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇫 Afghanistan Afghani (؋)

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 64.83 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.88 AFN (100 AFN = 1.37 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to AFN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Herat Melbourne 11,710 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Herat
Melbourne

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

Herat vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 624%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $585 per month in Herat and $4,231 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 721% more in Melbourne, 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 $9.00 in Herat and $85.0 in Melbourne. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Herat, where all-in costs run around $390, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Herat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Herat – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Herat. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.