Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Mazar-i-Sharif: $297 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $30,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Mazar-i-Sharif
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Mazar-i-Sharif Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Mazar-i-Sharif

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$297

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mazar-i-Sharif 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 Mazar-i-Sharif and in Melbourne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $297 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $2,852 in Melbourne.

Mazar-i-Sharif $297
Melbourne $2,852

Estimated couple costs with rent: $470 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $4,297 in Melbourne.

Mazar-i-Sharif $470
Melbourne $4,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $643 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $5,742 in Melbourne.

Mazar-i-Sharif $643
Melbourne $5,742

Living in Mazar-i-Sharif costs roughly 90% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mazar-i-Sharif is 78% below, Melbourne is 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.31 ؋149

$17.75 A$25.40

-86.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.68 ؋1,015

$84.8 A$121

-81.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ؋252

$12.16 A$17.40

-67.93%

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

$3.93 A$5.62

-69.72%

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

$0.56 ؋36.07

$3.14 A$4.49

-82.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ؋20.97

$2.43 A$3.47

-86.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.90 A$14.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 A$11.86

Milk (1 liter)

$0.60 ؋38.87

$1.55 A$2.21

-61.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.15 ؋9.41

$3.01 A$4.31

-95.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 ؋139

$2.88 A$4.12

-25.35%

Eggs

$1.59 ؋103

$5.44 A$7.79

-70.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 ؋513

$10.59 A$15.16

-25.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ؋218

$9.61 A$13.76

-64.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.23 ؋404

$14.99 A$21.46

-58.44%

Apples (1kg)

$0.59 ؋38.23

$4.15 A$5.94

-85.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ؋76.0

$3.05 A$4.37

-61.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.81 ؋52.6

$3.30 A$4.72

-75.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 ؋39.57

$4.76 A$6.81

-87.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 ؋33.06

$3.04 A$4.34

-83.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ؋25.83

$2.55 A$3.65

-84.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 ؋33.75

$2.48 A$3.55

-79.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 ؋20.76

$1.63 A$2.33

-80.37%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.82 ؋118

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.56 ؋101

$44.07 A$63.1

-96.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 A$17.79

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.63

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.38

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 ؋52.0

$3.84 A$5.50

-79.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$203

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 A$6.29

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ؋98.7

$29.83 A$42.69

-94.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ؋96.3

$1.46 A$2.09

2.05%

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

$9,933 ؋643.3K

$28.1K A$40.3K

-64.71%

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

$25.9K A$37.1K

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

$83.8 ؋5,425

$233 A$333

-64.00%

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

$16.94 ؋1,097

$27.28 A$39.04

-37.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$81.6

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.69 ؋757

$52.7 A$75.4

-77.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.91 ؋253

$22.62 A$32.37

-82.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.72 ؋306

$17.10 A$24.48

-72.40%

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

$78.1 ؋5,058

$2,373 A$3,397

-96.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K A$43.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.14 ؋851

$78.2 A$112

-83.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 A$72.2

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$18.75 ؋1,214

$133 A$191

-85.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 A$2,451

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 A$2,006

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,339 A$4,778

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 A$3,619

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,018 A$10.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,767 A$9,685

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$231 ؋15.0K

$4,228 A$6,051

-94.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

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 Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mazar-i-Sharif

$106 36.2%

Melbourne

$385 13.5% 263% $279

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mazar-i-Sharif

$101 * 34.3%

Melbourne

$317 11.1% 215% $216

Eating Out

Mazar-i-Sharif

$48 16.3%

Melbourne

$314 11% 554% $266

Sport & Entertainment

Mazar-i-Sharif

$21 7.2%

Melbourne

$87 3.1% 311% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Mazar-i-Sharif

$14 * 4.9%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 1099% $158

Getting Around

Mazar-i-Sharif

$3.2 * 1.1%

Melbourne

$168 5.9% 5142% $165

Accommodation & Living

Mazar-i-Sharif

- * 0%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

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

Cost Breakdown

Melbourne pays 1731% 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 $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $106 vs $385 per month, with Mazar-i-Sharif cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇫 Mazar-i-Sharif

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

11:14 11:14 AM

17:44 5:44 PM

6 h 30 min ahead of Mazar-i-Sharif

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

300,600

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.38 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 64.76 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.64 AFN (100 AFN = 1.38 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

USD to AFN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mazar-i-Sharif Melbourne 11,510 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Mazar-i-Sharif
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

Mazar-i-Sharif vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mazar-i-Sharif is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 861% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1731% lower in Melbourne. 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 262% higher in Melbourne. 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 $2,852 in Melbourne – a 861% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $297 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $2,852 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mazar-i-Sharif but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. 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 Melbourne 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 861% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.