Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Herat

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.

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Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Herat

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$390

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Herat

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

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

Melbourne $2,821
Herat $390

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

Melbourne $4,235
Herat $467

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

Melbourne $5,650
Herat $544

Melbourne costs about 624% more than Herat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Melbourne sits 109% above the global median, while Herat is 71% below – 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

$84.6 A$122

$9.11 ؋591

828.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$3.81 ؋247

227.03%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 ؋101

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.48 ؋485

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$0.80 ؋51.9

413.75%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$0.47 ؋30.48

551.06%

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)

$1.48 A$2.14

$0.59 ؋38.29

150.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.80 ؋117

207.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$5.97 ؋387

154.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$0.60 ؋39.20

565.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$0.75 ؋48.69

302.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$0.64 ؋41.37

653.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$0.30 ؋19.23

910.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$0.30 ؋19.17

713.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.30 ؋19.25

443.33%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ؋28.95

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$3.13 ؋203

1307.99%

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)

$234 A$336

$305 ؋19.8K

-23.38%

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)

$49.40 A$71.1

$15.17 ؋983

225.64%

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

-70.50%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Herat: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Herat

–

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Herat

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Herat

–

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Herat

–

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Herat

–

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Herat

–

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Herat

–

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇫 Herat

🕒 Local time

02:53 2:53 AM

20:23 8:23 PM

6 h 30 min behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

349,000

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AFN, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

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).

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).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Melbourne Herat 11,710 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

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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

Melbourne vs Herat: 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 $4,231 per month in Melbourne and $585 in Herat. 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 $85.0 in Melbourne and $9.00 in Herat. 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.