Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Herat

For one person, living is cheaper in Herat: $390 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $33,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

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Herat

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$390

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney 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 Sydney and in Herat actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,152 per month in Sydney vs $390 in Herat, rent included.

Sydney $3,152
Herat $390

A couple spends around $4,710 per month in Sydney vs $467 in Herat, rent included.

Sydney $4,710
Herat $467

A family of three spends $6,268 per month in Sydney vs $544 in Herat, rent included.

Sydney $6,268
Herat $544

Sydney costs about 708% more than Herat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sydney sits 133% above the global median, while Herat is 71% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 A$25.29

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 A$132

$9.11 ؋591

904.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.21

$3.81 ؋247

213.91%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 ؋101

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.48 ؋485

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.85

$0.80 ؋51.9

408.75%

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

$2.85 A$4.10

$0.47 ؋30.48

506.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.24

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 A$10.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.69

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

$0.59 ؋38.29

181.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.49

Eggs

$5.64 A$8.12

$1.80 ؋117

213.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 A$16.85

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.89

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 A$24.10

$5.97 ؋387

180.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.85

$0.60 ؋39.20

578.33%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.68

$0.75 ؋48.69

333.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.96

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 A$6.16

$0.64 ؋41.37

568.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.72

$0.30 ؋19.23

993.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$0.30 ؋19.17

666.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 A$3.31

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.74

$0.30 ؋19.25

303.33%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ؋28.95

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.71 A$62.9

$3.13 ؋203

1296.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$19.97

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 A$5.62

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.63

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.38

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$216

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.86

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.24

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.01 A$57.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

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

$29.1K A$41.9K

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

$30.1K A$43.4K

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

$223 A$320

$305 ؋19.8K

-27.01%

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

$27.16 A$39.08

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 A$80.3

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 A$107

$15.17 ؋983

391.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 A$34.52

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 A$25.27

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

$2,196 A$3,160

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K A$40.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$113

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 A$98.5

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,500 A$3,598

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 A$2,460

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,946 A$7,117

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 A$4,349

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,370 A$12.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,113 A$5,919

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

-70.80%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Last update for Herat: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2%

Herat

–

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$379 12%

Herat

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$306 9.7%

Herat

–

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.5%

Herat

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$177 5.6%

Herat

–

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Herat

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Herat

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Sydney versus $9.00 in Herat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $379 vs $47.00 – making Herat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇫 Herat

🕒 Local time

02:54 2:54 AM

20:24 8:24 PM

6 h 30 min behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

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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Between locations

Sydney Herat 11,960 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

Sydney vs Herat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sydney is pricier by about 708%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,728 per month in Sydney and $585 in Herat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 709% more in Sydney, 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 $91.0 in Sydney 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 Sydney at $3,152. In Herat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney 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, Sydney makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.