Living in Herāt, Afghanistan

Herāt is a mid-sized inland city in Herat, Afghanistan (250,000 to 1 million people in the city proper). It has a mild climate, averaging 18°C over the year with about 235 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €1,877 a month to live centrally. For foreigners, long-term residency in Afghanistan is hard to obtain.

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Est. cost: €1,877; a month for a couple
Climate: 18°C; 235 mm rain a year
Size: Mid-sized; 250,000 to 1 million people
Safety: 42/100; country-level
Residency: Hard to obtain; for most foreigners

Limited data for Afghanistan. Figures for safety, healthcare, cost of living and political stability in Afghanistan are country-level estimates from World Bank indicators, each named with its year. We have no tax, English, social openness or internet speed figures for Afghanistan, so the quiz scores those factors conservatively and this page leaves them out.

Travel advisory. As of 13 October 2026, the US State Department advises against all travel to Afghanistan ("Level 4: Do Not Travel"). Our quiz and best-cities lists leave Herāt out, and the safety figures below are country averages that do not reflect the advisory. Read the current advisory on travel.state.gov and your own government's travel advice.

What stands out about Herāt

More affordable than 99% of the cities we compare
Dry: about 235 mm of rain a year
Long-term residency is hard to obtain

Cost of living

We estimate a couple needs about €1,877 a month to live centrally in Herāt, 31% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 99% of them.

Source: OurNextCity model from the price level of GDP relative to the United States, from GDP per person in US dollars and at purchasing power parity (NY.GDP.PCAP.CD/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD, 2024), calibrated to our country-level cost index (New York = 100) and scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Healthcare

Afghanistan scores 45 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 4% of the cities we compare.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Afghanistan: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, 2024) and current health spending per person in US dollars (SH.XPD.CHEX.PC.CD, 2023), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Residency and visas

Hard to obtain. Afghanistan has no civilian long-term residence framework: foreigners receive only short-term employer-sponsored work visas or a single-entry tourist e-Visa, and a 2026 investor-residency idea remains an unpublished proposal with no decree, thresholds, or timeline.

For short visits, 198 need a visa in advance.

Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).

Safety and stability

Afghanistan scores 42 out of 100 on safety, safer than 6% of the cities we compare. Its estimated democracy score is 1.9 out of 10.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Afghanistan: country-level homicide rate per 100,000 people (VC.IHR.PSRC.P5, 2021) and Worldwide Governance Indicators Political Stability and Absence of Violence estimate (GOV_WGI_PV.EST, 2025), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables (higher is safer). Stability: Worldwide Governance Indicators Voice and Accountability estimate (GOV_WGI_VA.EST, 2025), calibrated to the EIU Democracy Index scale. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Climate

Herāt averages 18°C across the year with about 235 mm of rain, which makes it mild and very dry. It is warmer than 43% of the 1225 cities we track.

Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.

Questions couples ask about Herāt

Is Herāt a good place to live for couples?

It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Herāt scores well on affordability. It is weaker on safety, healthcare and political stability. Our figures for Afghanistan are partial: no tax, English, social openness or internet speed data, and country-level World Bank estimates for the rest. Expect a mild, very dry climate (18°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks 915 cities for both of you at once.

How much does it cost a couple to live in Herāt?

We estimate about €1,877 a month for a couple living centrally, 31% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from the World Bank price level of GDP for Afghanistan, calibrated to our country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.

Can foreigners live in Afghanistan long term?

Our assessment: hard to obtain. Afghanistan has no civilian long-term residence framework: foreigners receive only short-term employer-sponsored work visas or a single-entry tourist e-Visa, and a 2026 investor-residency idea remains an unpublished proposal with no decree, thresholds, or timeline.

What is the weather like in Herāt?

Herāt averages 18°C across the year with about 235 mm of rain, which makes it mild and very dry. It is warmer than 43% of the cities we track.