Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ahvaz and Mashhad, Iran

Name: Mashhad
Address: Mashhad, IR

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $464 a month against $575 in Ahvaz, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Ahvaz
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Ahvaz Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index

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Ahvaz

🇮🇷 Iran

$575

/mo nomad

Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$464

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ahvaz and in Mashhad

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

A single person spends $575 per month in Ahvaz vs $464 in Mashhad, rent included.

Ahvaz $575
Mashhad $464

A couple spends around $873 per month in Ahvaz vs $759 in Mashhad, rent included.

Ahvaz $873
Mashhad $759

A family of three spends $1,172 per month in Ahvaz vs $1,054 in Mashhad, rent included.

Ahvaz $1,172
Mashhad $1,054

Ahvaz costs about 24% more than Mashhad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ahvaz and Mashhad are more affordable than the global median – Ahvaz 57% lower, Mashhad 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 $1.95

$3.07 $3.07

-36.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.19 $12.19

$18.75 $18.75

-34.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.69 $3.69

$5.06 $5.06

-27.08%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.56 $0.56

55.36%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.92 $0.92

20.65%

Cappuccino

$1.14 $1.14

$1.09 $1.09

4.59%

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

$0.52 $0.52

$0.43 $0.43

20.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.26 $0.26

280.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.61 $0.61

45.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 $0.58

$0.21 $0.21

176.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.95 $1.95

-7.69%

Eggs

$1.26 $1.26

$1.15 $1.15

9.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.17 $2.17

93.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$2.71 $2.71

38.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.64 $9.64

$10.43 $10.43

-7.57%

Apples (1kg)

$0.79 $0.79

$0.87 $0.87

-9.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.56 $1.56

-8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.80 $0.80

3.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 $0.59

$0.63 $0.63

-6.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 $0.58

$0.49 $0.49

18.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.48 $0.48

14.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 $0.47

$0.52 $0.52

-9.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.27 $0.27

14.81%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.86 $0.86

12.79%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.79 $0.79

-35.44%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.97 $0.97

17.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.08 $3.08

-27.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 $0.15

$0.02 $0.02

650.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.49 $9.49

$3.66 $3.66

159.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.18 $0.18

188.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.49 $0.49

4.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.02 $2.02

49.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

$0.78 $0.78

-88.46%

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

$121.4K $121.4K

$59.8K $59.8K

102.99%

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

$63.8K $63.8K

$67.7K $67.7K

-5.74%

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

$14.21 $14.21

$14.81 $14.81

-4.05%

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

$1.54 $1.54

$2.14 $2.14

-28.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.06 $7.06

$20.20 $20.20

-65.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.95 $17.95

$19.54 $19.54

-8.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.67 $5.67

$14.96 $14.96

-62.10%

Cinema Ticket

$1.17 $1.17

$1.97 $1.97

-40.61%

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

$106 $106

$41.44 $41.44

155.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$636 $636

$625 $625

1.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 $52.0

$20.06 $20.06

159.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.55 $46.55

$39.31 $39.31

18.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 $97.2

$95.3 $95.3

2.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$70.1 $70.1

47.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$322 $322

$199 $199

61.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$223 $223

$141 $141

58.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 $508

$402 $402

26.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 $344

$263 $263

30.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,259 $1,259

$1,124 $1,124

11.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$721 $721

$687 $687

4.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 $534

$249 $249

114.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.67

-1.37%

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

Last update for Ahvaz: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mashhad: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ahvaz

$223 38.8%

Mashhad

$141 30.3% 37% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Ahvaz

$135 23.4%

Mashhad

$101 21.8% 24.8% $33

Groceries & Markets

Ahvaz

$114 19.9%

Mashhad

$100 21.5% 12.7% $15

Eating Out

Ahvaz

$46 8.1%

Mashhad

$56 12% 19.9% $9.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ahvaz

$23 4%

Mashhad

$37 8% 62.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Ahvaz

$20 3.5%

Mashhad

$23 5.1% 15.7% $3.2

Getting Around

Ahvaz

$13 2.3%

Mashhad

$6.4 1.4% 51.7% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $322 in Ahvaz versus $199 in Mashhad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ahvaz are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12 in Ahvaz versus $19 in Mashhad. Groceries tell a different story – $114 in Ahvaz vs $100 in Mashhad – so Mashhad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Ahvaz

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🕒 Local time

20:56 8:56 PM

Same time as Ahvaz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,184,788

3,001,184

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ahvaz Mashhad 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Ahvaz
Mashhad

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ahvaz vs Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ahvaz is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $862 per month in Ahvaz and $696 in Mashhad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mashhad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $199 there versus $322 in Ahvaz.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12 in Ahvaz and $19 in Mashhad. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $575 in Ahvaz and $464 in Mashhad. That makes Mashhad about 19% cheaper.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $575 in Ahvaz and $464 in Mashhad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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