Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arak and Mashhad, Iran

Name: Mashhad
Address: Mashhad, IR

For one person, living costs are similar in Arak and in Mashhad: $480 and $478 a month, rent and utilities included.

23

Cost of Living Index in Arak
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Arak Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index

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Arak

🇮🇷 Iran

$480

/mo nomad

Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$478

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $480 in Arak versus $478 in Mashhad.

Arak $480
Mashhad $478

Estimated couple costs with rent: $755 in Arak versus $766 in Mashhad.

Arak $755
Mashhad $766

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,030 in Arak versus $1,055 in Mashhad.

Arak $1,030
Mashhad $1,055

Monthly costs are close between Arak and Mashhad; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Arak 65% lower, Mashhad 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.55 $3.55

$2.94 $2.94

20.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.88 $12.88

$18.29 $18.29

-29.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 $4.09

$4.97 $4.97

-17.71%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

$0.56 $0.56

30.36%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 $0.57

$0.95 $0.95

-40.00%

Cappuccino

$1.33 $1.33

$1.10 $1.10

20.91%

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

$0.51 $0.51

$0.43 $0.43

18.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.26 $0.26

538.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.54 $0.54

$0.61 $0.61

-11.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 $0.58

$0.21 $0.21

176.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.94 $1.94

1.03%

Eggs

$1.28 $1.28

$1.12 $1.12

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.08 $2.08

2.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.73 $2.73

-7.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.31 $10.31

$10.34 $10.34

-0.29%

Apples (1kg)

$0.77 $0.77

$0.94 $0.94

-18.09%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.55 $1.55

-39.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.63 $0.63

$0.83 $0.83

-24.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.61 $0.61

-21.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.42 $0.42

$0.52 $0.52

-19.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 $0.44

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.52 $0.52

-7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 $0.28

$0.29 $0.29

-3.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.76 $0.76

$0.91 $0.91

-16.48%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.77 $0.77

-28.57%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.90 $0.90

141.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.03 $3.03

-16.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.10 $0.10

$0.02 $0.02

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.70 $9.70

$3.58 $3.58

170.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.25 $0.25

$0.20 $0.20

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.12 $0.12

$0.52 $0.52

-76.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.99 $1.99

-48.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.10 $0.10

$0.81 $0.81

-87.65%

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

$50.3K $50.3K

$59.3K $59.3K

-15.06%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$68.1K $68.1K

-48.68%

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

$10.03 $10.03

$13.66 $13.66

-26.57%

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

$1.43 $1.43

$2.63 $2.63

-45.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.01 $4.01

$26.95 $26.95

-85.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.93 $9.93

$19.25 $19.25

-48.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.64 $24.64

$15.14 $15.14

62.75%

Cinema Ticket

$1.11 $1.11

$2.05 $2.05

-45.85%

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

$83.3 $83.3

$41.46 $41.46

100.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,372 $2,372

$613 $613

286.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.59 $13.59

$20.34 $20.34

-33.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.51 $8.51

$38.31 $38.31

-77.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 $81.9

$93.2 $93.2

-12.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.1 $52.1

$69.8 $69.8

-25.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 $294

$209 $209

40.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$210 $210

$151 $151

39.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$781 $781

$392 $392

99.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 $357

$266 $266

34.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,369 $1,369

$1,153 $1,153

18.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$647 $647

$683 $683

-5.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$375 $375

$250 $250

50.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.5

21.5

-13.95%

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

Last update for Arak: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mashhad: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arak

$210 43.7%

Mashhad

$151 31.6% 28.1% $59

Groceries & Markets

Arak

$96 20%

Mashhad

$100 20.9% 4% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

Arak

$70 14.6%

Mashhad

$100 20.9% 42% $30

Eating Out

Arak

$65 13.6%

Mashhad

$54 11.4% 16.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arak

$15 3.2%

Mashhad

$43 9.1% 179% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Arak

$12 2.5%

Mashhad

$23 4.9% 92.4% $11

Getting Around

Arak

$11 2.3%

Mashhad

$6.5 1.4% 40.9% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $294 in Arak and $209 in Mashhad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arak pays 50% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $13 in Arak vs $18 in Mashhad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $96 vs $100 per month, with Arak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Arak

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🕒 Local time

05:43 5:43 AM

Same time as Arak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

526,200

3,001,184

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Arak Mashhad 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Arak
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

Arak vs Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 50% higher in Arak, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $294 in Arak versus $209 in Mashhad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $83 in Arak versus $41 in Mashhad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Arak – a meal for two runs $13 versus $18 in Mashhad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Mashhad gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Mashhad is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Arak, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Arak and Mashhad are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Mashhad wins on affordability, Arak on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.