Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ardabil and Mashhad, Iran

Name: Mashhad
Address: Mashhad, IR

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $478 a month against $508 in Ardabil, rent and utilities included – about $360 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ardabil outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

26

Cost of Living Index in Ardabil
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Ardabil Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index

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Ardabil

🇮🇷 Iran

$508

/mo nomad

Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$478

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $508 in Ardabil versus $478 in Mashhad.

Ardabil $508
Mashhad $478

Estimated couple costs with rent: $807 in Ardabil versus $766 in Mashhad.

Ardabil $807
Mashhad $766

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,106 in Ardabil versus $1,055 in Mashhad.

Ardabil $1,106
Mashhad $1,055

Living in Ardabil is roughly 6% more expensive than in Mashhad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ardabil 63% lower, Mashhad 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.89 $2.89

$2.94 $2.94

-1.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.95 $14.95

$18.29 $18.29

-18.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 $3.92

$4.97 $4.97

-21.13%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.70 $0.70

$0.56 $0.56

25.00%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.95 $0.95

5.26%

Cappuccino

$1.20 $1.20

$1.10 $1.10

9.09%

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

$0.51 $0.51

$0.43 $0.43

18.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.26 $0.26

296.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.65 $0.65

$0.61 $0.61

6.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 $0.49

$0.21 $0.21

133.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.94 $1.94

4.64%

Eggs

$1.15 $1.15

$1.12 $1.12

2.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.08 $2.08

115.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.73 $2.73

21.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.23 $10.23

$10.34 $10.34

-1.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.94 $0.94

24.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.55 $1.55

-9.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.83 $0.83

4.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 $0.53

$0.61 $0.61

-13.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 $0.50

$0.52 $0.52

-3.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 $0.47

$0.44 $0.44

6.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 $0.47

$0.52 $0.52

-9.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.23 $0.23

$0.29 $0.29

-20.69%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.85 $0.85

$0.91 $0.91

-6.59%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 $0.53

$0.77 $0.77

-31.17%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 $1.44

$0.90 $0.90

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 $2.25

$3.03 $3.03

-25.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 $0.15

$0.02 $0.02

650.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.58 $8.58

$3.58 $3.58

139.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.43 $0.43

$0.20 $0.20

115.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 $0.30

$0.52 $0.52

-42.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.99 $1.99

16.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.10 $0.10

$0.81 $0.81

-87.65%

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

$42.9K $42.9K

$59.3K $59.3K

-27.59%

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

$40.4K $40.4K

$68.1K $68.1K

-40.69%

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

$14.32 $14.32

$13.66 $13.66

4.83%

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

$1.70 $1.70

$2.63 $2.63

-35.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.40 $3.40

$26.95 $26.95

-87.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.84 $15.84

$19.25 $19.25

-17.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.71 $14.71

$15.14 $15.14

-2.84%

Cinema Ticket

$1.98 $1.98

$2.05 $2.05

-3.41%

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

$93.6 $93.6

$41.46 $41.46

125.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,121 $2,121

$613 $613

245.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.25 $21.25

$20.34 $20.34

4.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.29 $25.29

$38.31 $38.31

-33.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.5 $96.5

$93.2 $93.2

3.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.6 $65.6

$69.8 $69.8

-5.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$292 $292

$209 $209

39.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 $196

$151 $151

29.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$775 $775

$392 $392

97.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 $339

$266 $266

27.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,188 $1,188

$1,153 $1,153

3.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$506 $506

$683 $683

-25.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$250 $250

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.3

21.5

13.02%

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

Last update for Ardabil: October 27, 2026

Last update for Mashhad: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ardabil

$196 38.6%

Mashhad

$151 31.6% 23% $45

Groceries & Markets

Ardabil

$112 22.1%

Mashhad

$100 20.9% 11.2% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Ardabil

$94 18.5%

Mashhad

$100 20.9% 6.2% $5.8

Eating Out

Ardabil

$55 10.9%

Mashhad

$54 11.4% 2.1% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Ardabil

$20 3.9%

Mashhad

$23 4.9% 18% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ardabil

$19 3.8%

Mashhad

$43 9.1% 123% $24

Getting Around

Ardabil

$11 2.2%

Mashhad

$6.5 1.4% 41.6% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $292 in Ardabil and $209 in Mashhad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $15 in Ardabil vs $18 in Mashhad. Groceries flip the comparison at $112 vs $100, with Mashhad cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Ardabil

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🕒 Local time

13:09 1:09 PM

Same time as Ardabil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

482,632

3,001,184

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ardabil Mashhad 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ardabil
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

Ardabil vs Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mashhad is about 6% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $762 in Ardabil and $717 in Mashhad to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $292 in Ardabil versus $209 in Mashhad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mashhad runs roughly 58% less than in Ardabil. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $94 in Ardabil versus $41 in Mashhad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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 Ardabil, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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