Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Babol and Mashhad, Iran

Name: Mashhad
Address: Mashhad, IR

For one person, living costs are similar in Babol and in Mashhad: $471 and $478 a month, rent and utilities included.

23

Cost of Living Index in Babol
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Babol Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index

Jump to prices

Babol

🇮🇷 Iran

$471

/mo nomad

Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$478

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $471 per month in Babol vs $478 in Mashhad, rent included.

Babol $471
Mashhad $478

A couple spends around $733 per month in Babol vs $766 in Mashhad, rent included.

Babol $733
Mashhad $766

A family of three spends $994 per month in Babol vs $1,055 in Mashhad, rent included.

Babol $994
Mashhad $1,055

Babol and Mashhad have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Babol and Mashhad are more affordable than the global median – Babol 65% lower, Mashhad 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 $2.94

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.80 $10.80

$18.29 $18.29

-40.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.97 $4.97

-19.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.49 $0.49

$0.56 $0.56

-12.50%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 $0.66

$0.95 $0.95

-30.53%

Cappuccino

$1.05 $1.05

$1.10 $1.10

-4.55%

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

$0.29 $0.29

$0.43 $0.43

-32.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$0.26 $0.26

561.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 $0.71

$0.61 $0.61

16.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.22 $0.22

$0.21 $0.21

4.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.94 $1.94

27.32%

Eggs

$1.22 $1.22

$1.12 $1.12

8.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.08 $2.08

-2.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.73 $2.73

19.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.23 $9.23

$10.34 $10.34

-10.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$0.94 $0.94

29.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.55 $1.55

-9.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.83 $0.83

-42.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.61 $0.61

-21.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.52 $0.52

-44.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.44 $0.44

-34.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.52 $0.52

-44.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.14 $0.14

$0.29 $0.29

-51.72%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.78 $0.78

$0.91 $0.91

-14.29%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 $0.54

$0.77 $0.77

-29.87%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$0.90 $0.90

142.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 $2.24

$3.03 $3.03

-26.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 $0.16

$0.02 $0.02

700.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.65 $9.65

$3.58 $3.58

169.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.20 $0.20

155.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.52 $0.52

-44.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.99 $1.99

47.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.08 $0.08

$0.81 $0.81

-90.12%

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

$49.2K $49.2K

$59.3K $59.3K

-16.93%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$68.1K $68.1K

-55.87%

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

$12.91 $12.91

$13.66 $13.66

-5.49%

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

$1.52 $1.52

$2.63 $2.63

-42.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.84 $3.84

$26.95 $26.95

-85.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.51 $18.51

$19.25 $19.25

-3.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.57 $13.57

$15.14 $15.14

-10.37%

Cinema Ticket

$1.94 $1.94

$2.05 $2.05

-5.37%

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

$48.02 $48.02

$41.46 $41.46

15.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,397 $2,397

$613 $613

290.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.85 $19.85

$20.34 $20.34

-2.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.97 $14.97

$38.31 $38.31

-60.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.6 $53.6

$93.2 $93.2

-42.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.31 $39.31

$69.8 $69.8

-43.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$289 $289

$209 $209

38.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 $207

$151 $151

37.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$779 $779

$392 $392

98.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 $359

$266 $266

35.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$911 $911

$1,153 $1,153

-21.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$596 $596

$683 $683

-12.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$130 $130

$250 $250

-47.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.75

21.5

10.47%

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

Last update for Babol: 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

Babol

$207 44%

Mashhad

$151 31.6% 27.3% $57

Groceries & Markets

Babol

$97 20.6%

Mashhad

$100 20.9% 2.7% $2.6

Clothing & Footwear

Babol

$57 12.2%

Mashhad

$100 20.9% 73.5% $42

Eating Out

Babol

$56 11.9%

Mashhad

$54 11.4% 3.3% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Babol

$22 4.8%

Mashhad

$23 4.9% 4.3% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Babol

$18 3.9%

Mashhad

$43 9.1% 137% $25

Getting Around

Babol

$12 2.6%

Mashhad

$6.5 1.4% 47.1% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $289 in Babol versus $209 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 run about 92% higher in Mashhad. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Babol versus $18 in Mashhad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $97 vs $100 – making Babol the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Babol

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🕒 Local time

00:38 12:38 AM

Same time as Babol

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

220,000

3,001,184

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Babol Mashhad 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Babol
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

Babol vs Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $707 per month in Babol and $717 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 $209 there versus $289 in Babol.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Mashhad, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Kindergarten costs $48 per month in Babol and $41 in Mashhad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $471 in Babol and $478 in Mashhad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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