Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Mashhad, Iraq

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $756 a month against $1,032 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index

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Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,032

/mo nomad

Mashhad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$756

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,032 in Baghdad versus $756 in Mashhad.

Baghdad $1,032
Mashhad $756

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,490 in Baghdad versus $1,119 in Mashhad.

Baghdad $1,490
Mashhad $1,119

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,949 in Baghdad versus $1,481 in Mashhad.

Baghdad $1,949
Mashhad $1,481

Living in Baghdad is roughly 36% more expensive than in Mashhad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baghdad 24% lower, Mashhad 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.34 IQD 6,556

$4.49 IQD 6,781

-3.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.47 IQD 40.0K

$26.73 IQD 40.4K

-0.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 IQD 9,677

$6.73 IQD 10.2K

-4.90%

Cappuccino

$2.67 IQD 4,034

$2.71 IQD 4,100

-1.48%

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

$0.39 IQD 587

$0.36 IQD 542

8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 333

$0.20 IQD 302

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 IQD 4,857

$3.37 IQD 5,090

-4.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 IQD 4,937

$3.39 IQD 5,126

-3.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 IQD 1,378

$0.91 IQD 1,368

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,006

$0.73 IQD 1,106

-8.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 IQD 2,077

$1.32 IQD 1,997

3.79%

Eggs

$1.69 IQD 2,557

$0.82 IQD 1,242

106.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.37 IQD 5,091

$3.41 IQD 5,157

-1.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.90 IQD 5,900

$1.98 IQD 2,985

96.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.44 IQD 18.8K

$2.95 IQD 4,463

321.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,557

$1.03 IQD 1,556

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 IQD 1,356

$0.91 IQD 1,377

-1.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,418

$0.87 IQD 1,321

8.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 963

$0.64 IQD 971

Potato (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 904

$0.59 IQD 898

1.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 861

$0.56 IQD 840

1.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 IQD 883

$0.31 IQD 474

87.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 IQD 935

$0.21 IQD 321

195.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.54 IQD 2,331

$0.77 IQD 1,168

100.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 IQD 18.1K

$11.82 IQD 17.9K

1.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 IQD 2,874

$1.92 IQD 2,898

-1.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 IQD 2,833

$1.87 IQD 2,832

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 518

$0.34 IQD 520

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.50 IQD 29.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 IQD 3,059

$1.96 IQD 2,965

3.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 IQD 1,976

$1.31 IQD 1,972

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 IQD 10.2K

$6.42 IQD 9,699

5.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 870

$0.54 IQD 810

7.41%

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

$16.4K IQD 24.7M

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

-2.47%

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

$16.4K IQD 24.7M

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

-0.97%

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

$191 IQD 288.4K

$191 IQD 288.5K

-0.06%

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

$20.02 IQD 30.3K

$19.44 IQD 29.4K

2.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.64 IQD 58.4K

$38.59 IQD 58.3K

0.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.72 IQD 60.0K

$36.79 IQD 55.6K

7.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.37 IQD 27.8K

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 IQD 15.1K

$9.69 IQD 14.6K

2.99%

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

$145 IQD 218.4K

$143 IQD 215.6K

1.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,369 IQD 8.1M

$3,191 IQD 4.8M

68.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.76 IQD 37.4K

$25.57 IQD 38.6K

-3.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.12 IQD 50.0K

$34.03 IQD 51.4K

-2.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.3 IQD 89.6K

$58.7 IQD 88.8K

0.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.11 IQD 63.6K

$42.44 IQD 64.1K

-0.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 IQD 800.5K

$212 IQD 319.9K

150.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 IQD 526.3K

$139 IQD 210.6K

149.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 IQD 1.5M

$378 IQD 571.7K

162.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 IQD 923.3K

$319 IQD 482.6K

91.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,348 IQD 6.6M

$862 IQD 1.3M

404.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

$491 IQD 742.5K

185.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$517 IQD 780.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

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

Last update for Baghdad: October 31, 2026

Last update for Mashhad: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baghdad

$348 33.8%

Mashhad

$139 18.4% 60% $209

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdad

$250 24.2%

Mashhad

$249 32.9% 0.2% $0.5

Groceries & Markets

Baghdad

$162 15.7%

Mashhad

$115 15.2% 29.2% $47

Eating Out

Baghdad

$111 10.8%

Mashhad

$115 15.1% 3.2% $3.5

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdad

$72 7%

Mashhad

$72 9.6% 0.9% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdad

$60 5.8%

Mashhad

$56 7.4% 5.9% $3.5

Getting Around

Baghdad

$29 2.9%

Mashhad

$9.9 * 1.3% 66.5% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $530 in Baghdad and $212 in Mashhad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26 in Baghdad vs $27 in Mashhad. Groceries flip the comparison at $162 vs $115, with Mashhad cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🇮🇶 Mashhad

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

Same time as Baghdad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,216,040 Capital

13,000

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Baghdad Mashhad 270 km

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Baghdad
Mashhad

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

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Baghdad vs Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mashhad wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Baghdad. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mashhad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,548 in Baghdad and $1,134 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: $530 in Baghdad versus $212 in Mashhad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Baghdad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,032 per month in Baghdad versus $756 in Mashhad – Mashhad is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Mashhad gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.