Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandar Abbas and Mashhad, Iran

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $464 a month against $575 in Bandar Abbas, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bandar Abbas outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Bandar Abbas, Iran
Mashhad, Iran
Bandar Abbas
🇮🇷 Iran
$575
/mo nomad
Mashhad
🇮🇷 Iran
$464
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

  • Bandar Abbas $575
  • Mashhad $464

A couple spends around $888 per month in Bandar Abbas vs $759 in Mashhad, rent included.

  • Bandar Abbas $888
  • Mashhad $759

A family of three spends $1,200 per month in Bandar Abbas vs $1,054 in Mashhad, rent included.

  • Bandar Abbas $1,200
  • Mashhad $1,054

Bandar Abbas costs about 24% more than Mashhad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bandar Abbas
Mashhad
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.92 $2.92
$3.07 $3.07
-4.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.17 $16.17
$18.75 $18.75
-13.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.89 $3.89
$5.06 $5.06
-23.12%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.69 $0.69
$0.56 $0.56
23.21%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 $1.06
$0.92 $0.92
15.22%
Cappuccino
$1.12 $1.12
$1.09 $1.09
2.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.52 $0.52
$0.43 $0.43
20.93%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.02 $1.02
$0.26 $0.26
292.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bandar Abbas
Mashhad
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.66 $0.66
$0.61 $0.61
8.20%
White Bread (500g)
$0.51 $0.51
$0.21 $0.21
142.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.03 $2.03
$1.95 $1.95
4.10%
Eggs
$1.23 $1.23
$1.15 $1.15
6.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$2.17 $2.17
100.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.32 $3.32
$2.71 $2.71
22.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.42 $10.42
$10.43 $10.43
-0.10%
Apples (1kg)
$1.08 $1.08
$0.87 $0.87
24.14%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 $1.53
$1.56 $1.56
-1.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.86 $0.86
$0.80 $0.80
7.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.57 $0.57
$0.63 $0.63
-9.52%
Potato (1kg)
$0.55 $0.55
$0.49 $0.49
12.24%
Onion (1kg)
$0.47 $0.47
$0.48 $0.48
-2.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.56 $0.56
$0.52 $0.52
7.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.24 $0.24
$0.27 $0.27
-11.11%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$0.82 $0.82
$0.86 $0.86
-4.65%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 $0.55
$0.79 $0.79
-30.38%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 $1.35
$0.97 $0.97
39.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.51 $2.51
$3.08 $3.08
-18.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Bandar Abbas
Mashhad
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.17 $0.17
$0.02 $0.02
750.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.44 $9.44
$3.66 $3.66
157.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.38 $0.38
$0.18 $0.18
111.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.29 $0.29
$0.49 $0.49
-40.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.52 $2.52
$2.02 $2.02
24.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.09 $0.09
$0.78 $0.78
-88.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.9K $50.9K
$59.8K $59.8K
-14.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$45.0K $45.0K
$67.7K $67.7K
-33.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bandar Abbas
Mashhad
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$13.27 $13.27
$14.81 $14.81
-10.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$1.53 $1.53
$2.14 $2.14
-28.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$3.94 $3.94
$20.20 $20.20
-80.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bandar Abbas
Mashhad
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$18.33 $18.33
$19.54 $19.54
-6.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.38 $13.38
$14.96 $14.96
-10.56%
Cinema Ticket
$2.03 $2.03
$1.97 $1.97
3.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bandar Abbas
Mashhad
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$108 $108
$41.44 $41.44
160.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,422 $2,422
$625 $625
287.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bandar Abbas
Mashhad
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$22.79 $22.79
$20.06 $20.06
13.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.68 $28.68
$39.31 $39.31
-27.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 $96.0
$95.3 $95.3
0.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.3 $73.3
$70.1 $70.1
4.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bandar Abbas
Mashhad
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$343 $343
$199 $199
72.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$254 $254
$141 $141
80.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$811 $811
$402 $402
101.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$407 $407
$263 $263
54.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,150 $1,150
$1,124 $1,124
2.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$546 $546
$687 $687
-20.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bandar Abbas
Mashhad
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$180 $180
$249 $249
-27.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
24.3
24
1.25%

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

Last update for Bandar Abbas: November 1, 2026

Last update for Mashhad: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bandar Abbas
$254
Mashhad
$141 44.7% $114
Groceries & Markets
Bandar Abbas
$114
Mashhad
$100 12.6% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Bandar Abbas
$99
Mashhad
$101 1.8% $1.8
Eating Out
Bandar Abbas
$55
Mashhad
$56 1.8% $1
Sport & Entertainment
Bandar Abbas
$22
Mashhad
$23 4.9% $1.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bandar Abbas
$19
Mashhad
$37 98.1% $18
Getting Around
Bandar Abbas
$12
Mashhad
$6.4 46.6% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $343 in Bandar Abbas 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 run about 39% higher in Mashhad, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Bandar Abbas versus $19 in Mashhad. Groceries tell a different story – $114 in Bandar Abbas vs $100 in Mashhad – so Mashhad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇮🇷 Bandar Abbas
🇮🇷 Mashhad
🕒 Local time
21:38 9:38 PM
21:38 9:38 PM
Same time as Bandar Abbas
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
526,648
3,001,184
💱 Currency
USD USD
USD USD
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – USD Converter

USD exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bandar Abbas Mashhad 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bandar Abbas
  • 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
Bandar Abbas vs Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mashhad cheaper than Bandar Abbas?
Yes – Bandar Abbas is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $863 per month in Bandar Abbas and $696 in Mashhad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mashhad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $199 there versus $343 in Bandar Abbas.
What are total monthly expenses in Bandar Abbas and in Mashhad?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $575 in Bandar Abbas and $464 in Mashhad. That makes Mashhad about 19% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 61% less in Mashhad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $800 enough for either Bandar Abbas or Mashhad?
$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $575 in Bandar Abbas and $464 in Mashhad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Bandar Abbas or Mashhad more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Bandar Abbas or Mashhad?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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