Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mashhad Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mashhad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $846 in Mashhad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,258 in Mashhad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $1,669 in Mashhad.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 183% more expensive than Mashhad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Mashhad is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$5.51 IQD 7,214

220.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$36.40 IQD 47.7K

92.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$7.47 IQD 9,786

82.86%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$3.01 IQD 3,944

-8.97%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.37 IQD 480

654.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.18 IQD 232

988.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$3.47 IQD 4,550

25.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$2.95 IQD 3,858

55.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.32 IQD 1,732

-2.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.83 IQD 1,087

146.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.67 IQD 2,181

18.56%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$0.86 IQD 1,130

294.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$4.41 IQD 5,770

322.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$1.95 IQD 2,550

390.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$2.96 IQD 3,873

536.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.02 IQD 1,342

169.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.20 IQD 1,576

105.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.03 IQD 1,348

103.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$0.68 IQD 888

314.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$0.65 IQD 857

210.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.63 IQD 829

193.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.31 IQD 410

387.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.22 IQD 294

309.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$0.83 IQD 1,088

750.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$13.54 IQD 17.7K

-41.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.85 IQD 2,424

-22.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.09 IQD 2,741

9.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$0.36 IQD 475

700.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$30.56 IQD 40.0K

-7.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$3.78 IQD 4,956

15.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.48 IQD 1,943

44.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$7.46 IQD 9,775

290.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$0.57 IQD 751

226.32%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$20.0K IQD 26.2M

94.98%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

60.89%

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

$189 €163

$178 IQD 233.6K

6.03%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$26.12 IQD 34.2K

-13.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$40.13 IQD 52.5K

-9.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$37.37 IQD 48.9K

54.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$16.76 IQD 21.9K

27.51%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$7.81 IQD 10.2K

38.41%

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

$726 €625

$164 IQD 215.4K

341.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$3,644 IQD 4.8M

314.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$28.72 IQD 37.6K

205.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$30.70 IQD 40.2K

20.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$65.3 IQD 85.5K

58.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$42.54 IQD 55.7K

173.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$245 IQD 320.6K

542.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$181 IQD 237.4K

572.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$578 IQD 757.3K

368.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$339 IQD 444.4K

479.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.67

-40.21%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Mashhad: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $245 in Mashhad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $36.00 in Mashhad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $131 per month, with Mashhad cheaper across the board.

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

Barcelona vs Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Mashhad differ by about 183% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $846 including rent). Mashhad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,599 in Barcelona and $1,270 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $245 in Mashhad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $164 in Mashhad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 145% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $846 in Mashhad versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mashhad but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Mashhad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Mashhad are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mashhad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 183% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.