Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Mashhad

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $745 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $21,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Mashhad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$745

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $745 in Mashhad, rent included.

Berlin $2,551
Mashhad $745

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $1,114 in Mashhad, rent included.

Berlin $3,845
Mashhad $1,114

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $1,483 in Mashhad, rent included.

Berlin $5,139
Mashhad $1,483

Berlin costs about 242% more than Mashhad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Berlin sits 89% above the global median, while Mashhad is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$4.17 IQD 6,301

299.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$29.37 IQD 44.4K

161.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$6.73 IQD 10.2K

100.15%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$2.67 IQD 4,034

63.67%

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

$3.48 €3.09

$0.33 IQD 492

954.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$0.22 IQD 333

1318.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

$3.26 IQD 4,921

63.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

$3.37 IQD 5,091

30.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$0.89 IQD 1,346

42.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$0.68 IQD 1,035

242.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$1.33 IQD 2,005

155.64%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$0.82 IQD 1,242

448.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.93

$3.36 IQD 5,071

399.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.59

$1.97 IQD 2,981

504.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$3.09 IQD 4,668

479.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$1.01 IQD 1,521

242.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$0.92 IQD 1,385

111.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$0.91 IQD 1,373

258.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$0.68 IQD 1,026

445.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$0.56 IQD 845

275.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$0.60 IQD 900

248.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$0.29 IQD 432

389.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$0.21 IQD 322

352.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$0.83 IQD 1,254

1157.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$11.88 IQD 17.9K

-44.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.98 IQD 2,989

-35.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.96 IQD 2,965

6.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.86

$0.46 IQD 690

843.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$21.64 IQD 32.7K

230.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.68

$2.01 IQD 3,031

161.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.75

$1.30 IQD 1,965

137.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.32

$6.39 IQD 9,659

468.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$0.53 IQD 805

335.85%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

93.11%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

130.93%

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

$382 €340

$192 IQD 289.6K

99.12%

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

$18.83 €16.75

$17.37 IQD 26.2K

8.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.20

$36.33 IQD 54.9K

33.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.76

$34.10 IQD 51.5K

17.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$10.02 IQD 15.1K

56.99%

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

$142 €126

$147 IQD 221.6K

-3.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$2,968 IQD 4.5M

431.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.8

$25.05 IQD 37.9K

280.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.20

$28.34 IQD 42.8K

63.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.4

$60.1 IQD 90.8K

72.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$41.28 IQD 62.4K

247.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,306

$150 IQD 226.4K

880.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

$118 IQD 178.6K

842.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,447

$402 IQD 606.7K

585.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 €1,875

$286 IQD 432.6K

636.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,454 €7,520

$717 IQD 1.1M

1078.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 €4,834

$639 IQD 965.4K

750.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 €3,151

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

4.12

-7.77%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mashhad: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Mashhad

$118 15.9% 89.4% $996

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Mashhad

$245 32.9% 45.4% $204

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Mashhad

$115 15.5% 66.4% $228

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Mashhad

$111 14.9% 61.5% $177

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Mashhad

$70 9.3% 60.2% $105

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Mashhad

$32 4.3% 70.8% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Mashhad

$54 7.3% 24.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $150 in Mashhad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Berlin versus $29.00 in Mashhad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $115 – making Mashhad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇮🇶 Mashhad

🕒 Local time

20:53 8:53 PM

21:53 9:53 PM

1 h ahead of Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

13,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Berlin Mashhad 3,010 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Berlin
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

Berlin vs Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 242%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,826 per month in Berlin and $1,118 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,551 in Berlin and $745 in Mashhad. That's a gap of about 242%.

Public transport costs about 231% less in Mashhad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mashhad, where all-in costs run around $745, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Mashhad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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