Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Birjand and Mashhad, Iran

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $464 a month against $531 in Birjand, rent and utilities included – about $800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Birjand, Iran
Mashhad, Iran
Birjand
🇮🇷 Iran
$531
/mo nomad
Mashhad
🇮🇷 Iran
$464
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $531 per month in Birjand vs $464 in Mashhad, rent included.

  • Birjand $531
  • Mashhad $464

A couple spends around $842 per month in Birjand vs $759 in Mashhad, rent included.

  • Birjand $842
  • Mashhad $759

A family of three spends $1,154 per month in Birjand vs $1,054 in Mashhad, rent included.

  • Birjand $1,154
  • Mashhad $1,054

Birjand costs about 14% more than Mashhad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Birjand and Mashhad are more affordable than the global median – Birjand 61% lower, Mashhad 66% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Birjand
Mashhad
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.96 $2.96
$3.07 $3.07
-3.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$15.89 $15.89
$18.75 $18.75
-15.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.89 $3.89
$5.06 $5.06
-23.12%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.72 $0.72
$0.56 $0.56
28.57%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.11 $1.11
$0.92 $0.92
20.65%
Cappuccino
$1.10 $1.10
$1.09 $1.09
0.92%
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
Birjand
Mashhad
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.65 $0.65
$0.61 $0.61
6.56%
White Bread (500g)
$0.51 $0.51
$0.21 $0.21
142.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.08 $2.08
$1.95 $1.95
6.67%
Eggs
$1.20 $1.20
$1.15 $1.15
4.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.36 $4.36
$2.17 $2.17
100.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.33 $3.33
$2.71 $2.71
22.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.18 $10.18
$10.43 $10.43
-2.40%
Apples (1kg)
$1.03 $1.03
$0.87 $0.87
18.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 $1.63
$1.56 $1.56
4.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.82 $0.82
$0.80 $0.80
2.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.60 $0.60
$0.63 $0.63
-4.76%
Potato (1kg)
$0.55 $0.55
$0.49 $0.49
12.24%
Onion (1kg)
$0.51 $0.51
$0.48 $0.48
6.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.57 $0.57
$0.52 $0.52
9.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.24 $0.24
$0.27 $0.27
-11.11%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$0.81 $0.81
$0.86 $0.86
-5.81%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 $0.51
$0.79 $0.79
-35.44%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 $1.35
$0.97 $0.97
39.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.46 $2.46
$3.08 $3.08
-20.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Birjand
Mashhad
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.17 $0.17
$0.02 $0.02
750.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.63 $9.63
$3.66 $3.66
163.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.42 $0.42
$0.18 $0.18
133.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.29 $0.29
$0.49 $0.49
-40.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 $2.67
$2.02 $2.02
32.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.08 $0.08
$0.78 $0.78
-89.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.1K $50.1K
$59.8K $59.8K
-16.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$46.2K $46.2K
$67.7K $67.7K
-31.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Birjand
Mashhad
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$13.20 $13.20
$14.81 $14.81
-10.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$1.52 $1.52
$2.14 $2.14
-28.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$4.02 $4.02
$20.20 $20.20
-80.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Birjand
Mashhad
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$18.86 $18.86
$19.54 $19.54
-3.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.64 $13.64
$14.96 $14.96
-8.82%
Cinema Ticket
$2.03 $2.03
$1.97 $1.97
3.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Birjand
Mashhad
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$106 $106
$41.44 $41.44
155.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,419 $2,419
$625 $625
286.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Birjand
Mashhad
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.11 $23.11
$20.06 $20.06
15.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.81 $27.81
$39.31 $39.31
-29.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.7 $97.7
$95.3 $95.3
2.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.0 $72.0
$70.1 $70.1
2.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Birjand
Mashhad
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$296 $296
$199 $199
48.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$209 $209
$141 $141
48.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$783 $783
$402 $402
94.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$361 $361
$263 $263
37.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,165 $1,165
$1,124 $1,124
3.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$537 $537
$687 $687
-21.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Birjand
Mashhad
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$249 $249
-
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 Birjand: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mashhad: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Birjand
$209
Mashhad
$141 32.8% $69
Groceries & Markets
Birjand
$114
Mashhad
$100 12.5% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Birjand
$99
Mashhad
$101 1.9% $1.9
Eating Out
Birjand
$55
Mashhad
$56 1.8% $1
Sport & Entertainment
Birjand
$23
Mashhad
$23 2.4% $0.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Birjand
$19
Mashhad
$37 98.3% $18
Getting Around
Birjand
$12
Mashhad
$6.4 47.8% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $296 in Birjand 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.

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

Good to know
🇮🇷 Birjand
🇮🇷 Mashhad
🕒 Local time
10:52 10:52 AM
10:52 10:52 AM
Same time as Birjand
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
203,636
3,001,184
💱 Currency
USD USD
USD USD
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – USD Converter

USD exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Birjand Mashhad 380 km
From you
  • Birjand
  • 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
Birjand vs Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Birjand and in Mashhad compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $531 in Birjand, $464 in Mashhad – Mashhad comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Birjand compared to Mashhad?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $796 per month in Birjand and $696 in Mashhad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Birjand and Mashhad?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mashhad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $199 there versus $296 in Birjand.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 14% more in Birjand, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Birjand and $19 in Mashhad. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How far does $800 go in Birjand compared to Mashhad?
$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $531 in Birjand and $464 in Mashhad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Birjand or Mashhad?
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.
Is Birjand or Mashhad safer for residents?
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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