Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Mashhad

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $745 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Mashhad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$745

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $745 in Mashhad, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Mashhad $745

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $1,114 in Mashhad, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Mashhad $1,114

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $1,483 in Mashhad, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Mashhad $1,483

Cape Town costs about 113% more than Mashhad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Mashhad is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$4.17 IQD 6,301

191.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$29.37 IQD 44.4K

54.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$6.73 IQD 10.2K

-12.63%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$2.67 IQD 4,034

-6.37%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$0.33 IQD 492

284.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$0.22 IQD 333

345.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$3.26 IQD 4,921

-8.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$3.37 IQD 5,091

10.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$0.89 IQD 1,346

46.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$0.68 IQD 1,035

83.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$1.33 IQD 2,005

67.67%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$0.82 IQD 1,242

279.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$3.36 IQD 5,071

169.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$1.97 IQD 2,981

251.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$3.09 IQD 4,668

200.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$1.01 IQD 1,521

82.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$0.92 IQD 1,385

113.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$0.91 IQD 1,373

83.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$0.68 IQD 1,026

219.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$0.56 IQD 845

180.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$0.60 IQD 900

146.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$0.29 IQD 432

348.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.21 IQD 322

438.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$0.83 IQD 1,254

333.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

$11.88 IQD 17.9K

-48.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$1.98 IQD 2,989

-30.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$1.96 IQD 2,965

9.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.46 IQD 690

226.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$21.64 IQD 32.7K

180.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$2.01 IQD 3,031

-70.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$1.30 IQD 1,965

15.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$6.39 IQD 9,659

-20.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$0.53 IQD 805

192.45%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

115.60%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

86.88%

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

$114 R 1,883

$192 IQD 289.6K

-40.36%

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

$28.91 R 476

$17.37 IQD 26.2K

66.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$36.33 IQD 54.9K

9.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$34.10 IQD 51.5K

43.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$10.02 IQD 15.1K

-8.68%

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

$259 R 4,264

$147 IQD 221.6K

76.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$2,968 IQD 4.5M

128.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$25.05 IQD 37.9K

124.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$28.34 IQD 42.8K

14.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$60.1 IQD 90.8K

100.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$41.28 IQD 62.4K

161.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$150 IQD 226.4K

581.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$118 IQD 178.6K

506.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$402 IQD 606.7K

354.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$286 IQD 432.6K

363.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

$717 IQD 1.1M

233.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

$639 IQD 965.4K

141.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

4.12

166.26%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Mashhad: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Mashhad

$118 15.9% 83.5% $599

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Mashhad

$115 15.5% 48.8% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Mashhad

$245 32.9% 34.1% $62

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Mashhad

$111 14.9% 37.1% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Mashhad

$70 9.3% 51.2% $73

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Mashhad

$32 4.3% 57.3% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Mashhad

$54 7.3% 19.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town 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 $45.00 in Cape Town versus $29.00 in Mashhad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $115 – making Mashhad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇮🇶 Mashhad

🕒 Local time

19:36 7:36 PM

20:36 8:36 PM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

13,000

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

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 ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Mashhad 7,990 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
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

Cape Town vs Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 113% more than Mashhad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,379 per month in Cape Town 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 $1,586 in Cape Town and $745 in Mashhad. That's a gap of about 113%.

Public transport costs about 181% 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 Cape Town at $1,586. In Mashhad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mashhad costs $745 versus $1,586 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.