Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Mashhad

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $745 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $25,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Mashhad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$745

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $745 in Mashhad.

Dubai $2,896
Mashhad $745

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,114 in Mashhad.

Dubai $4,384
Mashhad $1,114

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,483 in Mashhad.

Dubai $5,872
Mashhad $1,483

Living in Dubai is roughly 288% more expensive than in Mashhad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Mashhad is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$4.17 IQD 6,301

203.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$29.37 IQD 44.4K

178.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$6.73 IQD 10.2K

38.78%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$2.67 IQD 4,034

120.60%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$0.33 IQD 492

412.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.22 IQD 333

254.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$3.26 IQD 4,921

319.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$3.37 IQD 5,091

300.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$0.89 IQD 1,346

106.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$0.68 IQD 1,035

120.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$1.33 IQD 2,005

93.23%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$0.82 IQD 1,242

304.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$3.36 IQD 5,071

275.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$1.97 IQD 2,981

390.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$3.09 IQD 4,668

313.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$1.01 IQD 1,521

157.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$0.92 IQD 1,385

106.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$0.91 IQD 1,373

109.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$0.68 IQD 1,026

101.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$0.56 IQD 845

101.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$0.60 IQD 900

68.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$0.29 IQD 432

396.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.21 IQD 322

219.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$0.83 IQD 1,254

608.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$11.88 IQD 17.9K

35.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$1.98 IQD 2,989

37.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$1.96 IQD 2,965

57.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$0.46 IQD 690

247.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$21.64 IQD 32.7K

250.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$2.01 IQD 3,031

61.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$1.30 IQD 1,965

-45.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$6.39 IQD 9,659

24.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$0.53 IQD 805

84.91%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

63.07%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

31.76%

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

$249 AED 913

$192 IQD 289.6K

29.64%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$17.37 IQD 26.2K

213.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$36.33 IQD 54.9K

151.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$34.10 IQD 51.5K

203.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$10.02 IQD 15.1K

62.57%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$147 IQD 221.6K

475.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$2,968 IQD 4.5M

515.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$25.05 IQD 37.9K

167.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$28.34 IQD 42.8K

104.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$60.1 IQD 90.8K

69.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$41.28 IQD 62.4K

139.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$150 IQD 226.4K

1497.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$118 IQD 178.6K

1196.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$402 IQD 606.7K

1044.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$286 IQD 432.6K

926.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$717 IQD 1.1M

882.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$639 IQD 965.4K

560.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

4.12

10.19%

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

Last update for Dubai: 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

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Mashhad

$118 15.9% 92.3% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Mashhad

$245 32.9% 37.8% $149

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Mashhad

$111 14.9% 63.7% $194

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Mashhad

$115 15.5% 60.5% $176

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Mashhad

$70 9.3% 52.5% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Mashhad

$54 7.3% 60.2% $82

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Mashhad

$32 4.3% 64.1% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $150 in Mashhad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82.0 in Dubai vs $29.00 in Mashhad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $115 per month, with Mashhad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇮🇶 Mashhad

🕒 Local time

01:44 1:44 AM

00:44 12:44 AM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

13,000

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 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 AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Mashhad 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
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

Dubai vs Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mashhad is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 288% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,344 in Dubai and $1,118 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: $2,393 in Dubai versus $150 in Mashhad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mashhad runs roughly 251% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $844 in Dubai versus $147 in Mashhad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $745 in Mashhad versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mashhad but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Mashhad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mashhad is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dubai 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 288% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.