Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Isfahan and Mashhad

For one person, living costs are similar in Isfahan and in Mashhad: $470 and $478 a month, rent and utilities included.

23

Cost of Living Index in Isfahan
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Isfahan Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
Learn more

Mashhad Living Index

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Isfahan

🇮🇷 Iran

$470

/mo nomad

Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$478

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $470 per month in Isfahan vs $478 in Mashhad, rent included.

Isfahan $470
Mashhad $478

A couple spends around $802 per month in Isfahan vs $769 in Mashhad, rent included.

Isfahan $802
Mashhad $769

A family of three spends $1,134 per month in Isfahan vs $1,060 in Mashhad, rent included.

Isfahan $1,134
Mashhad $1,060

Isfahan is about 2% cheaper than Mashhad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Isfahan and Mashhad are more affordable than the global median – Isfahan 65% lower, Mashhad 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 $3.07

$2.94 $2.94

4.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.72 $12.72

$18.79 $18.79

-32.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.01 $3.01

$4.97 $4.97

-39.44%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.76 $0.76

$0.57 $0.57

33.33%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.91 $0.91

124.18%

Cappuccino

$1.01 $1.01

$1.08 $1.08

-6.48%

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

$0.49 $0.49

$0.43 $0.43

13.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.26 $0.26

84.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.65 $0.65

-26.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 $0.46

$0.21 $0.21

119.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.93 $1.93

2.07%

Eggs

$1.51 $1.51

$1.16 $1.16

30.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.10 $2.10

31.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.75 $2.75

-12.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.57 $10.57

$10.32 $10.32

2.42%

Apples (1kg)

$0.76 $0.76

$0.89 $0.89

-14.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.55 $1.55

-17.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 $1.05

$0.85 $0.85

23.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.58 $0.58

5.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.49 $0.49

24.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$0.44 $0.44

11.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 $0.59

$0.52 $0.52

13.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 $0.21

$0.29 $0.29

-27.59%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.93 $0.93

-44.09%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.78 $0.78

-34.62%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.93 $0.93

-10.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.07 $2.07

$3.05 $3.05

-32.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.02 $0.02

1350.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.52 $12.52

$3.68 $3.68

240.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.18 $0.18

183.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.48 $0.48

-35.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.02 $2.02

0.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$0.83 $0.83

10.84%

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

$67.9K $67.9K

$60.8K $60.8K

11.70%

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

$58.5K $58.5K

$66.2K $66.2K

-11.61%

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

$10.26 $10.26

$13.84 $13.84

-25.87%

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

$1.99 $1.99

$2.64 $2.64

-24.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.48 $7.48

$27.25 $27.25

-72.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.64 $13.64

$19.18 $19.18

-28.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.19 $13.19

$15.12 $15.12

-12.76%

Cinema Ticket

$1.02 $1.02

$2.05 $2.05

-50.24%

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

$72.2 $72.2

$41.26 $41.26

74.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$533 $533

$628 $628

-15.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.62 $18.62

$20.15 $20.15

-7.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.77 $23.77

$38.41 $38.41

-38.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 $86.2

$94.7 $94.7

-8.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.85 $37.85

$68.8 $68.8

-45.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$289 $289

$215 $215

34.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 $192

$151 $151

27.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 $1,311

$401 $401

226.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 $454

$269 $269

68.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,176 $1,176

$1,140 $1,140

3.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$736 $736

$685 $685

7.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 $203

$250 $250

-18.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.8

21.5

24.65%

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

Last update for Isfahan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mashhad: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Isfahan

$192 41%

Mashhad

$151 31.6% 21.5% $41

Groceries & Markets

Isfahan

$102 21.7%

Mashhad

$100 20.9% 1.9% $1.9

Clothing & Footwear

Isfahan

$75 15.9%

Mashhad

$100 20.9% 33.5% $25

Eating Out

Isfahan

$50 10.6%

Mashhad

$54 11.3% 9.3% $4.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Isfahan

$20 4.2%

Mashhad

$44 9.1% 122% $24

Getting Around

Isfahan

$16 3.4%

Mashhad

$6.3 1.3% 59.8% $9.4

Sport & Entertainment

Isfahan

$16 3.3%

Mashhad

$23 4.9% 48.4% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $289 in Isfahan versus $215 in Mashhad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 23% higher in Mashhad, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Isfahan versus $19.00 in Mashhad. Groceries tell a different story – $102 in Isfahan vs $100 in Mashhad – so Mashhad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Isfahan

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🕒 Local time

07:49 7:49 AM

Same time as Isfahan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,961,260

3,001,184

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Isfahan Mashhad 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Isfahan
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

Isfahan vs Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mashhad costs about 2% more than Isfahan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $705 per month in Isfahan and $718 in Mashhad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Isfahan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Isfahan and $19.00 in Mashhad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $470 in Isfahan and $478 in Mashhad. That's a gap of about 2%.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $470 in Isfahan and $478 in Mashhad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Isfahan – 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 Isfahan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mashhad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.