Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kerman and Mashhad

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $478 a month against $508 in Kerman, rent and utilities included – about $360 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Kerman
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Kerman Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index

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Kerman

🇮🇷 Iran

$508

/mo nomad

Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$478

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $508 per month in Kerman vs $478 in Mashhad, rent included.

Kerman $508
Mashhad $478

A couple spends around $874 per month in Kerman vs $769 in Mashhad, rent included.

Kerman $874
Mashhad $769

A family of three spends $1,239 per month in Kerman vs $1,060 in Mashhad, rent included.

Kerman $1,239
Mashhad $1,060

Kerman costs about 6% more than Mashhad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Kerman and Mashhad are more affordable than the global median – Kerman 62% lower, Mashhad 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.10 $4.10

$2.94 $2.94

39.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.83 $17.83

$18.79 $18.79

-5.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 $3.92

$4.97 $4.97

-21.13%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.71 $0.71

$0.57 $0.57

24.56%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 $1.06

$0.91 $0.91

16.48%

Cappuccino

$1.13 $1.13

$1.08 $1.08

4.63%

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

$0.70 $0.70

$0.43 $0.43

62.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.26 $0.26

273.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.56 $0.56

$0.65 $0.65

-13.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.21 $0.21

147.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.93 $1.93

40.41%

Eggs

$1.15 $1.15

$1.16 $1.16

-0.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.10 $2.10

108.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.75 $2.75

-27.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.11 $10.11

$10.32 $10.32

-2.03%

Apples (1kg)

$0.63 $0.63

$0.89 $0.89

-29.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.55 $1.55

30.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.85 $0.85

-2.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 $0.57

$0.58 $0.58

-1.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 $0.39

$0.49 $0.49

-20.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 $0.39

$0.44 $0.44

-11.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 $0.56

$0.52 $0.52

7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.20 $0.20

$0.29 $0.29

-31.03%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.84 $0.84

$0.93 $0.93

-9.68%

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)

$1.33 $1.33

$0.93 $0.93

43.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.05 $3.05

-52.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 $0.13

$0.02 $0.02

550.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.47 $9.47

$3.68 $3.68

157.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 $0.41

$0.18 $0.18

127.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 $0.32

$0.48 $0.48

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.02 $2.02

19.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.08 $0.08

$0.83 $0.83

-90.36%

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

$46.2K $46.2K

$60.8K $60.8K

-23.96%

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

$41.7K $41.7K

$66.2K $66.2K

-36.92%

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

$11.11 $11.11

$13.84 $13.84

-19.73%

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

$1.60 $1.60

$2.64 $2.64

-39.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.67 $3.67

$27.25 $27.25

-86.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.79 $12.79

$19.18 $19.18

-33.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.77 $13.77

$15.12 $15.12

-8.93%

Cinema Ticket

$1.95 $1.95

$2.05 $2.05

-4.88%

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

$107 $107

$41.26 $41.26

159.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,436 $2,436

$628 $628

288.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.35 $22.35

$20.15 $20.15

10.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.2 $65.2

$38.41 $38.41

69.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$94.7 $94.7

35.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.0 $57.0

$68.8 $68.8

-17.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 $338

$215 $215

57.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 $168

$151 $151

11.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$835 $835

$401 $401

108.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 $395

$269 $269

46.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$914 $914

$1,140 $1,140

-19.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$507 $507

$685 $685

-25.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$201 $201

$250 $250

-19.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.3

21.5

13.02%

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

Last update for Kerman: 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

Kerman

$168 33.1%

Mashhad

$151 31.6% 10.1% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Kerman

$123 24.1%

Mashhad

$100 20.9% 18.5% $23

Groceries & Markets

Kerman

$108 21.2%

Mashhad

$100 20.9% 7.4% $8

Eating Out

Kerman

$65 12.8%

Mashhad

$54 11.3% 16.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Kerman

$17 3.3%

Mashhad

$23 4.9% 39.5% $6.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kerman

$16 3.2%

Mashhad

$44 9.1% 167% $27

Getting Around

Kerman

$12 2.4%

Mashhad

$6.3 1.3% 47.2% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $338 in Kerman 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 24% higher in Mashhad, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Kerman versus $19.00 in Mashhad. Groceries tell a different story – $108 in Kerman vs $100 in Mashhad – so Mashhad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Kerman

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🕒 Local time

01:30 1:30 AM

Same time as Kerman

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

537,718

3,001,184

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kerman Mashhad 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kerman
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

Kerman vs Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $508 in Kerman, $478 in Mashhad – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $762 per month in Kerman 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 Mashhad, 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 $18.00 in Kerman 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 $508 in Kerman and $478 in Mashhad. That's a gap of about 6%.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $508 in Kerman and $478 in Mashhad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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