Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kish and Mashhad, Iran

Name: Mashhad
Address: Mashhad, IR

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $478 a month against $556 in Kish, rent and utilities included – about $940 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

27

Cost of Living Index in Kish
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Kish Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index

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Kish

🇮🇷 Iran

$556

/mo nomad

Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$478

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $556 in Kish versus $478 in Mashhad.

Kish $556
Mashhad $478

Estimated couple costs with rent: $874 in Kish versus $766 in Mashhad.

Kish $874
Mashhad $766

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,193 in Kish versus $1,055 in Mashhad.

Kish $1,193
Mashhad $1,055

Living in Kish is roughly 16% more expensive than in Mashhad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kish 59% lower, Mashhad 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.57 $5.57

$2.94 $2.94

89.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.80 $15.80

$18.29 $18.29

-13.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.61 $4.61

$4.97 $4.97

-7.24%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.69 $0.69

$0.56 $0.56

23.21%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.95 $0.95

27.37%

Cappuccino

$1.03 $1.03

$1.10 $1.10

-6.36%

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

$0.50 $0.50

$0.43 $0.43

16.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.26 $0.26

276.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.64 $0.64

$0.61 $0.61

4.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 $0.47

$0.21 $0.21

123.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.94 $1.94

7.73%

Eggs

$1.22 $1.22

$1.12 $1.12

8.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$2.08 $2.08

100.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.73 $2.73

24.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.56 $11.56

$10.34 $10.34

11.80%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.55 $1.55

-3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 $0.75

$0.83 $0.83

-9.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 $0.64

$0.61 $0.61

4.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 $0.59

$0.52 $0.52

13.46%

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)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.91 $0.91

-20.88%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.77 $0.77

-37.66%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.90 $0.90

52.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.03 $3.03

-11.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 $0.16

$0.02 $0.02

700.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.47 $9.47

$3.58 $3.58

164.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 $0.40

$0.20 $0.20

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 $0.32

$0.52 $0.52

-38.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.99 $1.99

34.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

$0.81 $0.81

-88.89%

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

$51.9K $51.9K

$59.3K $59.3K

-12.45%

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

$39.6K $39.6K

$68.1K $68.1K

-41.80%

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

$11.21 $11.21

$13.66 $13.66

-17.94%

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

$1.79 $1.79

$2.63 $2.63

-31.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.63 $3.63

$26.95 $26.95

-86.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.75 $19.75

$19.25 $19.25

2.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.18 $13.18

$15.14 $15.14

-12.95%

Cinema Ticket

$2.01 $2.01

$2.05 $2.05

-1.95%

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

$121 $121

$41.46 $41.46

192.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,576 $2,576

$613 $613

320.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.56 $22.56

$20.34 $20.34

10.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.77 $28.77

$38.31 $38.31

-24.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 $92.4

$93.2 $93.2

-0.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.9 $74.9

$69.8 $69.8

7.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$289 $289

$209 $209

38.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 $212

$151 $151

40.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 $808

$392 $392

105.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 $349

$266 $266

31.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,302 $1,302

$1,153 $1,153

12.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$548 $548

$683 $683

-19.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$411 $411

$250 $250

64.29%

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 Kish: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mashhad: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kish

$212 38.2%

Mashhad

$151 31.6% 28.9% $61

Groceries & Markets

Kish

$116 20.9%

Mashhad

$100 20.9% 14% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Kish

$98 17.7%

Mashhad

$100 20.9% 1.4% $1.3

Eating Out

Kish

$77 13.8%

Mashhad

$54 11.4% 29% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Kish

$24 4.3%

Mashhad

$23 4.9% 1.7% $0.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kish

$17 3%

Mashhad

$43 9.1% 160% $27

Getting Around

Kish

$12 2.2%

Mashhad

$6.5 1.4% 46.6% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $289 in Kish and $209 in Mashhad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kish pays 64% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $16 in Kish vs $18 in Mashhad. Groceries flip the comparison at $116 vs $100, with Mashhad cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Kish

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🕒 Local time

08:12 8:12 AM

Same time as Kish

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,819

3,001,184

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kish Mashhad 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Kish
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

Kish vs Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $556 in Kish and $478 in Mashhad, so Mashhad is about 14% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 64% higher in Kish, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $289 in Kish versus $209 in Mashhad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Kish. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kish – a meal for two runs $16 versus $18 in Mashhad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Mashhad gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Mashhad wins on affordability, Kish on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.