Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad, Iraq and Baghdad

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $756 a month against $1,032 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index

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Mashhad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$756

/mo nomad

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,032

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mashhad and in Baghdad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mashhad and in Baghdad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $756 in Mashhad versus $1,032 in Baghdad.

Mashhad $756
Baghdad $1,032

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,119 in Mashhad versus $1,490 in Baghdad.

Mashhad $1,119
Baghdad $1,490

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,481 in Mashhad versus $1,949 in Baghdad.

Mashhad $1,481
Baghdad $1,949

Living in Mashhad costs roughly 27% less than in Baghdad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mashhad 44% lower, Baghdad 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.49 IQD 6,781

$4.34 IQD 6,556

3.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.73 IQD 40.4K

$26.47 IQD 40.0K

0.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.73 IQD 10.2K

$6.40 IQD 9,677

5.16%

Cappuccino

$2.71 IQD 4,100

$2.67 IQD 4,034

1.50%

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

$0.36 IQD 542

$0.39 IQD 587

-7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.22 IQD 333

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 IQD 5,090

$3.21 IQD 4,857

4.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 IQD 5,126

$3.27 IQD 4,937

3.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 IQD 1,368

$0.91 IQD 1,378

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 IQD 1,106

$0.67 IQD 1,006

8.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 IQD 1,997

$1.37 IQD 2,077

-3.65%

Eggs

$0.82 IQD 1,242

$1.69 IQD 2,557

-51.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.41 IQD 5,157

$3.37 IQD 5,091

1.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.98 IQD 2,985

$3.90 IQD 5,900

-49.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.95 IQD 4,463

$12.44 IQD 18.8K

-76.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,556

$1.03 IQD 1,557

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 IQD 1,377

$0.90 IQD 1,356

1.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 IQD 1,321

$0.94 IQD 1,418

-7.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 971

$0.64 IQD 963

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 898

$0.60 IQD 904

-1.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 840

$0.57 IQD 861

-1.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 IQD 474

$0.58 IQD 883

-46.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 321

$0.62 IQD 935

-66.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.77 IQD 1,168

$1.54 IQD 2,331

-50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.82 IQD 17.9K

$11.95 IQD 18.1K

-1.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 IQD 2,898

$1.90 IQD 2,874

1.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 IQD 2,832

$1.87 IQD 2,833

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 520

$0.34 IQD 518

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.50 IQD 29.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 IQD 2,965

$2.02 IQD 3,059

-2.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 IQD 1,972

$1.31 IQD 1,976

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.42 IQD 9,699

$6.76 IQD 10.2K

-5.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 810

$0.58 IQD 870

-6.90%

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

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

$16.4K IQD 24.7M

2.53%

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

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

$16.4K IQD 24.7M

0.97%

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

$191 IQD 288.5K

$191 IQD 288.4K

0.06%

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

$19.44 IQD 29.4K

$20.02 IQD 30.3K

-2.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.59 IQD 58.3K

$38.64 IQD 58.4K

-0.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.79 IQD 55.6K

$39.72 IQD 60.0K

-7.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.37 IQD 27.8K

Cinema Ticket

$9.69 IQD 14.6K

$9.98 IQD 15.1K

-2.91%

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

$143 IQD 215.6K

$145 IQD 218.4K

-1.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,191 IQD 4.8M

$5,369 IQD 8.1M

-40.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.57 IQD 38.6K

$24.76 IQD 37.4K

3.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.03 IQD 51.4K

$33.12 IQD 50.0K

2.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.7 IQD 88.8K

$59.3 IQD 89.6K

-0.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.44 IQD 64.1K

$42.11 IQD 63.6K

0.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$212 IQD 319.9K

$530 IQD 800.5K

-60.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 IQD 210.6K

$348 IQD 526.3K

-59.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$378 IQD 571.7K

$992 IQD 1.5M

-61.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 IQD 482.6K

$611 IQD 923.3K

-47.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$862 IQD 1.3M

$4,348 IQD 6.6M

-80.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$491 IQD 742.5K

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

-64.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$517 IQD 780.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

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

Last update for Mashhad: October 31, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mashhad

$249 32.9%

Baghdad

$250 24.2% 0.2% $0.5

Accommodation & Living

Mashhad

$139 18.4%

Baghdad

$348 33.8% 150% $209

Groceries & Markets

Mashhad

$115 15.2%

Baghdad

$162 15.7% 41.3% $47

Eating Out

Mashhad

$115 15.1%

Baghdad

$111 10.8% 3.1% $3.5

Clothing & Footwear

Mashhad

$72 9.6%

Baghdad

$72 7% 0.9% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Mashhad

$56 7.4%

Baghdad

$60 5.8% 6.3% $3.5

Getting Around

Mashhad

$9.9 * 1.3%

Baghdad

$29 2.9% 198% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $212 in Mashhad and $530 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27 in Mashhad vs $26 in Baghdad. Groceries flip the comparison at $115 vs $162, with Mashhad cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Mashhad

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🕒 Local time

08:05 8:05 AM

Same time as Mashhad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,000

7,216,040 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.92 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Mashhad Baghdad 270 km

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Mashhad
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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

Mashhad vs Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mashhad wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Baghdad. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mashhad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,134 in Mashhad and $1,548 in Baghdad 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: $212 in Mashhad versus $530 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Baghdad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $756 per month in Mashhad versus $1,032 in Baghdad – Mashhad is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Mashhad gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.