Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad, Iraq and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $756 a month against $968 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index

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Mashhad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$756

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$968

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mashhad and in Bansko

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 Bansko actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $756 per month in Mashhad vs $968 in Bansko, rent included.

Mashhad $756
Bansko $968

A couple spends around $1,119 per month in Mashhad vs $1,479 in Bansko, rent included.

Mashhad $1,119
Bansko $1,479

A family of three spends $1,481 per month in Mashhad vs $1,989 in Bansko, rent included.

Mashhad $1,481
Bansko $1,989

Mashhad is about 22% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mashhad and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Mashhad 44% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.49 IQD 6,781

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-49.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.73 IQD 40.4K

$45.43 BGN 79.1

-41.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.73 IQD 10.2K

$8.92 BGN 15.52

-24.55%

Cappuccino

$2.71 IQD 4,100

$2.33 BGN 4.06

16.31%

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

$0.36 IQD 542

$1.49 BGN 2.60

-75.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.83 BGN 1.44

-75.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 IQD 5,090

$1.75 BGN 3.05

92.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 IQD 5,126

$2.01 BGN 3.49

68.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 IQD 1,368

$1.72 BGN 3.00

-47.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 IQD 1,106

$0.86 BGN 1.49

-15.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 IQD 1,997

$1.46 BGN 2.55

-9.59%

Eggs

$0.82 IQD 1,242

$2.33 BGN 4.06

-64.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.41 IQD 5,157

$9.54 BGN 16.60

-64.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.98 IQD 2,985

$6.30 BGN 10.96

-68.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.95 IQD 4,463

$8.64 BGN 15.04

-65.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,556

$1.32 BGN 2.29

-21.97%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 IQD 1,377

$1.65 BGN 2.86

-44.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 IQD 1,321

$1.74 BGN 3.02

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 971

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-67.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 898

$0.95 BGN 1.66

-37.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 840

$0.72 BGN 1.26

-22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 IQD 474

$0.55 BGN 0.96

-43.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 321

$0.59 BGN 1.03

-64.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.77 IQD 1,168

$3.33 BGN 5.79

-76.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.82 IQD 17.9K

$5.08 BGN 8.84

132.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 IQD 2,898

$1.12 BGN 1.95

71.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 IQD 2,832

$1.73 BGN 3.01

8.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 520

$0.89 BGN 1.55

-61.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.08 BGN 47.11

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 IQD 2,965

$1.64 BGN 2.85

19.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 IQD 1,972

$0.91 BGN 1.59

43.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.42 IQD 9,699

$10.00 BGN 17.39

-35.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 810

$1.50 BGN 2.61

-64.00%

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

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

$28.6K BGN 49.7K

-41.20%

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

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

$21.2K BGN 36.9K

-22.18%

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

$191 IQD 288.5K

$92.5 BGN 161

106.41%

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

$19.44 IQD 29.4K

$14.59 BGN 25.39

33.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.59 IQD 58.3K

$12.13 BGN 21.11

218.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.79 IQD 55.6K

$31.84 BGN 55.4

15.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.46 BGN 14.72

Cinema Ticket

$9.69 IQD 14.6K

$5.51 BGN 9.59

75.86%

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

$143 IQD 215.6K

$227 BGN 395

-37.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,191 IQD 4.8M

$2,311 BGN 4,021

38.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.57 IQD 38.6K

$30.56 BGN 53.2

-16.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.03 IQD 51.4K

$18.95 BGN 32.97

79.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.7 IQD 88.8K

$45.80 BGN 79.7

28.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.44 IQD 64.1K

$48.28 BGN 84.0

-12.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$212 IQD 319.9K

$510 BGN 887

-58.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 IQD 210.6K

$364 BGN 634

-61.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$378 IQD 571.7K

$624 BGN 1,085

-39.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 IQD 482.6K

$566 BGN 985

-43.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$862 IQD 1.3M

$1,166 BGN 2,028

-26.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$491 IQD 742.5K

$969 BGN 1,686

-49.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,680 BGN 2,923

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

2.99

37.79%

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

Last update for Mashhad: October 31, 2026

Last update for Bansko: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mashhad

$249 32.9%

Bansko

$119 12.3% 52.1% $130

Accommodation & Living

Mashhad

$139 18.4%

Bansko

$364 37.6% 161% $225

Groceries & Markets

Mashhad

$115 15.2%

Bansko

$193 19.9% 68% $78

Eating Out

Mashhad

$115 15.1%

Bansko

$147 15.2% 28.8% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Mashhad

$72 9.6%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 10.7% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Mashhad

$56 7.4%

Bansko

$43 4.4% 23.7% $13

Getting Around

Mashhad

$9.9 * 1.3%

Bansko

$37 3.8% 273% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $212 in Mashhad versus $510 in Bansko. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Mashhad versus $45 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $115 vs $193 – making Mashhad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Mashhad

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

05:35 5:35 AM

04:35 4:35 AM

1 h behind Mashhad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,000

8,000

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,696 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mashhad Bansko 1,800 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mashhad
Bansko

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 Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $756 in Mashhad, $968 in Bansko – Mashhad comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,134 per month in Mashhad and $1,452 in Bansko. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $212 there versus $510 in Bansko.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $756 in Mashhad and $968 in Bansko. That makes Mashhad about 22% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $143 per month in Mashhad and $227 in Bansko. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $756 in Mashhad and $968 in Bansko, 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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.