Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $839 in Mashhad versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,267 in Mashhad versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,695 in Mashhad versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in Mashhad costs roughly 64% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mashhad is 37% below, Barcelona is 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.42 IQD 7,106

$17.61 €15.08

-69.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.49 IQD 47.8K

$68.7 €58.8

-46.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.47 IQD 9,782

$13.75 €11.77

-45.67%

Cappuccino

$3.00 IQD 3,930

$2.76 €2.36

8.70%

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

$0.36 IQD 473

$2.78 €2.38

-87.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 277

$2.05 €1.75

-89.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.52 IQD 4,610

$4.61 €3.94

-23.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 IQD 3,830

$4.59 €3.93

-36.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 IQD 1,803

$1.28 €1.10

7.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 IQD 1,027

$2.11 €1.81

-63.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 IQD 2,149

$1.97 €1.69

-16.75%

Eggs

$0.88 IQD 1,155

$3.44 €2.95

-74.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 IQD 5,876

$18.83 €16.12

-76.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.05 IQD 2,689

$9.45 €8.09

-78.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.09 IQD 4,042

$19.01 €16.27

-83.75%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,280

$2.72 €2.33

-63.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 IQD 1,585

$2.37 €2.03

-48.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,329

$2.08 €1.78

-51.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 IQD 936

$2.76 €2.36

-74.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 852

$1.97 €1.69

-67.01%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 878

$1.79 €1.53

-62.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 IQD 376

$1.51 €1.29

-80.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.19 IQD 246

$0.90 €0.77

-78.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.78 IQD 1,028

$6.76 €5.79

-88.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 IQD 17.7K

$7.55 €6.46

78.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 IQD 2,438

$1.44 €1.23

29.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 IQD 2,755

$2.41 €2.06

-12.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 IQD 519

$3.03 €2.59

-86.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.56 IQD 41.3K

$28.39 €24.30

11.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 IQD 4,893

$4.43 €3.79

-15.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 IQD 1,931

$2.05 €1.76

-28.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.50 IQD 9,829

$29.33 €25.11

-74.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 IQD 740

$1.89 €1.62

-70.37%

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

$19.8K IQD 25.9M

$38.7K €33.2K

-48.92%

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

$20.1K IQD 26.4M

$32.4K €27.7K

-37.82%

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

$177 IQD 232.0K

$189 €161

-6.10%

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

$26.01 IQD 34.1K

$22.21 €19.01

17.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.80 IQD 53.5K

$36.82 €31.52

10.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.02 IQD 47.2K

$58.0 €49.64

-37.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 IQD 22.2K

$20.99 €17.97

-19.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 IQD 9,834

$11.05 €9.46

-32.04%

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

$166 IQD 217.9K

$726 €622

-77.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,534 IQD 4.6M

$15.2K €13.0K

-76.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.46 IQD 37.3K

$88.3 €75.6

-67.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.31 IQD 39.7K

$36.98 €31.66

-18.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.9 IQD 85.1K

$103 €87.8

-36.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.00 IQD 56.3K

$119 €102

-63.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$239 IQD 313.3K

$1,526 €1,307

-84.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 IQD 236.9K

$1,218 €1,043

-85.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$581 IQD 761.8K

$2,794 €2,392

-79.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 IQD 444.7K

$2,027 €1,735

-83.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

3.39

67.26%

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

Last update for Mashhad: April 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $239 in Mashhad and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Mashhad vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $132 vs $320 per month, with Mashhad cheaper across the board.

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 Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mashhad and Barcelona differ by about 179% in total monthly costs ($839 vs $2,341 including rent). Mashhad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,259 in Mashhad and $3,512 in Barcelona 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: $239 in Mashhad versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $166 in Mashhad versus $726 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 143% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $839 in Mashhad versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mashhad but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Mashhad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Mashhad and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mashhad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 179% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.