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: $846 in Mashhad versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,280 in Mashhad versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,715 in Mashhad versus $4,599 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 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.27 IQD 6,898

$17.08 €14.72

-69.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.40 IQD 47.7K

$69.2 €59.7

-47.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.84 IQD 10.3K

$13.78 €11.87

-43.11%

Cappuccino

$2.95 IQD 3,858

$2.76 €2.37

6.88%

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

$0.37 IQD 483

$2.79 €2.40

-86.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.18 IQD 234

$1.99 €1.72

-90.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 IQD 4,577

$4.36 €3.76

-19.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 IQD 3,648

$4.74 €4.09

-41.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 IQD 1,741

$1.29 €1.11

3.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 IQD 1,111

$2.05 €1.77

-58.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 IQD 2,151

$1.99 €1.71

-17.59%

Eggs

$0.88 IQD 1,146

$3.39 €2.92

-74.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.55 IQD 5,952

$18.81 €16.21

-75.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.98 IQD 2,591

$9.36 €8.07

-78.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.91 IQD 3,815

$19.12 €16.48

-84.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,346

$2.70 €2.32

-61.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 IQD 1,588

$2.34 €2.02

-48.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 IQD 1,332

$2.12 €1.83

-51.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 IQD 944

$2.85 €2.46

-74.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 894

$1.97 €1.70

-65.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 836

$1.80 €1.55

-64.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 IQD 410

$1.45 €1.25

-78.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.18 IQD 234

$0.86 €0.74

-79.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.82 IQD 1,076

$6.78 €5.84

-87.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.74 IQD 18.0K

$7.90 €6.81

73.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 IQD 2,319

$1.39 €1.20

27.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 IQD 2,739

$2.37 €2.04

-11.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 IQD 478

$2.92 €2.52

-87.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.92 IQD 40.5K

$28.69 €24.72

7.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.74 IQD 4,891

$4.46 €3.84

-16.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 IQD 1,942

$2.05 €1.77

-27.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.71 IQD 10.1K

$29.55 €25.46

-73.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 752

$1.82 €1.56

-68.68%

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

$19.9K IQD 26.1M

$38.8K €33.5K

-48.74%

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

$19.8K IQD 25.9M

$33.1K €28.5K

-40.24%

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

$175 IQD 228.7K

$189 €163

-7.70%

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

$25.69 IQD 33.6K

$22.80 €19.65

12.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.27 IQD 54.0K

$37.59 €32.39

9.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.23 IQD 47.4K

$57.7 €49.75

-37.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.85 IQD 22.1K

$20.74 €17.87

-18.76%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 IQD 10.2K

$10.82 €9.33

-27.82%

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

$163 IQD 212.9K

$728 €628

-77.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,529 IQD 4.6M

$14.8K €12.7K

-76.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.31 IQD 37.1K

$88.6 €76.4

-68.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.46 IQD 39.9K

$36.85 €31.75

-17.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.1 IQD 85.2K

$102 €87.9

-36.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.88 IQD 57.5K

$116 €100

-62.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$243 IQD 318.3K

$1,569 €1,352

-84.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 IQD 233.8K

$1,218 €1,050

-85.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$579 IQD 758.4K

$2,795 €2,409

-79.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 IQD 457.4K

$1,975 €1,702

-82.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $243 in Mashhad and $1,569 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 $131 vs $319 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 176% in total monthly costs ($846 vs $2,337 including rent). Mashhad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,269 in Mashhad and $3,505 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: $243 in Mashhad versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $163 in Mashhad versus $728 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 $846 in Mashhad versus $2,337 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 176% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.