Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $745 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $21,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index

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Mashhad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$745

/mo nomad

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mashhad and in Berlin

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

A single person spends $745 per month in Mashhad vs $2,551 in Berlin, rent included.

Mashhad $745
Berlin $2,551

A couple spends around $1,114 per month in Mashhad vs $3,845 in Berlin, rent included.

Mashhad $1,114
Berlin $3,845

A family of three spends $1,483 per month in Mashhad vs $5,139 in Berlin, rent included.

Mashhad $1,483
Berlin $5,139

Mashhad is about 71% cheaper than Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mashhad sits 45% below the global median, while Berlin is 89% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.17 IQD 6,301

$16.65 €14.81

-74.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.37 IQD 44.4K

$76.7 €68.2

-61.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.73 IQD 10.2K

$13.47 €11.98

-50.04%

Cappuccino

$2.67 IQD 4,034

$4.37 €3.89

-38.90%

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

$0.33 IQD 492

$3.48 €3.09

-90.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 333

$3.12 €2.77

-92.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 IQD 4,921

$5.34 €4.75

-38.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 IQD 5,091

$4.39 €3.91

-23.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 IQD 1,346

$1.27 €1.13

-29.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 IQD 1,035

$2.33 €2.08

-70.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 IQD 2,005

$3.40 €3.02

-60.88%

Eggs

$0.82 IQD 1,242

$4.50 €4.00

-81.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.36 IQD 5,071

$16.78 €14.93

-79.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.97 IQD 2,981

$11.91 €10.59

-83.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.09 IQD 4,668

$17.90 €15.92

-82.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,521

$3.46 €3.07

-70.81%

Banana (1kg)

$0.92 IQD 1,385

$1.95 €1.73

-52.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.91 IQD 1,373

$3.26 €2.90

-72.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,026

$3.71 €3.30

-81.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 845

$2.10 €1.87

-73.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 900

$2.09 €1.86

-71.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 IQD 432

$1.42 €1.27

-79.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 322

$0.95 €0.84

-77.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.83 IQD 1,254

$10.44 €9.29

-92.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.88 IQD 17.9K

$6.58 €5.85

80.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 IQD 2,989

$1.27 €1.13

55.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 IQD 2,965

$2.08 €1.85

-5.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 IQD 690

$4.34 €3.86

-89.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.64 IQD 32.7K

$71.6 €63.7

-69.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 IQD 3,031

$5.26 €4.68

-61.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 IQD 1,965

$3.09 €2.75

-57.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.39 IQD 9,659

$36.34 €32.32

-82.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.53 IQD 805

$2.31 €2.05

-77.06%

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

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

$32.4K €28.8K

-48.22%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

$38.6K €34.3K

-56.70%

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

$192 IQD 289.6K

$382 €340

-49.78%

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

$17.37 IQD 26.2K

$18.83 €16.75

-7.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.33 IQD 54.9K

$48.57 €43.20

-25.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.10 IQD 51.5K

$40.21 €35.76

-15.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 IQD 15.1K

$15.73 €14.00

-36.30%

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

$147 IQD 221.6K

$142 €126

3.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,968 IQD 4.5M

$15.8K €14.0K

-81.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.05 IQD 37.9K

$95.4 €84.8

-73.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.34 IQD 42.8K

$46.32 €41.20

-38.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.1 IQD 90.8K

$104 €92.4

-42.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.28 IQD 62.4K

$143 €128

-71.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$150 IQD 226.4K

$1,469 €1,306

-89.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 IQD 178.6K

$1,114 €991

-89.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 IQD 606.7K

$2,751 €2,447

-85.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 IQD 432.6K

$2,107 €1,875

-86.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$717 IQD 1.1M

$8,454 €7,520

-91.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$639 IQD 965.4K

$5,435 €4,834

-88.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 €3,151

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

3.8

8.42%

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

Last update for Mashhad: October 12, 2026

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mashhad

$245 32.9%

Berlin

$449 17.6% 83% $204

Accommodation & Living

Mashhad

$118 15.9%

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7% 843% $996

Groceries & Markets

Mashhad

$115 15.5%

Berlin

$343 13.4% 198% $228

Eating Out

Mashhad

$111 14.9%

Berlin

$288 11.3% 160% $177

Clothing & Footwear

Mashhad

$70 9.3%

Berlin

$175 6.9% 151% $105

Sport & Entertainment

Mashhad

$54 7.3%

Berlin

$72 2.8% 32.4% $18

Getting Around

Mashhad

$32 4.3%

Berlin

$110 4.3% 243% $78

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $150 in Mashhad versus $1,469 in Berlin. 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 $29.00 in Mashhad versus $77.0 in Berlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $115 vs $343 – making Mashhad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Mashhad

🇩🇪 Berlin

🕒 Local time

17:53 5:53 PM

16:53 4:53 PM

1 h behind Mashhad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,000

3,769,962 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mashhad Berlin 3,010 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mashhad
Berlin

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 Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 242%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,118 per month in Mashhad and $3,826 in Berlin. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $745 in Mashhad and $2,551 in Berlin. That's a gap of about 242%.

Public transport costs about 231% less in Mashhad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mashhad, where all-in costs run around $745, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Mashhad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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 have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mashhad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.