Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad, Iraq and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $756 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Mashhad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$756

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mashhad and in Chiang Mai

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

A single person spends $756 per month in Mashhad vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mashhad $756
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,119 per month in Mashhad vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mashhad $1,119
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,481 per month in Mashhad vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mashhad $1,481
Chiang Mai $1,999

Mashhad is about 19% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mashhad and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Mashhad 44% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.49 IQD 6,781

$2.13 ฿72.0

110.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.73 IQD 40.4K

$18.62 ฿628

43.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.73 IQD 10.2K

$5.60 ฿189

20.18%

Cappuccino

$2.71 IQD 4,100

$1.66 ฿56.1

63.25%

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

$0.36 IQD 542

$0.65 ฿21.83

-44.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.30 ฿10.29

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 IQD 5,090

$2.32 ฿78.4

45.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 IQD 5,126

$3.67 ฿124

-7.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 IQD 1,368

$2.02 ฿68.0

-54.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 IQD 1,106

$1.41 ฿47.51

-48.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 IQD 1,997

$1.39 ฿46.96

-5.04%

Eggs

$0.82 IQD 1,242

$2.37 ฿79.9

-65.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.41 IQD 5,157

$16.52 ฿557

-79.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.98 IQD 2,985

$2.67 ฿90.1

-25.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.95 IQD 4,463

$9.02 ฿304

-67.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,556

$2.40 ฿80.9

-57.08%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 IQD 1,377

$1.04 ฿35.13

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 IQD 1,321

$1.66 ฿56.0

-47.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 971

$1.56 ฿52.6

-58.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 898

$1.24 ฿41.76

-52.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 840

$1.09 ฿36.66

-48.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 IQD 474

$0.76 ฿25.70

-59.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 321

$0.51 ฿17.35

-58.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.77 IQD 1,168

$4.12 ฿139

-81.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.82 IQD 17.9K

$17.93 ฿605

-34.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 IQD 2,898

$1.62 ฿54.8

18.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 IQD 2,832

$2.82 ฿95.2

-33.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 520

$0.93 ฿31.53

-63.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,785

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 IQD 2,965

$1.18 ฿39.70

66.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 IQD 1,972

$0.17 ฿5.79

670.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.42 IQD 9,699

$1.81 ฿61.1

254.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 810

$1.47 ฿49.69

-63.27%

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

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

$21.0K ฿708.9K

-20.08%

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

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

$26.5K ฿894.6K

-37.68%

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

$191 IQD 288.5K

$62.6 ฿2,111

205.23%

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

$19.44 IQD 29.4K

$11.60 ฿392

67.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.59 IQD 58.3K

$20.30 ฿685

90.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.79 IQD 55.6K

$37.88 ฿1,278

-2.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

Cinema Ticket

$9.69 IQD 14.6K

$6.51 ฿220

48.85%

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

$143 IQD 215.6K

$727 ฿24.5K

-80.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,191 IQD 4.8M

$16.6K ฿559.2K

-80.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.57 IQD 38.6K

$53.5 ฿1,807

-52.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.03 IQD 51.4K

$24.80 ฿837

37.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.7 IQD 88.8K

$90.4 ฿3,050

-35.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.44 IQD 64.1K

$72.0 ฿2,428

-41.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$212 IQD 319.9K

$481 ฿16.2K

-56.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 IQD 210.6K

$310 ฿10.5K

-55.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$378 IQD 571.7K

$1,058 ฿35.7K

-64.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 IQD 482.6K

$659 ฿22.2K

-51.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$862 IQD 1.3M

$2,418 ฿81.6K

-64.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$491 IQD 742.5K

$1,609 ฿54.3K

-69.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

5.57

-26.03%

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

Last update for Mashhad: October 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mashhad

$249 32.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 62.1% $155

Accommodation & Living

Mashhad

$139 18.4%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 122% $171

Groceries & Markets

Mashhad

$115 15.2%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 106% $122

Eating Out

Mashhad

$115 15.1%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 33.1% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Mashhad

$72 9.6%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 49.7% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Mashhad

$56 7.4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 9.4% $5.3

Getting Around

Mashhad

$9.9 * 1.3%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 494% $49

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 $481 in Chiang Mai. 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 $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $115 in Mashhad vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Mashhad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Mashhad

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:20 5:20 PM

21:20 9:20 PM

4 h ahead of Mashhad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,692 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mashhad Chiang Mai 5,860 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Mashhad
Chiang Mai

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 Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 24% more than Mashhad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,134 per month in Mashhad and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. 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 $481 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Mashhad and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 106% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $756 in Mashhad and $935 in Chiang Mai, 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.