Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $851 per month in Mashhad vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,277 per month in Mashhad vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,702 per month in Mashhad vs $1,867 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mashhad and Chiang Mai have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Mashhad and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Mashhad 36% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.25 IQD 6,877

$2.04 ฿68.3

157.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.62 IQD 48.0K

$18.71 ฿625

95.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.71 IQD 10.1K

$7.86 ฿262

-1.91%

Cappuccino

$3.05 IQD 3,998

$2.03 ฿67.8

50.25%

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

$0.37 IQD 482

$0.80 ฿26.67

-53.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 286

$0.35 ฿11.69

-37.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 IQD 4,410

$2.14 ฿71.6

57.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 IQD 3,853

$3.67 ฿123

-19.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 IQD 1,715

$1.73 ฿57.7

-24.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 IQD 1,094

$1.57 ฿52.5

-46.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 IQD 2,058

$1.20 ฿40.04

30.83%

Eggs

$0.80 IQD 1,045

$1.97 ฿65.9

-59.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.59 IQD 6,007

$16.23 ฿542

-71.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.02 IQD 2,646

$3.06 ฿102

-33.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.01 IQD 3,943

$10.80 ฿361

-72.13%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,291

$2.77 ฿92.5

-64.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 IQD 1,531

$1.17 ฿38.99

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 IQD 1,275

$1.71 ฿57.0

-43.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 894

$1.59 ฿53.2

-57.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 908

$1.39 ฿46.56

-50.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 831

$1.16 ฿38.61

-45.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 IQD 374

$0.66 ฿22.08

-56.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 262

$0.52 ฿17.33

-61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.82 IQD 1,078

$4.65 ฿155

-82.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.49 IQD 17.7K

$17.78 ฿594

-24.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 IQD 2,335

$1.79 ฿59.7

-0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 IQD 2,716

$3.34 ฿112

-38.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 IQD 473

$0.91 ฿30.30

-60.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.31 IQD 41.0K

$18.64 ฿623

67.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 IQD 4,988

$1.41 ฿47.10

170.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 IQD 1,960

$1.34 ฿44.76

11.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.55 IQD 9,884

$8.11 ฿271

-6.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 742

$1.23 ฿41.21

-53.66%

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

$20.4K IQD 26.7M

$21.4K ฿715.9K

-4.87%

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

$19.9K IQD 26.1M

$21.8K ฿728.9K

-8.59%

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

$177 IQD 231.6K

$71.3 ฿2,382

147.93%

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

$26.28 IQD 34.4K

$14.01 ฿468

87.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.96 IQD 53.6K

$17.93 ฿599

128.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.46 IQD 47.7K

$40.82 ฿1,363

-10.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.72 IQD 21.9K

$6.88 ฿230

143.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 IQD 9,735

$5.72 ฿191

29.90%

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

$165 IQD 215.8K

$308 ฿10.3K

-46.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,559 IQD 4.7M

$14.7K ฿490.3K

-75.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.68 IQD 37.6K

$55.8 ฿1,863

-48.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.31 IQD 39.7K

$26.04 ฿870

16.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.7 IQD 84.7K

$84.8 ฿2,833

-23.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.57 IQD 57.1K

$71.0 ฿2,371

-38.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$242 IQD 316.9K

$423 ฿14.1K

-42.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 IQD 238.0K

$242 ฿8,098

-25.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$573 IQD 750.4K

$797 ฿26.6K

-28.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 IQD 457.0K

$507 ฿16.9K

-31.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

13.40%

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

Last update for Mashhad: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $242 in Mashhad versus $423 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 $37.00 in Mashhad versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $130 in Mashhad vs $244 in Chiang Mai – so Mashhad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,277 per month in Mashhad and $1,279 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Mashhad and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 68% less in Mashhad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $851 in Mashhad and $852 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mashhad costs $851 versus $852 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.