Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad, Iraq and Erbil

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $756 a month against $960 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index

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Mashhad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$756

/mo nomad

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$960

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mashhad and in Erbil

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

A single person spends $756 per month in Mashhad vs $960 in Erbil, rent included.

Mashhad $756
Erbil $960

A couple spends around $1,119 per month in Mashhad vs $1,439 in Erbil, rent included.

Mashhad $1,119
Erbil $1,439

A family of three spends $1,481 per month in Mashhad vs $1,918 in Erbil, rent included.

Mashhad $1,481
Erbil $1,918

Mashhad is about 21% cheaper than Erbil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mashhad and Erbil are more affordable than the global median – Mashhad 44% lower, Erbil 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.49 IQD 6,781

$6.65 IQD 10.1K

-32.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.73 IQD 40.4K

$37.28 IQD 56.3K

-28.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.73 IQD 10.2K

$7.27 IQD 11.0K

-7.43%

Cappuccino

$2.71 IQD 4,100

$3.25 IQD 4,914

-16.62%

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

$0.36 IQD 542

$0.89 IQD 1,350

-59.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.36 IQD 545

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 IQD 5,090

$5.76 IQD 8,706

-41.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 IQD 5,126

$4.52 IQD 6,834

-25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 IQD 1,368

$1.05 IQD 1,587

-13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 IQD 1,106

$0.64 IQD 970

14.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 IQD 1,997

$1.44 IQD 2,180

-8.33%

Eggs

$0.82 IQD 1,242

$1.52 IQD 2,298

-46.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.41 IQD 5,157

$7.04 IQD 10.6K

-51.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.98 IQD 2,985

$4.41 IQD 6,661

-55.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.95 IQD 4,463

$12.64 IQD 19.1K

-76.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,556

$0.99 IQD 1,501

4.04%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 IQD 1,377

$0.99 IQD 1,493

-8.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 IQD 1,321

$1.07 IQD 1,612

-18.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 971

$0.69 IQD 1,050

-7.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 898

$0.64 IQD 972

-7.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 840

$0.57 IQD 865

-1.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 IQD 474

$0.66 IQD 998

-53.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 321

$0.51 IQD 770

-58.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.77 IQD 1,168

$2.12 IQD 3,209

-63.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.82 IQD 17.9K

$10.56 IQD 16.0K

11.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 IQD 2,898

$1.46 IQD 2,209

31.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 IQD 2,832

$1.82 IQD 2,750

2.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 520

$0.50 IQD 759

-32.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.67 IQD 59.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 IQD 2,965

$1.67 IQD 2,520

17.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 IQD 1,972

$1.54 IQD 2,325

-14.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.42 IQD 9,699

$5.48 IQD 8,286

17.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 810

$0.58 IQD 884

-6.90%

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

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

0.34%

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

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

$17.0K IQD 25.7M

-2.95%

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

$191 IQD 288.5K

$116 IQD 174.8K

65.10%

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

$19.44 IQD 29.4K

$11.96 IQD 18.1K

62.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.59 IQD 58.3K

$24.50 IQD 37.0K

57.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.79 IQD 55.6K

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

-35.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.43 IQD 20.3K

Cinema Ticket

$9.69 IQD 14.6K

$9.99 IQD 15.1K

-3.00%

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

$143 IQD 215.6K

$297 IQD 448.2K

-51.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,191 IQD 4.8M

$4,080 IQD 6.2M

-21.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.57 IQD 38.6K

$26.29 IQD 39.7K

-2.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.03 IQD 51.4K

$38.72 IQD 58.5K

-12.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.7 IQD 88.8K

$60.8 IQD 91.8K

-3.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.44 IQD 64.1K

$58.8 IQD 88.9K

-27.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$212 IQD 319.9K

$441 IQD 666.1K

-51.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 IQD 210.6K

$268 IQD 404.7K

-47.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$378 IQD 571.7K

$696 IQD 1.1M

-45.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 IQD 482.6K

$414 IQD 626.0K

-22.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$862 IQD 1.3M

$1,047 IQD 1.6M

-17.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$491 IQD 742.5K

$600 IQD 906.7K

-18.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$514 IQD 776.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

2.53

62.85%

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

Last update for Mashhad: October 31, 2026

Last update for Erbil: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mashhad

$249 32.9%

Erbil

$152 15.8% 38.9% $97

Accommodation & Living

Mashhad

$139 18.4%

Erbil

$268 27.9% 92.2% $128

Groceries & Markets

Mashhad

$115 15.2%

Erbil

$172 18% 50% $57

Eating Out

Mashhad

$115 15.1%

Erbil

$157 16.3% 37.1% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Mashhad

$72 9.6%

Erbil

$83 8.7% 14.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Mashhad

$56 7.4%

Erbil

$77 8% 37% $21

Getting Around

Mashhad

$9.9 * 1.3%

Erbil

$51 5.3% 417% $41

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 $441 in Erbil. 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 $37 in Erbil. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $115 vs $172 – making Mashhad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Mashhad

🇮🇶 Erbil

🕒 Local time

23:37 11:37 PM

Same time as Mashhad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,000

1,713,461

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.92 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Mashhad Erbil 270 km

From you

Mashhad
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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 Erbil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Erbil is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,134 per month in Mashhad and $1,441 in Erbil. 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 $441 in Erbil.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $756 in Mashhad and $960 in Erbil. That makes Mashhad about 21% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $143 per month in Mashhad and $297 in Erbil. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $756 in Mashhad and $960 in Erbil, 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.