Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $842 in Mashhad versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,280 in Mashhad versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,718 in Mashhad versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Mashhad costs roughly 43% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mashhad is 37% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.22 IQD 6,839

$13.18 MX$228

-60.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.92 IQD 47.0K

$53.9 MX$932

-33.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 IQD 9,956

$9.42 MX$163

-19.32%

Cappuccino

$3.08 IQD 4,038

$3.55 MX$61.4

-13.24%

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

$0.36 IQD 474

$1.62 MX$27.98

-77.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 IQD 225

$1.11 MX$19.27

-84.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 IQD 4,554

$3.12 MX$54.0

11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 IQD 3,704

$4.63 MX$80.1

-38.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 IQD 1,777

$1.70 MX$29.43

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 IQD 1,035

$2.72 MX$47.02

-70.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 IQD 2,180

$1.91 MX$33.07

-12.57%

Eggs

$0.87 IQD 1,143

$2.54 MX$43.86

-65.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 IQD 5,750

$10.03 MX$174

-56.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.01 IQD 2,636

$8.09 MX$140

-75.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.94 IQD 3,848

$11.62 MX$201

-74.70%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,284

$2.97 MX$51.3

-67.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 IQD 1,519

$1.81 MX$31.24

-35.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 IQD 1,274

$2.01 MX$34.82

-51.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 882

$2.03 MX$35.20

-67.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 854

$2.12 MX$36.75

-69.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 830

$2.27 MX$39.25

-72.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 IQD 411

$1.40 MX$24.22

-77.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.23 IQD 296

$1.13 MX$19.55

-79.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.78 IQD 1,028

$4.27 MX$73.9

-81.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 IQD 17.9K

$15.56 MX$269

-11.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 IQD 2,355

$1.76 MX$30.39

2.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 IQD 2,834

$3.60 MX$62.2

-40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 IQD 477

$0.38 MX$6.62

-5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.16 IQD 40.8K

$19.18 MX$332

62.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 IQD 5,045

$1.38 MX$23.79

178.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 IQD 1,928

$0.28 MX$4.78

425.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 IQD 10.2K

$5.45 MX$94.2

42.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.53 IQD 699

$1.30 MX$22.55

-59.23%

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

$19.8K IQD 25.9M

$18.7K MX$323.2K

5.89%

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

$20.2K IQD 26.4M

$23.1K MX$400.1K

-12.82%

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

$176 IQD 230.6K

$40.86 MX$707

331.03%

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

$25.50 IQD 33.4K

$26.81 MX$464

-4.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.29 IQD 52.8K

$29.96 MX$518

34.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.45 IQD 47.7K

$52.0 MX$900

-29.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.58 IQD 21.7K

$26.84 MX$464

-38.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.71 IQD 10.1K

$6.30 MX$109

22.38%

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

$166 IQD 216.9K

$436 MX$7,544

-62.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,528 IQD 4.6M

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-66.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.65 IQD 37.5K

$56.7 MX$980

-49.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.05 IQD 39.3K

$44.38 MX$768

-32.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.2 IQD 84.0K

$103 MX$1,780

-37.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.33 IQD 56.7K

$106 MX$1,825

-58.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 IQD 315.7K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-76.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 IQD 236.0K

$631 MX$10.9K

-71.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 IQD 770.9K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-72.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 IQD 446.7K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-72.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

11.34

-50.00%

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

Last update for Mashhad: May 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $241 in Mashhad and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Mashhad vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $131 vs $288 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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mashhad and Mexico City differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($842 vs $1,467 including rent). Mashhad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,263 in Mashhad and $2,201 in Mexico City 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: $241 in Mashhad versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $166 in Mashhad versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 121% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $842 in Mashhad versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mashhad but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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 Mexico City 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 74% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.