Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $839 in Mashhad versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,267 in Mashhad versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,695 in Mashhad versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Mashhad costs roughly 32% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mashhad 37% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.42 IQD 7,105

$4.63 ฿151

17.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.49 IQD 47.8K

$46.84 ฿1,523

-22.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.47 IQD 9,780

$8.84 ฿287

-15.50%

Cappuccino

$3.00 IQD 3,929

$3.00 ฿97.4

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

$0.36 IQD 473

$0.74 ฿24.11

-51.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 277

$0.37 ฿11.88

-43.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.52 IQD 4,609

$2.44 ฿79.3

44.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 IQD 3,829

$3.61 ฿117

-19.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 IQD 1,803

$2.26 ฿73.5

-38.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 IQD 1,027

$1.84 ฿59.8

-57.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 IQD 2,149

$2.24 ฿73.0

-26.79%

Eggs

$0.88 IQD 1,155

$2.32 ฿75.3

-62.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 IQD 5,875

$19.67 ฿639

-77.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.05 IQD 2,689

$3.65 ฿119

-43.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.09 IQD 4,041

$13.10 ฿426

-76.41%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,280

$3.39 ฿110

-71.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 IQD 1,584

$1.64 ฿53.4

-26.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,328

$2.41 ฿78.5

-58.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 IQD 936

$2.03 ฿66.0

-65.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 851

$1.56 ฿50.6

-58.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 877

$1.50 ฿48.66

-55.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 IQD 376

$1.02 ฿33.30

-71.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.19 IQD 246

$0.49 ฿15.91

-61.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.78 IQD 1,027

$4.45 ฿145

-82.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 IQD 17.6K

$18.88 ฿614

-28.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 IQD 2,438

$1.78 ฿57.7

4.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 IQD 2,754

$2.75 ฿89.5

-23.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 IQD 519

$1.40 ฿45.54

-71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.56 IQD 41.3K

$11.48 ฿373

174.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 IQD 4,892

$3.12 ฿101

19.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 IQD 1,931

$1.00 ฿32.48

47.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.50 IQD 9,827

$14.09 ฿458

-46.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 IQD 739

$1.35 ฿43.93

-58.52%

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

$19.8K IQD 25.9M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-27.20%

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

$20.1K IQD 26.4M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-38.88%

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

$177 IQD 232.0K

$125 ฿4,063

41.69%

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

$26.01 IQD 34.1K

$13.57 ฿441

91.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.80 IQD 53.4K

$18.52 ฿602

120.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.02 IQD 47.2K

$61.5 ฿1,999

-41.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 IQD 22.2K

$16.84 ฿547

0.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 IQD 9,832

$9.19 ฿299

-18.28%

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

$166 IQD 217.8K

$698 ฿22.7K

-76.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,534 IQD 4.6M

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-77.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.46 IQD 37.3K

$57.8 ฿1,878

-50.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.31 IQD 39.7K

$35.24 ฿1,146

-13.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.9 IQD 85.0K

$113 ฿3,677

-42.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.00 IQD 56.3K

$86.4 ฿2,808

-50.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$239 IQD 313.3K

$616 ฿20.0K

-61.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 IQD 236.9K

$446 ฿14.5K

-59.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$581 IQD 761.6K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-71.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 IQD 444.6K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-77.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

5.33

6.38%

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

Last update for Mashhad: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $239 in Mashhad and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Mashhad vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $132 vs $292 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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mashhad and Phuket differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($839 vs $1,232 including rent). Mashhad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,259 in Mashhad and $1,847 in Phuket 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: $239 in Mashhad versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $166 in Mashhad versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 122% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $839 in Mashhad versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mashhad but tight or insufficient in Phuket. 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 Phuket 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 47% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.