Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad, Iran and Arak

For one person, living costs are similar in Mashhad and in Arak: $478 and $480 a month, rent and utilities included.

23

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
Learn more

Mashhad Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Arak
Learn more

Arak Living Index

Jump to prices

Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$478

/mo nomad

Arak

🇮🇷 Iran

$480

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mashhad and in Arak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $478 in Mashhad versus $480 in Arak.

Mashhad $478
Arak $480

Estimated couple costs with rent: $766 in Mashhad versus $755 in Arak.

Mashhad $766
Arak $755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,055 in Mashhad versus $1,030 in Arak.

Mashhad $1,055
Arak $1,030

Monthly costs are close between Mashhad and Arak; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mashhad 65% lower, Arak 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 $2.94

$3.55 $3.55

-17.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.29 $18.29

$12.88 $12.88

42.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.09 $4.09

21.52%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.56 $0.56

$0.73 $0.73

-23.29%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.57 $0.57

66.67%

Cappuccino

$1.10 $1.10

$1.33 $1.33

-17.29%

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

$0.43 $0.43

$0.51 $0.51

-15.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 $0.26

$1.66 $1.66

-84.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.54 $0.54

12.96%

White Bread (500g)

$0.21 $0.21

$0.58 $0.58

-63.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.96 $1.96

-1.02%

Eggs

$1.12 $1.12

$1.28 $1.28

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.14 $2.14

-2.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.53 $2.53

7.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 $10.34

$10.31 $10.31

0.29%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.77 $0.77

22.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$0.94 $0.94

64.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.63 $0.63

31.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.48 $0.48

27.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.42 $0.42

23.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 $0.44

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.48 $0.48

8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.28 $0.28

3.57%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.76 $0.76

19.74%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 $0.77

$0.55 $0.55

40.00%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 $0.90

$2.17 $2.17

-58.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.52 $2.52

20.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.02 $0.02

$0.10 $0.10

-80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.58 $3.58

$9.70 $9.70

-63.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.20 $0.20

$0.25 $0.25

-20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.12 $0.12

333.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.02 $1.02

95.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$0.10 $0.10

710.00%

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

$59.3K $59.3K

$50.3K $50.3K

17.73%

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

$68.1K $68.1K

$35.0K $35.0K

94.84%

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

$13.66 $13.66

$10.03 $10.03

36.19%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$1.43 $1.43

83.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.95 $26.95

$4.01 $4.01

572.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.25 $19.25

$9.93 $9.93

93.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 $15.14

$24.64 $24.64

-38.56%

Cinema Ticket

$2.05 $2.05

$1.11 $1.11

84.68%

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

$41.46 $41.46

$83.3 $83.3

-50.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$613 $613

$2,372 $2,372

-74.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.34 $20.34

$13.59 $13.59

49.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 $38.31

$8.51 $8.51

350.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$81.9 $81.9

13.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 $69.8

$52.1 $52.1

34.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 $209

$294 $294

-28.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 $151

$210 $210

-28.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 $392

$781 $781

-49.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 $266

$357 $357

-25.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,153 $1,153

$1,369 $1,369

-15.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$683 $683

$647 $647

5.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$250 $250

$375 $375

-33.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.5

18.5

16.22%

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

Last update for Mashhad: October 27, 2026

Last update for Arak: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mashhad

$151 31.6%

Arak

$210 43.7% 39% $59

Groceries & Markets

Mashhad

$100 20.9%

Arak

$96 20% 3.8% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

Mashhad

$100 20.9%

Arak

$70 14.6% 29.6% $30

Eating Out

Mashhad

$54 11.4%

Arak

$65 13.6% 20.1% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mashhad

$43 9.1%

Arak

$15 3.2% 64.2% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Mashhad

$23 4.9%

Arak

$12 2.5% 48% $11

Getting Around

Mashhad

$6.5 1.4%

Arak

$11 2.3% 69.1% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $209 in Mashhad and $294 in Arak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arak pays 50% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $18 in Mashhad vs $13 in Arak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $100 vs $96 per month, with Arak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🇮🇷 Arak

🕒 Local time

07:55 7:55 AM

Same time as Mashhad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,001,184

526,200

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mashhad Arak 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mashhad
Arak

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mashhad vs Arak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Mashhad. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $209 in Mashhad versus $294 in Arak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $41 in Mashhad versus $83 in Arak. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Arak – a meal for two runs $13 versus $18 in Mashhad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Mashhad gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Mashhad is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Arak, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mashhad and Arak are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Mashhad wins on affordability, Arak on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.