Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad, Iran and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $464 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

Jump to prices

Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$464

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mashhad and in Athens

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $464 in Mashhad versus $1,779 in Athens.

Mashhad $464
Athens $1,779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $759 in Mashhad versus $2,721 in Athens.

Mashhad $759
Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,054 in Mashhad versus $3,663 in Athens.

Mashhad $1,054
Athens $3,663

Living in Mashhad costs roughly 74% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mashhad is 66% below, Athens is 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 $3.07

$16.83 €14.99

-81.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.75 $18.75

$66.0 €58.8

-71.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.06 $5.06

$11.21 €9.98

-54.86%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.56 $0.56

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 $0.92

Cappuccino

$1.09 $1.09

$4.08 €3.64

-73.28%

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

$0.43 $0.43

$2.77 €2.47

-84.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 $0.26

$0.54 €0.48

-51.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.07

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.58

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 $0.61

$1.84 €1.64

-66.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.21 $0.21

$1.43 €1.27

-85.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.67 €2.38

-26.97%

Eggs

$1.15 $1.15

$4.95 €4.41

-76.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$15.09 €13.44

-85.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$10.99 €9.79

-75.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 $10.43

$19.77 €17.60

-47.24%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 $0.87

$2.12 €1.89

-58.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.98 €1.76

-21.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.33 €1.18

-39.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 $0.63

$2.16 €1.92

-70.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$1.06 €0.94

-53.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 $0.48

$1.15 €1.02

-58.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 $0.52

$1.08 €0.96

-51.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 $0.27

$0.85 €0.75

-68.24%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.86 $0.86

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 $0.79

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.08 $3.08

$5.46 €4.86

-43.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 €8.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.12

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.02 $0.02

$1.35 €1.20

-98.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.66 $3.66

$30.52 €27.18

-88.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.18 $0.18

$3.81 €3.39

-95.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 $0.49

$1.03 €0.92

-52.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$16.49 €14.68

-87.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$2.34 €2.09

-66.67%

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

$59.8K $59.8K

$27.8K €24.7K

115.32%

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

$67.7K $67.7K

$26.6K €23.7K

154.36%

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

$14.81 $14.81

$202 €180

-92.68%

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

$2.14 $2.14

$26.81 €23.87

-92.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.20 $20.20

$30.49 €27.14

-33.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.54 $19.54

$54.1 €48.14

-63.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.96 $14.96

$27.40 €24.40

-45.40%

Cinema Ticket

$1.97 $1.97

$10.44 €9.30

-81.13%

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

$41.44 $41.44

$568 €505

-92.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$625 $625

$15.2K €13.5K

-95.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.06 $20.06

$90.7 €80.7

-77.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.31 $39.31

$39.32 €35.01

-0.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 $95.3

$105 €93.7

-9.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.1 $70.1

$129 €115

-45.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$199 $199

$742 €661

-73.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 $141

$648 €577

-78.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 $402

$1,271 €1,132

-68.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 $263

$1,122 €999

-76.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,124 $1,124

$3,999 €3,561

-71.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$687 $687

$3,281 €2,921

-79.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 $249

$1,245 €1,109

-79.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

440.54%

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

Last update for Mashhad: November 2, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mashhad

$141 30.3%

Athens

$648 36.4% 361% $508

Clothing & Footwear

Mashhad

$101 21.8%

Athens

$164 9.2% 62% $63

Groceries & Markets

Mashhad

$100 21.5%

Athens

$316 17.8% 217% $216

Eating Out

Mashhad

$56 12%

Athens

$272 15.3% 388% $216

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mashhad

$37 8%

Athens

$260 14.6% 599% $222

Sport & Entertainment

Mashhad

$23 5.1%

Athens

$75 4.2% 219% $51

Getting Around

Mashhad

$6.4 1.4%

Athens

$45 2.5% 606% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $199 in Mashhad and $742 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays about 5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Mashhad vs $66 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $100 vs $316 per month, with Mashhad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

04:04 4:04 AM

1 h 30 min behind Mashhad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,001,184

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

USD USD

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mashhad Athens 3,170 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mashhad
Athens

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 Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mashhad wins on cost – living expenses run 74% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mashhad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 80% 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: $199 in Mashhad versus $742 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mashhad – a meal for two runs $19 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $464 per month in Mashhad versus $1,779 in Athens – Mashhad is about 74% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $464 in Mashhad versus $1,779 in Athens, a $800 budget is realistic in Mashhad but tight or insufficient in Athens. 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.

Expats usually find Mashhad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.