Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad, Iran and Birjand

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $478 a month against $515 in Birjand, rent and utilities included – about $440 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Birjand outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

23

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
Learn more

Mashhad Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Birjand
Learn more

Birjand Living Index

Jump to prices

Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$478

/mo nomad

Birjand

🇮🇷 Iran

$515

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mashhad and in Birjand

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

A single person spends $478 per month in Mashhad vs $515 in Birjand, rent included.

Mashhad $478
Birjand $515

A couple spends around $766 per month in Mashhad vs $826 in Birjand, rent included.

Mashhad $766
Birjand $826

A family of three spends $1,055 per month in Mashhad vs $1,136 in Birjand, rent included.

Mashhad $1,055
Birjand $1,136

Mashhad is about 7% cheaper than Birjand, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mashhad and Birjand are more affordable than the global median – Mashhad 65% lower, Birjand 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 $2.94

$3.44 $3.44

-14.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.29 $18.29

$15.57 $15.57

17.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.90 $3.90

27.44%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.56 $0.56

$0.65 $0.65

-13.85%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.08 $1.08

-12.04%

Cappuccino

$1.10 $1.10

$1.05 $1.05

4.76%

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

$0.43 $0.43

$0.49 $0.49

-12.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 $0.26

$0.87 $0.87

-70.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.69 $0.69

-11.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.21 $0.21

$0.57 $0.57

-63.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.02 $2.02

-3.96%

Eggs

$1.12 $1.12

$1.22 $1.22

-8.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$3.81 $3.81

-45.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.79 $3.79

-27.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 $10.34

$10.78 $10.78

-4.08%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.03 $1.03

-8.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.57 $1.57

-1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.96 $0.96

-13.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.62 $0.62

-1.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.60 $0.60

-13.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 $0.44

$0.48 $0.48

-8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.56 $0.56

-7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.27 $0.27

7.41%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.85 $0.85

7.06%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 $0.77

$0.60 $0.60

28.33%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.52 $1.52

-40.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.87 $2.87

5.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.02 $0.02

$0.15 $0.15

-86.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.58 $3.58

$8.93 $8.93

-59.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.20 $0.20

$0.43 $0.43

-53.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.32 $0.32

62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.33 $2.33

-14.59%

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

$49.8K $49.8K

18.94%

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

$68.1K $68.1K

$45.7K $45.7K

48.96%

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

$13.66 $13.66

$11.48 $11.48

18.99%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$1.79 $1.79

46.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.95 $26.95

$3.79 $3.79

611.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.25 $19.25

$18.47 $18.47

4.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 $15.14

$14.40 $14.40

5.14%

Cinema Ticket

$2.05 $2.05

$2.11 $2.11

-2.84%

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

$41.46 $41.46

$124 $124

-66.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$613 $613

$2,067 $2,067

-70.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.34 $20.34

$22.51 $22.51

-9.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 $38.31

$25.40 $25.40

50.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$91.6 $91.6

1.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 $69.8

$67.7 $67.7

3.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 $209

$309 $309

-32.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 $151

$196 $196

-22.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 $392

$725 $725

-45.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 $266

$345 $345

-22.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,153 $1,153

$1,117 $1,117

3.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$683 $683

$487 $487

40.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$250 $250

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.5

24.3

-11.52%

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

Last update for Mashhad: October 27, 2026

Last update for Birjand: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mashhad

$151 31.6%

Birjand

$196 38% 29.8% $45

Groceries & Markets

Mashhad

$100 20.9%

Birjand

$118 22.9% 18.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Mashhad

$100 20.9%

Birjand

$93 18.1% 6.5% $6.5

Eating Out

Mashhad

$54 11.4%

Birjand

$57 11.1% 5.3% $2.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mashhad

$43 9.1%

Birjand

$17 3.3% 60.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Mashhad

$23 4.9%

Birjand

$23 4.4% 2.8% $0.7

Getting Around

Mashhad

$6.5 1.4%

Birjand

$12 2.2% 78.4% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $209 in Mashhad versus $309 in Birjand. 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 $18 in Mashhad versus $16 in Birjand. Groceries tell a different story – $100 in Mashhad vs $118 in Birjand – so Mashhad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🇮🇷 Birjand

🕒 Local time

06:39 6:39 AM

Same time as Mashhad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,001,184

203,636

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mashhad Birjand 380 km

From you

Mashhad
Birjand

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 Birjand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $478 in Mashhad, $515 in Birjand – Mashhad comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $717 per month in Mashhad and $773 in Birjand. 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 $209 there versus $309 in Birjand.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Birjand, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Mashhad and $16 in Birjand. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $478 in Mashhad and $515 in Birjand, 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.