Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad, Iran and Bushehr

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $478 a month against $518 in Bushehr, rent and utilities included – about $480 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bushehr outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

23

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Bushehr
Learn more

Bushehr Living Index

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Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$478

/mo nomad

Bushehr

🇮🇷 Iran

$518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mashhad and in Bushehr

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $478 in Mashhad versus $518 in Bushehr.

Mashhad $478
Bushehr $518

Estimated couple costs with rent: $766 in Mashhad versus $805 in Bushehr.

Mashhad $766
Bushehr $805

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,055 in Mashhad versus $1,091 in Bushehr.

Mashhad $1,055
Bushehr $1,091

Living in Mashhad costs roughly 8% less than in Bushehr, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mashhad 65% lower, Bushehr 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 $2.94

$4.53 $4.53

-35.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.29 $18.29

$12.80 $12.80

42.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.10 $4.10

21.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.56 $0.56

$1.02 $1.02

-45.10%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.73 $1.73

-45.09%

Cappuccino

$1.10 $1.10

$1.22 $1.22

-9.84%

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

$0.43 $0.43

$0.62 $0.62

-30.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 $0.26

$1.03 $1.03

-74.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.51 $0.51

19.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.21 $0.21

$0.29 $0.29

-27.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.81 $1.81

7.18%

Eggs

$1.12 $1.12

$0.99 $0.99

13.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.46 $1.46

42.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.94 $2.94

-7.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 $10.34

$9.89 $9.89

4.55%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.57 $0.57

64.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.46 $1.46

6.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.94 $0.94

-11.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.52 $0.52

17.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.48 $0.48

8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 $0.44

$0.29 $0.29

51.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.51 $0.51

1.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.20 $0.20

45.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.58 $0.58

56.90%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 $0.77

$0.31 $0.31

148.39%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.53 $1.53

-41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.08 $3.08

-1.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.02 $0.02

$0.13 $0.13

-84.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.58 $3.58

$9.67 $9.67

-62.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.20 $0.20

$0.38 $0.38

-47.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.31 $0.31

67.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 $1.99

$3.53 $3.53

-43.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$0.09 $0.09

800.00%

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

$59.3K $59.3K

$60.0K $60.0K

-1.19%

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

$68.1K $68.1K

$48.4K $48.4K

40.71%

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

$13.66 $13.66

$20.18 $20.18

-32.31%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$1.59 $1.59

65.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.95 $26.95

$3.97 $3.97

578.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.25 $19.25

$19.16 $19.16

0.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 $15.14

$13.66 $13.66

10.83%

Cinema Ticket

$2.05 $2.05

$1.94 $1.94

5.67%

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

$41.46 $41.46

$50.9 $50.9

-18.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$613 $613

$608 $608

0.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.34 $20.34

$22.67 $22.67

-10.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 $38.31

$18.74 $18.74

104.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$96.2 $96.2

-3.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 $69.8

$55.5 $55.5

25.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 $209

$295 $295

-29.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 $151

$208 $208

-27.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 $392

$327 $327

19.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 $266

$353 $353

-24.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,153 $1,153

$1,143 $1,143

0.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$683 $683

$531 $531

28.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$250 $250

$282 $282

-11.33%

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 Bushehr: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mashhad

$151 31.6%

Bushehr

$208 40.2% 38% $57

Groceries & Markets

Mashhad

$100 20.9%

Bushehr

$92 17.8% 7.5% $7.4

Clothing & Footwear

Mashhad

$100 20.9%

Bushehr

$87 16.8% 12.9% $13

Eating Out

Mashhad

$54 11.4%

Bushehr

$70 13.5% 28.4% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mashhad

$43 9.1%

Bushehr

$26 5% 40.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Mashhad

$23 4.9%

Bushehr

$23 4.5% 1.4% $0.3

Getting Around

Mashhad

$6.5 1.4%

Bushehr

$12 2.3% 87.5% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $209 in Mashhad and $295 in Bushehr. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bushehr pays 13% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $18 in Mashhad vs $13 in Bushehr for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $100 vs $92 per month, with Bushehr cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🇮🇷 Bushehr

🕒 Local time

14:10 2:10 PM

Same time as Mashhad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,001,184

223,504

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mashhad Bushehr 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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Mashhad
Bushehr

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 Bushehr: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mashhad wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Bushehr. 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 11% 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 $295 in Bushehr. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mashhad runs roughly 63% less than in Bushehr. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $41 in Mashhad versus $51 in Bushehr. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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.

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 Bushehr are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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