For one person, living is cheaper in Hamadan: $380 a month against $478 in Mashhad, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Hamadan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $478 per month in Mashhad vs $380 in Hamadan, rent included.
Mashhad $478
Hamadan $380
A couple spends around $766 per month in Mashhad vs $635 in Hamadan, rent included.
Mashhad $766
Hamadan $635
A family of three spends $1,055 per month in Mashhad vs $890 in Hamadan, rent included.
Mashhad $1,055
Hamadan $890
😐
Mashhad costs about 26% more than Hamadan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.
📊
Both Mashhad and Hamadan are more affordable than the global median – Mashhad65% lower, Hamadan72% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Mashhad
Hamadan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.94$2.94
$3.77$3.77
-22.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.29$18.29
$17.86$17.86
2.41%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$4.97$4.97
$4.07$4.07
22.11%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$0.56$0.56
$0.68$0.68
-17.65%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.95$0.95
$1.39$1.39
-31.65%
Cappuccino
$1.10$1.10
$1.38$1.38
-20.29%
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
$0.99$0.99
-73.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mashhad
Hamadan
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.61$0.61
$0.57$0.57
7.02%
White Bread(500g)
$0.21$0.21
$0.24$0.24
-12.50%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.94$1.94
$2.82$2.82
-31.21%
Eggs
$1.12$1.12
$0.88$0.88
27.27%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$2.08$2.08
$2.95$2.95
-29.49%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$2.73$2.73
$1.99$1.99
37.19%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$10.34$10.34
$10.06$10.06
2.78%
Apples(1kg)
$0.94$0.94
$0.54$0.54
74.07%
Banana(1kg)
$1.55$1.55
$1.31$1.31
18.32%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.83$0.83
$0.76$0.76
9.21%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.61$0.61
$0.54$0.54
12.96%
Potato(1kg)
$0.52$0.52
$0.55$0.55
-5.45%
Onion(1kg)
$0.44$0.44
$0.50$0.50
-12.00%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.52$0.52
$0.53$0.53
-1.89%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.29$0.29
$0.22$0.22
31.82%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
$0.91$0.91
$0.78$0.78
16.67%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.77$0.77
$0.42$0.42
83.33%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90$0.90
$1.46$1.46
-38.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.03$3.03
$1.52$1.52
99.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Mashhad
Hamadan
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.02$0.02
$0.22$0.22
-90.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$3.58$3.58
$9.45$9.45
-62.12%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.20$0.20
$0.49$0.49
-59.18%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.52$0.52
$0.31$0.31
67.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.99$1.99
$1.49$1.49
33.56%
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
$49.3K$49.3K
20.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$68.1K$68.1K
$45.5K$45.5K
49.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mashhad
Hamadan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$13.66$13.66
$12.79$12.79
6.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$2.63$2.63
$1.64$1.64
60.37%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.95$26.95
$3.60$3.60
648.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mashhad
Hamadan
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$19.25$19.25
$17.58$17.58
9.50%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.14$15.14
$13.68$13.68
10.67%
Cinema Ticket
$2.05$2.05
$2.02$2.02
1.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mashhad
Hamadan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$41.46$41.46
$61.1$61.1
-32.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$613$613
$250$250
144.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mashhad
Hamadan
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$20.34$20.34
$12.27$12.27
65.77%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.31$38.31
$27.60$27.60
38.80%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$93.2$93.2
$115$115
-19.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$69.8$69.8
$42.11$42.11
65.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mashhad
Hamadan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$209$209
$125$125
66.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$151$151
$79.0$79.0
90.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$392$392
$234$234
67.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$266$266
$139$139
91.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,153$1,153
$999$999
15.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$683$683
$647$647
5.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mashhad
Hamadan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$250$250
$205$205
22.30%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
21.5
24.79
-13.27%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Mashhad: October 27, 2026
Last update for Hamadan: October 27, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Mashhad
$151 31.6%
Hamadan
$79 20.8% ↓ 47.6%$72
🛒Groceries & Markets
Mashhad
$100 20.9%
Hamadan
$96 25.1% ↓ 4.3%$4.3
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Mashhad
$100 20.9%
Hamadan
$89 23.3% ↓ 11.1%$11
🍽Eating Out
Mashhad
$54 11.4%
Hamadan
$65 17.1% ↑ 19.3%$10
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mashhad
$43 9.1%
Hamadan
$18 4.7% ↓ 58.3%$25
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Mashhad
$23 4.9%
Hamadan
$22 5.7% ↓ 7.4%$1.7
🚌Getting Around
Mashhad
$6.5 1.4%
Hamadan
$12 3.3% ↑ 91%$5.9
🏠Accommodation & Living
Mashhad
$266 25.2%
Hamadan
$139 15.6% ↓ 47.9%$127
🛒Groceries & Markets
Mashhad
$247 23.4%
Hamadan
$233 26.2% ↓ 5.6%$14
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Mashhad
$222 21%
Hamadan
$197 22.2% ↓ 11.1%$25
🍽Eating Out
Mashhad
$200 18.9%
Hamadan
$219 24.7% ↑ 9.9%$20
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mashhad
$46 4.4%
Hamadan
$20 2.2% ↓ 57.1%$26
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Mashhad
$62 5.9%
Hamadan
$57 6.4% ↓ 8%$4.9
🚌Getting Around
Mashhad
$13 1.2%
Hamadan
$25 2.8% ↑ 93.9%$12
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $209 in Mashhad versus $125 in Hamadan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.
💰Salaries run about 22% higher in Mashhad, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.
🛒A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Mashhad versus $18 in Hamadan. Groceries tell a different story – $100 in Mashhad vs $96 in Hamadan – so Hamadan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.
Mashhad→Hamadan1,020 km≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
Mashhad
Hamadan
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 Hamadan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Mashhad and in Hamadan compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $478 in Mashhad, $380 in Hamadan – Hamadan comes out roughly 20% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.
What salary covers living expenses in Mashhad compared to Hamadan?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $717 per month in Mashhad and $570 in Hamadan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Mashhad and Hamadan?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Hamadan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $125 there versus $209 in Mashhad.
Which city is more expensive overall: Mashhad or Hamadan?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $478 in Mashhad and $380 in Hamadan. That makes Hamadan about 20% cheaper.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Mashhad and Hamadan?
Kindergarten costs $41 per month in Mashhad and $61 in Hamadan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How far does $1,200 go in Mashhad compared to Hamadan?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $478 in Mashhad and $380 in Hamadan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Mashhad or Hamadan safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Mashhad and Hamadan?
If budget matters most, go with Hamadan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mashhad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.