Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad and Isfahan

For one person, living costs are similar in Mashhad and in Isfahan: $478 and $470 a month, rent and utilities included.

23

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Isfahan
Learn more

Isfahan Living Index

Jump to prices

Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$478

/mo nomad

Isfahan

🇮🇷 Iran

$470

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mashhad and in Isfahan

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

A single person spends $478 per month in Mashhad vs $470 in Isfahan, rent included.

Mashhad $478
Isfahan $470

A couple spends around $769 per month in Mashhad vs $802 in Isfahan, rent included.

Mashhad $769
Isfahan $802

A family of three spends $1,060 per month in Mashhad vs $1,134 in Isfahan, rent included.

Mashhad $1,060
Isfahan $1,134

Mashhad costs about 2% more than Isfahan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 $2.94

$3.07 $3.07

-4.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.79 $18.79

$12.72 $12.72

47.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.01 $3.01

65.12%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.57 $0.57

$0.76 $0.76

-25.00%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.04 $2.04

-55.39%

Cappuccino

$1.08 $1.08

$1.01 $1.01

6.93%

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

$0.48 $0.48

-45.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.65 $0.65

$0.48 $0.48

35.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.21 $0.21

$0.46 $0.46

-54.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.97 $1.97

-2.03%

Eggs

$1.16 $1.16

$1.51 $1.51

-23.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.76 $2.76

-23.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.42 $2.42

13.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.32 $10.32

$10.57 $10.57

-2.37%

Apples (1kg)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.76 $0.76

17.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.28 $1.28

21.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.05 $1.05

-19.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 $0.58

$0.61 $0.61

-4.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$0.61 $0.61

-19.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 $0.44

$0.49 $0.49

-10.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.59 $0.59

-11.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.21 $0.21

38.10%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.52 $0.52

78.85%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 $0.78

$0.51 $0.51

52.94%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.83 $0.83

12.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.07 $2.07

47.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.02 $0.02

$0.29 $0.29

-93.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.68 $3.68

$12.52 $12.52

-70.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.18 $0.18

$0.51 $0.51

-64.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.31 $0.31

54.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.04 $2.04

-0.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.92 $0.92

-9.78%

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

$60.8K $60.8K

$67.9K $67.9K

-10.47%

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

$66.2K $66.2K

$58.5K $58.5K

13.14%

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

$13.84 $13.84

$10.26 $10.26

34.89%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.99 $1.99

32.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.25 $27.25

$7.48 $7.48

264.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.18 $19.18

$13.64 $13.64

40.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.12 $15.12

$13.19 $13.19

14.63%

Cinema Ticket

$2.05 $2.05

$1.02 $1.02

100.98%

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

$41.26 $41.26

$72.2 $72.2

-42.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$628 $628

$533 $533

17.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.15 $20.15

$18.62 $18.62

8.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.41 $38.41

$23.77 $23.77

61.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 $94.7

$86.2 $86.2

9.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.8 $68.8

$37.85 $37.85

81.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$215 $215

$289 $289

-25.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 $151

$192 $192

-21.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 $401

$1,311 $1,311

-69.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 $269

$454 $454

-40.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,140 $1,140

$1,176 $1,176

-2.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$685 $685

$736 $736

-6.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$250 $250

$203 $203

22.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.5

26.8

-19.78%

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

Last update for Mashhad: October 12, 2026

Last update for Isfahan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mashhad

$151 31.6%

Isfahan

$192 41% 27.4% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Mashhad

$100 20.9%

Isfahan

$75 15.9% 25.1% $25

Groceries & Markets

Mashhad

$100 20.9%

Isfahan

$102 21.7% 1.9% $1.9

Eating Out

Mashhad

$54 11.3%

Isfahan

$50 10.6% 8.5% $4.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mashhad

$44 9.1%

Isfahan

$20 4.2% 54.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Mashhad

$23 4.9%

Isfahan

$16 3.3% 32.6% $7.6

Getting Around

Mashhad

$6.3 1.3%

Isfahan

$16 3.4% 149% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $215 in Mashhad versus $289 in Isfahan. 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 23% 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 $19.00 in Mashhad versus $13.00 in Isfahan. Groceries tell a different story – $100 in Mashhad vs $102 in Isfahan – so Mashhad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🇮🇷 Isfahan

🕒 Local time

06:55 6:55 AM

Same time as Mashhad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,001,184

1,961,260

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mashhad Isfahan 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mashhad
Isfahan

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 Isfahan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mashhad costs about 2% more than Isfahan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $718 per month in Mashhad and $705 in Isfahan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Isfahan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Mashhad and $13.00 in Isfahan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $478 in Mashhad and $470 in Isfahan. That's a gap of about 2%.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $478 in Mashhad and $470 in Isfahan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Isfahan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Isfahan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mashhad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.