Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad, Iran and Karaj

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $478 a month against $823 in Karaj, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Karaj
Learn more

Karaj Living Index

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Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$478

/mo nomad

Karaj

🇮🇷 Iran

$823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mashhad and in Karaj

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $478 in Mashhad versus $823 in Karaj.

Mashhad $478
Karaj $823

Estimated couple costs with rent: $766 in Mashhad versus $1,058 in Karaj.

Mashhad $766
Karaj $1,058

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,055 in Mashhad versus $1,293 in Karaj.

Mashhad $1,055
Karaj $1,293

Living in Mashhad costs roughly 42% less than in Karaj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mashhad 65% lower, Karaj 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 $2.94

$3.54 $3.54

-16.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.29 $18.29

$16.19 $16.19

12.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.97 $3.97

25.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.56 $0.56

$0.48 $0.48

16.67%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.06 $1.06

-10.38%

Cappuccino

$1.10 $1.10

$1.06 $1.06

3.77%

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

$0.43 $0.43

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 $0.26

$1.65 $1.65

-84.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.70 $0.70

-12.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.21 $0.21

$0.52 $0.52

-59.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.07 $2.07

-6.28%

Eggs

$1.12 $1.12

$1.03 $1.03

8.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$4.48 $4.48

-53.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.33 $3.33

-18.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 $10.34

$10.43 $10.43

-0.86%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.89 $0.89

5.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.70 $1.70

-8.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.80 $0.80

3.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.49 $0.49

24.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.46 $0.46

13.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 $0.44

$0.47 $0.47

-6.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.54 $0.54

-3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.21 $0.21

38.10%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.83 $0.83

9.64%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 $0.77

$0.51 $0.51

50.98%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.34 $1.34

-32.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.48 $2.48

22.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.02 $0.02

$0.20 $0.20

-90.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.58 $3.58

$13.11 $13.11

-72.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.20 $0.20

$0.29 $0.29

-31.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.31 $0.31

67.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.64 $2.64

-24.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$0.08 $0.08

912.50%

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

$59.3K $59.3K

$49.5K $49.5K

19.87%

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

$68.1K $68.1K

$45.6K $45.6K

49.28%

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

$13.66 $13.66

$13.24 $13.24

3.17%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$1.54 $1.54

70.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.95 $26.95

$3.81 $3.81

607.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.25 $19.25

$23.04 $23.04

-16.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 $15.14

$10.08 $10.08

50.20%

Cinema Ticket

$2.05 $2.05

$1.06 $1.06

93.40%

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

$41.46 $41.46

$108 $108

-61.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$613 $613

$839 $839

-26.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.34 $20.34

$25.32 $25.32

-19.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 $38.31

$27.83 $27.83

37.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$97.8 $97.8

-4.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 $69.8

$73.3 $73.3

-4.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 $209

$298 $298

-29.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 $151

$488 $488

-69.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 $392

$798 $798

-50.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 $266

$476 $476

-44.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,153 $1,153

$1,274 $1,274

-9.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$683 $683

$527 $527

29.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$250 $250

$239 $239

4.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.5

-6.52%

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

Last update for Mashhad: October 27, 2026

Last update for Karaj: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mashhad

$151 31.6%

Karaj

$488 59.3% 224% $337

Groceries & Markets

Mashhad

$100 20.9%

Karaj

$113 13.8% 13.4% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Mashhad

$100 20.9%

Karaj

$101 12.3% 1.2% $1.2

Eating Out

Mashhad

$54 11.4%

Karaj

$61 7.5% 12.8% $6.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mashhad

$43 9.1%

Karaj

$19 2.3% 57% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Mashhad

$23 4.9%

Karaj

$25 3.1% 7.7% $1.8

Getting Around

Mashhad

$6.5 1.4%

Karaj

$16 1.9% 144% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $209 in Mashhad and $298 in Karaj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mashhad pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $18 in Mashhad vs $16 in Karaj. Groceries flip the comparison at $100 vs $113, with Mashhad cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🇮🇷 Karaj

🕒 Local time

18:19 6:19 PM

Same time as Mashhad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,001,184

1,712,000

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mashhad Karaj 780 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mashhad
Karaj

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 Karaj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $478 in Mashhad and $823 in Karaj, so Mashhad is about 42% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Mashhad, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $209 in Mashhad versus $298 in Karaj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Karaj. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Karaj – a meal for two runs $16 versus $18 in Mashhad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $478 in Mashhad versus $823 in Karaj, a $800 budget is realistic in Mashhad but tight or insufficient in Karaj. 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.

Safety-wise, Mashhad and Karaj are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.