Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad, Iran and Kelachay

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $464 a month against $536 in Kelachay, rent and utilities included – about $860 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Kelachay
Learn more

Kelachay Living Index

Jump to prices

Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$464

/mo nomad

Kelachay

🇮🇷 Iran

$536

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mashhad and in Kelachay

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

A single person spends $464 per month in Mashhad vs $536 in Kelachay, rent included.

Mashhad $464
Kelachay $536

A couple spends around $759 per month in Mashhad vs $847 in Kelachay, rent included.

Mashhad $759
Kelachay $847

A family of three spends $1,054 per month in Mashhad vs $1,157 in Kelachay, rent included.

Mashhad $1,054
Kelachay $1,157

Mashhad is about 13% cheaper than Kelachay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mashhad and Kelachay are more affordable than the global median – Mashhad 66% lower, Kelachay 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 $3.07

$3.03 $3.03

1.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.75 $18.75

$16.31 $16.31

14.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.06 $5.06

$4.06 $4.06

24.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.56 $0.56

$0.67 $0.67

-16.42%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.06 $1.06

-13.21%

Cappuccino

$1.09 $1.09

$1.08 $1.08

0.93%

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

$0.43 $0.43

$0.51 $0.51

-15.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 $0.26

$1.02 $1.02

-74.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.68 $0.68

-10.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.21 $0.21

$0.49 $0.49

-57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.03 $2.03

-3.94%

Eggs

$1.15 $1.15

$1.20 $1.20

-4.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$4.48 $4.48

-51.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.43 $3.43

-20.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 $10.43

$10.41 $10.41

0.19%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.07 $1.07

-18.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.55 $1.55

0.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.80 $0.80

$0.87 $0.87

-8.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 $0.63

$0.61 $0.61

3.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$0.57 $0.57

-14.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.47 $0.47

2.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.53 $0.53

-1.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 $0.27

$0.26 $0.26

3.85%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.83 $0.83

3.61%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 $0.79

$0.52 $0.52

51.92%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.33 $1.33

-27.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.44 $2.44

26.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.02 $0.02

$0.14 $0.14

-85.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.66 $3.66

$9.41 $9.41

-61.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.18 $0.18

$0.39 $0.39

-53.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 $0.49

$0.29 $0.29

68.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.66 $2.66

-24.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$0.09 $0.09

766.67%

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

$59.8K $59.8K

$51.0K $51.0K

17.30%

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

$67.7K $67.7K

$45.7K $45.7K

48.16%

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

$14.81 $14.81

$12.96 $12.96

14.27%

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

$2.14 $2.14

$1.60 $1.60

33.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.20 $20.20

$4.02 $4.02

402.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.54 $19.54

$18.90 $18.90

3.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.96 $14.96

$13.24 $13.24

12.99%

Cinema Ticket

$1.97 $1.97

$2.02 $2.02

-2.48%

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

$41.44 $41.44

$107 $107

-61.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$625 $625

$2,365 $2,365

-73.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.06 $20.06

$22.80 $22.80

-12.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.31 $39.31

$28.23 $28.23

39.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 $95.3

$98.0 $98.0

-2.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.1 $70.1

$71.2 $71.2

-1.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$199 $199

$286 $286

-30.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 $141

$212 $212

-33.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 $402

$811 $811

-50.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 $263

$358 $358

-26.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,124 $1,124

$1,139 $1,139

-1.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$687 $687

$536 $536

28.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 $249

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.3

-1.23%

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

Last update for Mashhad: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kelachay: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mashhad

$141 30.3%

Kelachay

$212 39.6% 51.1% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Mashhad

$101 21.8%

Kelachay

$99 18.5% 2% $2

Groceries & Markets

Mashhad

$100 21.5%

Kelachay

$116 21.6% 15.8% $16

Eating Out

Mashhad

$56 12%

Kelachay

$56 10.4% 0% $0

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mashhad

$37 8%

Kelachay

$19 3.5% 50% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Mashhad

$23 5.1%

Kelachay

$23 4.3% 2.3% $0.5

Getting Around

Mashhad

$6.4 1.4%

Kelachay

$12 2.2% 85.4% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $199 in Mashhad versus $286 in Kelachay. 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 $19 in Mashhad versus $16 in Kelachay. Groceries tell a different story – $100 in Mashhad vs $116 in Kelachay – so Mashhad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🇮🇷 Kelachay

🕒 Local time

09:15 9:15 AM

Same time as Mashhad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,001,184

12,379

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mashhad Kelachay 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mashhad
Kelachay

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 Kelachay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kelachay is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $696 per month in Mashhad and $804 in Kelachay. 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 $199 there versus $286 in Kelachay.

Public transport costs about 61% less in Mashhad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $41 per month in Mashhad and $107 in Kelachay. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $464 in Mashhad and $536 in Kelachay, 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.