Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad and Kerman

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $478 a month against $508 in Kerman, rent and utilities included – about $360 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Kerman
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Kerman Living Index

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Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$478

/mo nomad

Kerman

🇮🇷 Iran

$508

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mashhad and in Kerman

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

A single person spends $478 per month in Mashhad vs $508 in Kerman, rent included.

Mashhad $478
Kerman $508

A couple spends around $769 per month in Mashhad vs $874 in Kerman, rent included.

Mashhad $769
Kerman $874

A family of three spends $1,060 per month in Mashhad vs $1,239 in Kerman, rent included.

Mashhad $1,060
Kerman $1,239

Mashhad is about 6% cheaper than Kerman, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Mashhad and Kerman are more affordable than the global median – Mashhad 65% lower, Kerman 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 $2.94

$4.10 $4.10

-28.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.79 $18.79

$17.83 $17.83

5.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.92 $3.92

26.79%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.57 $0.57

$0.71 $0.71

-19.72%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.06 $1.06

-14.15%

Cappuccino

$1.08 $1.08

$1.13 $1.13

-4.42%

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

$0.43 $0.43

$0.70 $0.70

-38.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 $0.26

$0.97 $0.97

-73.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.65 $0.65

$0.56 $0.56

16.07%

White Bread (500g)

$0.21 $0.21

$0.52 $0.52

-59.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.71 $2.71

-28.78%

Eggs

$1.16 $1.16

$1.15 $1.15

0.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$4.38 $4.38

-52.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.99 $1.99

38.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.32 $10.32

$10.11 $10.11

2.08%

Apples (1kg)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.63 $0.63

41.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$2.02 $2.02

-23.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.85 $0.85

$0.83 $0.83

2.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 $0.58

$0.57 $0.57

1.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$0.39 $0.39

25.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 $0.44

$0.39 $0.39

12.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.56 $0.56

-7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.20 $0.20

45.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.84 $0.84

10.71%

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

$1.33 $1.33

-30.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.46 $1.46

108.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.02 $0.02

$0.13 $0.13

-84.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.68 $3.68

$9.47 $9.47

-61.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.18 $0.18

$0.41 $0.41

-56.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.32 $0.32

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.42 $2.42

-16.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.08 $0.08

937.50%

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

$60.8K $60.8K

$46.2K $46.2K

31.51%

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

$66.2K $66.2K

$41.7K $41.7K

58.54%

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

$13.84 $13.84

$11.11 $11.11

24.57%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.60 $1.60

65.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.25 $27.25

$3.67 $3.67

642.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.18 $19.18

$12.79 $12.79

49.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.12 $15.12

$13.77 $13.77

9.80%

Cinema Ticket

$2.05 $2.05

$1.95 $1.95

5.13%

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

$41.26 $41.26

$107 $107

-61.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$628 $628

$2,436 $2,436

-74.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.15 $20.15

$22.35 $22.35

-9.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.41 $38.41

$65.2 $65.2

-41.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 $94.7

$128 $128

-26.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.8 $68.8

$57.0 $57.0

20.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$215 $215

$338 $338

-36.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 $151

$168 $168

-10.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 $401

$835 $835

-51.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 $269

$395 $395

-31.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,140 $1,140

$914 $914

24.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$685 $685

$507 $507

35.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$250 $250

$201 $201

24.35%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Kerman: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mashhad

$151 31.6%

Kerman

$168 33.1% 11.2% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Mashhad

$100 20.9%

Kerman

$123 24.1% 22.7% $23

Groceries & Markets

Mashhad

$100 20.9%

Kerman

$108 21.2% 8% $8

Eating Out

Mashhad

$54 11.3%

Kerman

$65 12.8% 19.6% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mashhad

$44 9.1%

Kerman

$16 3.2% 62.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Mashhad

$23 4.9%

Kerman

$17 3.3% 28.3% $6.6

Getting Around

Mashhad

$6.3 1.3%

Kerman

$12 2.4% 89.4% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $215 in Mashhad versus $338 in Kerman. 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 24% higher in Mashhad, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Mashhad versus $18.00 in Kerman. Groceries tell a different story – $100 in Mashhad vs $108 in Kerman – so Mashhad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🇮🇷 Kerman

🕒 Local time

02:00 2:00 AM

Same time as Mashhad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,001,184

537,718

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mashhad Kerman 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mashhad
Kerman

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 Kerman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $478 in Mashhad, $508 in Kerman – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $718 per month in Mashhad and $762 in Kerman. 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. 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 $18.00 in Kerman. 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 $508 in Kerman. That's a gap of about 6%.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $478 in Mashhad and $508 in Kerman, 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 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 Mashhad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kerman makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.