Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad, Iran and Kish

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $478 a month against $556 in Kish, rent and utilities included – about $940 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
Learn more

Mashhad Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Kish
Learn more

Kish Living Index

Jump to prices

Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$478

/mo nomad

Kish

🇮🇷 Iran

$556

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mashhad and in Kish

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $478 in Mashhad versus $556 in Kish.

Mashhad $478
Kish $556

Estimated couple costs with rent: $766 in Mashhad versus $874 in Kish.

Mashhad $766
Kish $874

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,055 in Mashhad versus $1,193 in Kish.

Mashhad $1,055
Kish $1,193

Living in Mashhad costs roughly 14% less than in Kish, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mashhad 65% lower, Kish 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 $2.94

$5.57 $5.57

-47.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.29 $18.29

$15.80 $15.80

15.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.61 $4.61

7.81%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.56 $0.56

$0.69 $0.69

-18.84%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.21 $1.21

-21.49%

Cappuccino

$1.10 $1.10

$1.03 $1.03

6.80%

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

$0.43 $0.43

$0.50 $0.50

-14.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 $0.26

$0.98 $0.98

-73.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.64 $0.64

-4.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.21 $0.21

$0.47 $0.47

-55.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.09 $2.09

-7.18%

Eggs

$1.12 $1.12

$1.22 $1.22

-8.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$4.18 $4.18

-50.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.41 $3.41

-19.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 $10.34

$11.56 $11.56

-10.55%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.49 $1.49

4.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.75 $0.75

10.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.64 $0.64

-4.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.59 $0.59

-11.86%

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)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.72 $0.72

26.39%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 $0.77

$0.48 $0.48

60.42%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.37 $1.37

-34.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.68 $2.68

13.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.02 $0.02

$0.16 $0.16

-87.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.58 $3.58

$9.47 $9.47

-62.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.20 $0.20

$0.40 $0.40

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.32 $0.32

62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.68 $2.68

-25.75%

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

$51.9K $51.9K

14.22%

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

$68.1K $68.1K

$39.6K $39.6K

71.82%

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

$13.66 $13.66

$11.21 $11.21

21.86%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$1.79 $1.79

46.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.95 $26.95

$3.63 $3.63

642.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.25 $19.25

$19.75 $19.75

-2.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 $15.14

$13.18 $13.18

14.87%

Cinema Ticket

$2.05 $2.05

$2.01 $2.01

1.99%

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

$41.46 $41.46

$121 $121

-65.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$613 $613

$2,576 $2,576

-76.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.34 $20.34

$22.56 $22.56

-9.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 $38.31

$28.77 $28.77

33.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$92.4 $92.4

0.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 $69.8

$74.9 $74.9

-6.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 $209

$289 $289

-27.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 $151

$212 $212

-28.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 $392

$808 $808

-51.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 $266

$349 $349

-23.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,153 $1,153

$1,302 $1,302

-11.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$683 $683

$548 $548

24.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$250 $250

$411 $411

-39.13%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Kish: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mashhad

$151 31.6%

Kish

$212 38.2% 40.6% $61

Groceries & Markets

Mashhad

$100 20.9%

Kish

$116 20.9% 16.3% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Mashhad

$100 20.9%

Kish

$98 17.7% 1.4% $1.3

Eating Out

Mashhad

$54 11.4%

Kish

$77 13.8% 40.9% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mashhad

$43 9.1%

Kish

$17 3% 61.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Mashhad

$23 4.9%

Kish

$24 4.3% 1.7% $0.4

Getting Around

Mashhad

$6.5 1.4%

Kish

$12 2.2% 87.2% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $209 in Mashhad and $289 in Kish. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kish pays 64% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $18 in Mashhad vs $16 in Kish. Groceries flip the comparison at $100 vs $116, with Mashhad cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🇮🇷 Kish

🕒 Local time

01:42 1:42 AM

Same time as Mashhad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,001,184

24,819

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mashhad Kish 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mashhad
Kish

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 Kish: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $478 in Mashhad and $556 in Kish, so Mashhad is about 14% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Mashhad. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $209 in Mashhad versus $289 in Kish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Kish. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

Either city works on $800 a month, though Mashhad gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Mashhad wins on affordability, Kish on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.