Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad, Iran and Malayer

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $478 a month against $531 in Malayer, rent and utilities included – about $640 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Malayer outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

23

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Malayer
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Malayer Living Index

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Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$478

/mo nomad

Malayer

🇮🇷 Iran

$531

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mashhad and in Malayer

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $478 in Mashhad versus $531 in Malayer.

Mashhad $478
Malayer $531

Estimated couple costs with rent: $766 in Mashhad versus $844 in Malayer.

Mashhad $766
Malayer $844

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,055 in Mashhad versus $1,156 in Malayer.

Mashhad $1,055
Malayer $1,156

Living in Mashhad costs roughly 10% less than in Malayer, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mashhad 65% lower, Malayer 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 $2.94

$3.41 $3.41

-13.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.29 $18.29

$16.23 $16.23

12.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.49 $3.49

42.41%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.56 $0.56

$0.66 $0.66

-15.15%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.09 $1.09

-12.84%

Cappuccino

$1.10 $1.10

$1.17 $1.17

-5.98%

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

$0.43 $0.43

$0.52 $0.52

-17.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 $0.26

$1.09 $1.09

-76.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.69 $0.69

-11.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.21 $0.21

$0.48 $0.48

-56.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.08 $2.08

-6.73%

Eggs

$1.12 $1.12

$1.18 $1.18

-5.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$4.40 $4.40

-52.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.33 $3.33

-18.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 $10.34

$10.16 $10.16

1.77%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.03 $1.03

-8.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.54 $1.54

0.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.82 $0.82

1.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.55 $0.55

10.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.54 $0.54

-3.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 $0.44

$0.51 $0.51

-13.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.57 $0.57

-8.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.26 $0.26

11.54%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.79 $0.79

15.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 $0.77

$0.55 $0.55

40.00%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.33 $1.33

-32.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.54 $2.54

19.29%

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

$9.86 $9.86

-63.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.20 $0.20

$0.44 $0.44

-54.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.33 $0.33

57.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.37 $2.37

-16.03%

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

$50.6K $50.6K

17.26%

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

$68.1K $68.1K

$45.1K $45.1K

51.16%

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

$13.66 $13.66

$14.51 $14.51

-5.86%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$1.60 $1.60

64.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.95 $26.95

$3.41 $3.41

690.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.25 $19.25

$18.67 $18.67

3.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 $15.14

$12.85 $12.85

17.82%

Cinema Ticket

$2.05 $2.05

$1.78 $1.78

15.17%

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

$41.46 $41.46

$108 $108

-61.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$613 $613

$2,196 $2,196

-72.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.34 $20.34

$22.38 $22.38

-9.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 $38.31

$25.93 $25.93

47.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$96.2 $96.2

-3.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 $69.8

$70.9 $70.9

-1.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 $209

$292 $292

-28.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 $151

$208 $208

-27.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 $392

$789 $789

-50.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 $266

$360 $360

-26.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,153 $1,153

$1,166 $1,166

-1.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$683 $683

$529 $529

29.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$250 $250

$216 $216

15.71%

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 Malayer: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mashhad

$151 31.6%

Malayer

$208 39.2% 38% $57

Groceries & Markets

Mashhad

$100 20.9%

Malayer

$114 21.4% 13.8% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Mashhad

$100 20.9%

Malayer

$97 18.3% 2.8% $2.8

Eating Out

Mashhad

$54 11.4%

Malayer

$58 11% 7.1% $3.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mashhad

$43 9.1%

Malayer

$20 3.7% 54.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Mashhad

$23 4.9%

Malayer

$22 4.2% 4.8% $1.1

Getting Around

Mashhad

$6.5 1.4%

Malayer

$13 2.4% 94.3% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $209 in Mashhad and $292 in Malayer. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mashhad pays 16% 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 Malayer. Groceries flip the comparison at $100 vs $114, with Mashhad cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🇮🇷 Malayer

🕒 Local time

08:47 8:47 AM

Same time as Mashhad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,001,184

170,237

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mashhad Malayer 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mashhad
Malayer

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 Malayer: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mashhad is about 10% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 16% 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 $292 in Malayer. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $41 in Mashhad versus $108 in Malayer. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Malayer. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

For families, Mashhad is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Malayer, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.