Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $478 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$478

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mashhad and in Phuket

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

A single person spends $478 per month in Mashhad vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Mashhad $478
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $769 per month in Mashhad vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Mashhad $769
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $1,060 per month in Mashhad vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Mashhad $1,060
Phuket $2,867

Mashhad is about 60% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mashhad and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Mashhad 65% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 $2.94

$4.58 ฿153

-35.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.79 $18.79

$32.48 ฿1,086

-42.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 $4.97

$8.55 ฿286

-41.87%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.57 $0.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 $0.91

Cappuccino

$1.08 $1.08

$2.72 ฿91.0

-60.29%

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

$0.43 $0.43

$0.94 ฿31.25

-54.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 $0.26

$0.49 ฿16.39

-46.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$0.65 $0.65

$1.74 ฿58.1

-62.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.21 $0.21

$1.43 ฿47.82

-85.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.53 ฿51.0

26.14%

Eggs

$1.16 $1.16

$2.17 ฿72.7

-46.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$19.15 ฿640

-89.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.30 ฿110

-16.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.32 $10.32

$11.14 ฿372

-7.36%

Apples (1kg)

$0.89 $0.89

$2.95 ฿98.5

-69.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.68 ฿56.1

-7.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.85 $0.85

$2.30 ฿76.8

-63.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 $0.58

$2.13 ฿71.3

-72.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$1.53 ฿51.1

-67.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 $0.44

$1.36 ฿45.55

-67.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 $0.52

$1.12 ฿37.44

-53.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.55 ฿18.24

-47.27%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.93 $0.93

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 $0.78

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 $0.93

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 $3.05

$4.26 ฿142

-28.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.02 $0.02

$2.22 ฿74.1

-99.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.68 $3.68

$22.06 ฿737

-83.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.18 $0.18

$2.91 ฿97.3

-93.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 $0.48

$1.01 ฿33.79

-52.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.83 ฿128

-47.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.49 ฿49.85

-44.30%

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

$60.8K $60.8K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

127.70%

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

$66.2K $66.2K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

147.79%

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

$13.84 $13.84

$99.4 ฿3,321

-86.07%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$11.28 ฿377

-76.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.25 $27.25

$17.36 ฿580

56.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.18 $19.18

$52.3 ฿1,747

-63.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.12 $15.12

$10.85 ฿362

39.35%

Cinema Ticket

$2.05 $2.05

$7.57 ฿253

-72.92%

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

$41.26 $41.26

$558 ฿18.7K

-92.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$628 $628

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-94.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.15 $20.15

$62.9 ฿2,102

-67.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.41 $38.41

$28.58 ฿955

34.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 $94.7

$96.1 ฿3,213

-1.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.8 $68.8

$88.1 ฿2,943

-21.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$215 $215

$729 ฿24.4K

-70.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 $151

$460 ฿15.4K

-67.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 $401

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-80.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 $269

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-78.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,140 $1,140

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-67.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$685 $685

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-72.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$250 $250

$493 ฿16.5K

-49.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.5

5.57

286.00%

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

Last update for Mashhad: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mashhad

$151 31.6%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 204% $309

Clothing & Footwear

Mashhad

$100 20.9%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 24.1% $24

Groceries & Markets

Mashhad

$100 20.9%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 168% $168

Eating Out

Mashhad

$54 11.3%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 124% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mashhad

$44 9.1%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 193% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Mashhad

$23 4.9%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 190% $44

Getting Around

Mashhad

$6.3 1.3%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 514% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $215 in Mashhad versus $729 in Phuket. 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 97% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Mashhad versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $100 vs $268 – making Mashhad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

06:54 6:54 AM

10:24 10:24 AM

3 h 30 min ahead of Mashhad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,001,184

79,308

💱 Currency

USD USD

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mashhad Phuket 5,040 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Mashhad
Phuket

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 152% more than Mashhad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $718 per month in Mashhad and $1,811 in Phuket. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $478 in Mashhad and $1,207 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 152%.

Public transport costs about 499% less in Mashhad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mashhad, where all-in costs run around $478, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Mashhad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mashhad costs $478 versus $1,207 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.