Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad, Iran and Sanandaj

For one person, living is cheaper in Sanandaj: $403 a month against $464 in Mashhad, rent and utilities included – about $730 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Sanandaj
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Sanandaj Living Index

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Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$464

/mo nomad

Sanandaj

🇮🇷 Iran

$403

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mashhad and in Sanandaj

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

A single person spends $464 per month in Mashhad vs $403 in Sanandaj, rent included.

Mashhad $464
Sanandaj $403

A couple spends around $759 per month in Mashhad vs $666 in Sanandaj, rent included.

Mashhad $759
Sanandaj $666

A family of three spends $1,054 per month in Mashhad vs $929 in Sanandaj, rent included.

Mashhad $1,054
Sanandaj $929

Mashhad costs about 15% more than Sanandaj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Mashhad and Sanandaj are more affordable than the global median – Mashhad 66% lower, Sanandaj 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 $3.07

$3.20 $3.20

-4.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.75 $18.75

$16.15 $16.15

16.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.06 $5.06

$4.01 $4.01

26.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.56 $0.56

$0.51 $0.51

9.80%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 $0.92

$0.98 $0.98

-6.12%

Cappuccino

$1.09 $1.09

$1.02 $1.02

6.86%

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

$0.43 $0.43

$0.63 $0.63

-31.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 $0.26

$1.02 $1.02

-74.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.75 $0.75

-18.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.21 $0.21

$0.68 $0.68

-69.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.97 $1.97

-1.02%

Eggs

$1.15 $1.15

$0.99 $0.99

16.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$4.49 $4.49

-51.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.82 $2.82

-3.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 $10.43

$10.10 $10.10

3.27%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.09 $1.09

-20.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.47 $1.47

6.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.80 $0.80

$0.89 $0.89

-10.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 $0.63

$0.72 $0.72

-12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$0.73 $0.73

-32.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.77 $0.77

-37.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.62 $0.62

-16.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 $0.27

$0.33 $0.33

-18.18%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.79 $0.79

8.86%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 $0.79

$0.55 $0.55

43.64%

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

$2.55 $2.55

20.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.02 $0.02

$0.13 $0.13

-84.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.66 $3.66

$9.70 $9.70

-62.27%

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

$2.58 $2.58

-21.71%

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

$50.0K $50.0K

19.49%

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

$67.7K $67.7K

$46.4K $46.4K

45.71%

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

$14.81 $14.81

$10.14 $10.14

46.06%

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

$2.14 $2.14

$2.94 $2.94

-27.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.20 $20.20

$3.95 $3.95

411.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.54 $19.54

$5.97 $5.97

227.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.96 $14.96

$13.64 $13.64

9.68%

Cinema Ticket

$1.97 $1.97

$1.02 $1.02

93.14%

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

$41.44 $41.44

$107 $107

-61.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$625 $625

$2,390 $2,390

-73.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.06 $20.06

$15.96 $15.96

25.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.31 $39.31

$28.18 $28.18

39.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 $95.3

$63.5 $63.5

50.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.1 $70.1

$72.7 $72.7

-3.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$199 $199

$156 $156

27.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 $141

$113 $113

24.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 $402

$333 $333

20.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 $263

$199 $199

32.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,124 $1,124

$800 $800

40.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$687 $687

$287 $287

139.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 $249

$252 $252

-1.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.09%

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

Last update for Mashhad: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sanandaj: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mashhad

$141 30.3%

Sanandaj

$113 28% 19.8% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Mashhad

$101 21.8%

Sanandaj

$81 20.1% 19.8% $20

Groceries & Markets

Mashhad

$100 21.5%

Sanandaj

$116 28.7% 15.7% $16

Eating Out

Mashhad

$56 12%

Sanandaj

$56 14% 1.6% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mashhad

$37 8%

Sanandaj

$17 4.2% 54.2% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Mashhad

$23 5.1%

Sanandaj

$8 2% 65.8% $15

Getting Around

Mashhad

$6.4 1.4%

Sanandaj

$12 3% 89.3% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $199 in Mashhad versus $156 in Sanandaj. 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 Sanandaj. Groceries tell a different story – $100 in Mashhad vs $116 in Sanandaj – so Mashhad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🇮🇷 Sanandaj

🕒 Local time

15:56 3:56 PM

Same time as Mashhad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,001,184

412,767

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mashhad Sanandaj 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mashhad
Sanandaj

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 Sanandaj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mashhad costs about 15% more than Sanandaj, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $696 per month in Mashhad and $604 in Sanandaj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sanandaj, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $156 there versus $199 in Mashhad.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $464 in Mashhad and $403 in Sanandaj. That makes Sanandaj about 13% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 62% less in Mashhad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $464 in Mashhad and $403 in Sanandaj, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.