Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad, Iran and Shiraz

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $478 a month against $542 in Shiraz, rent and utilities included – about $770 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Shiraz 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 Shiraz
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Shiraz Living Index

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Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$478

/mo nomad

Shiraz

🇮🇷 Iran

$542

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mashhad and in Shiraz

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

A single person spends $478 per month in Mashhad vs $542 in Shiraz, rent included.

Mashhad $478
Shiraz $542

A couple spends around $766 per month in Mashhad vs $813 in Shiraz, rent included.

Mashhad $766
Shiraz $813

A family of three spends $1,055 per month in Mashhad vs $1,084 in Shiraz, rent included.

Mashhad $1,055
Shiraz $1,084

Mashhad is about 12% cheaper than Shiraz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mashhad and Shiraz are more affordable than the global median – Mashhad 65% lower, Shiraz 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 $2.94

$4.63 $4.63

-36.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.29 $18.29

$13.20 $13.20

38.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.07 $4.07

22.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.56 $0.56

$0.98 $0.98

-42.86%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.80 $1.80

-47.22%

Cappuccino

$1.10 $1.10

$1.21 $1.21

-9.09%

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

$0.43 $0.43

$0.62 $0.62

-30.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 $0.26

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.70 $0.70

-12.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.21 $0.21

$0.41 $0.41

-48.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.88 $1.88

3.19%

Eggs

$1.12 $1.12

$1.18 $1.18

-5.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.27 $2.27

-8.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.98 $2.98

-8.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 $10.34

$9.58 $9.58

7.93%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.11 $1.11

-15.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.89 $0.89

-6.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.60 $0.60

1.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.57 $0.57

-8.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 $0.44

$0.52 $0.52

-15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.47 $0.47

10.64%

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

$0.89 $0.89

2.25%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 $0.77

$0.60 $0.60

28.33%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.73 $1.73

-47.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.04 $3.04

-0.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.02 $0.02

$0.11 $0.11

-81.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.95 $2.95

21.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.20 $0.20

$0.41 $0.41

-51.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.20 $0.20

160.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 $1.99

$3.43 $3.43

-41.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

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

$59.3K $59.3K

$64.9K $64.9K

-8.66%

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

$68.1K $68.1K

$53.3K $53.3K

27.73%

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

$13.66 $13.66

$23.44 $23.44

-41.72%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$1.98 $1.98

32.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.95 $26.95

$16.86 $16.86

59.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.25 $19.25

$18.75 $18.75

2.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 $15.14

$13.68 $13.68

10.67%

Cinema Ticket

$2.05 $2.05

$2.02 $2.02

1.49%

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

$41.46 $41.46

$102 $102

-59.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$613 $613

$2,401 $2,401

-74.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.34 $20.34

$22.72 $22.72

-10.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 $38.31

$18.07 $18.07

112.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$93.8 $93.8

-0.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 $69.8

$55.6 $55.6

25.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 $209

$293 $293

-28.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 $151

$218 $218

-30.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 $392

$526 $526

-25.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 $266

$325 $325

-18.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,153 $1,153

$1,127 $1,127

2.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$683 $683

$517 $517

32.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$250 $250

$243 $243

3.13%

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 Shiraz: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mashhad

$151 31.6%

Shiraz

$218 40.2% 44.4% $67

Groceries & Markets

Mashhad

$100 20.9%

Shiraz

$102 18.9% 2.6% $2.6

Clothing & Footwear

Mashhad

$100 20.9%

Shiraz

$86 15.8% 14.2% $14

Eating Out

Mashhad

$54 11.4%

Shiraz

$66 * 12.2% 21.9% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mashhad

$43 9.1%

Shiraz

$42 7.8% 2.2% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Mashhad

$23 4.9%

Shiraz

$23 4.2% 2.4% $0.6

Getting Around

Mashhad

$6.5 1.4%

Shiraz

$4.8 0.9% 26.1% $1.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $209 in Mashhad versus $293 in Shiraz. 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 3% 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 $18 in Mashhad versus $13 in Shiraz. Groceries tell a different story – $100 in Mashhad vs $102 in Shiraz – so Mashhad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🇮🇷 Shiraz

🕒 Local time

20:27 8:27 PM

Same time as Mashhad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,001,184

1,565,572

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mashhad Shiraz 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mashhad
Shiraz

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 Shiraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shiraz costs about 13% more than Mashhad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $717 per month in Mashhad and $813 in Shiraz. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $209 there versus $293 in Shiraz.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $478 in Mashhad and $542 in Shiraz. That’s a gap of about 13%.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Shiraz. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $478 in Mashhad and $542 in Shiraz, 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.