Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad and Urmia

For one person, living is cheaper in Urmia: $419 a month against $475 in Mashhad, rent and utilities included – about $670 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Urmia
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Urmia Living Index

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Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$475

/mo nomad

Urmia

🇮🇷 Iran

$419

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mashhad and in Urmia

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

A single person spends $475 per month in Mashhad vs $419 in Urmia, rent included.

Mashhad $475
Urmia $419

A couple spends around $767 per month in Mashhad vs $725 in Urmia, rent included.

Mashhad $767
Urmia $725

A family of three spends $1,059 per month in Mashhad vs $1,030 in Urmia, rent included.

Mashhad $1,059
Urmia $1,030

Mashhad costs about 13% more than Urmia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Mashhad and Urmia are more affordable than the global median – Mashhad 65% lower, Urmia 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 $2.94

$5.06 $5.06

-41.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.49 $18.49

$23.78 $23.78

-22.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.97 $2.97

72.05%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.60 $0.60

$1.26 $1.26

-52.38%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.57 $1.57

-43.31%

Cappuccino

$1.09 $1.09

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

$0.39 $0.39

$0.74 $0.74

-47.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 $0.28

$0.49 $0.49

-42.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.60 $0.60

$0.62 $0.62

-3.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.18 $0.18

$0.44 $0.44

-59.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.35 $2.35

-17.02%

Eggs

$1.16 $1.16

$1.22 $1.22

-4.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.06 $2.06

$4.29 $4.29

-51.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.54 $2.54

7.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.45 $10.45

$6.37 $6.37

64.05%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 $0.96

$0.88 $0.88

9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.46 $1.46

3.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.80 $0.80

$0.74 $0.74

8.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 $0.58

$0.67 $0.67

-13.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 $0.45

$0.56 $0.56

-19.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 $0.49

$0.53 $0.53

-7.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 $0.27

$0.26 $0.26

3.85%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.78 $0.78

20.51%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.55 $0.55

30.91%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.37 $1.37

-29.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.13 $1.13

169.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.02 $0.02

$0.16 $0.16

-87.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.60 $3.60

$9.65 $9.65

-62.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.20 $0.20

$0.39 $0.39

-48.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.31 $0.31

64.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.55 $2.55

-20.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.10 $0.10

730.00%

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

$60.4K $60.4K

$49.6K $49.6K

21.75%

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

$66.4K $66.4K

$44.0K $44.0K

51.04%

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

$13.76 $13.76

$12.79 $12.79

7.58%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$1.58 $1.58

71.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.97 $27.97

$3.65 $3.65

666.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.27 $19.27

$9.38 $9.38

105.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.99 $14.99

$13.16 $13.16

13.91%

Cinema Ticket

$2.02 $2.02

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

$40.45 $40.45

$106 $106

-61.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$612 $612

$2,393 $2,393

-74.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.68 $19.68

$22.69 $22.69

-13.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.40 $38.40

$27.94 $27.94

37.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$97.7 $97.7

-4.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.8 $67.8

$32.75 $32.75

107.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$212 $212

$175 $175

20.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 $149

$130 $130

14.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 $396

$326 $326

21.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$272 $272

$271 $271

0.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,127 $1,127

$712 $712

58.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$684 $684

$594 $594

15.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$252 $252

$277 $277

-9.07%

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 17, 2026

Last update for Urmia: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mashhad

$149 31.4%

Urmia

$130 31% 12.8% $19

Groceries & Markets

Mashhad

$99 20.8%

Urmia

$97 23.1% 2% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Mashhad

$99 20.7%

Urmia

$81 19.4% 17.4% $17

Eating Out

Mashhad

$55 11.5%

Urmia

$67 16.1% 23.1% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mashhad

$44 9.4%

Urmia

$18 4.3% 59.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Mashhad

$23 4.9%

Urmia

$13 3.2% 42.4% $9.9

Getting Around

Mashhad

$6.4 1.4%

Urmia

$12 2.9% 89.6% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $212 in Mashhad versus $175 in Urmia. 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 10% higher in Urmia, 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 $18.00 in Mashhad versus $24.00 in Urmia. Groceries tell a different story – $99.0 in Mashhad vs $97.0 in Urmia – so Urmia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🇮🇷 Urmia

🕒 Local time

20:31 8:31 PM

Same time as Mashhad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,001,184

736,224

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mashhad Urmia 1,300 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mashhad
Urmia

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 Urmia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $713 per month in Mashhad and $629 in Urmia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Urmia, 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 $475 in Mashhad and $419 in Urmia. That's a gap of about 13%.

Public transport costs about 168% less in Urmia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $475 in Mashhad and $419 in Urmia, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Urmia – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Urmia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mashhad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.