For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $478 a month against $644 in Qazvin, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Qazvin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Qazvin and in Mashhad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $644 per month in Qazvin vs $478 in Mashhad, rent included.
Qazvin $644
Mashhad $478
A couple spends around $923 per month in Qazvin vs $766 in Mashhad, rent included.
Qazvin $923
Mashhad $766
A family of three spends $1,202 per month in Qazvin vs $1,055 in Mashhad, rent included.
Qazvin $1,202
Mashhad $1,055
😐
Qazvin costs about 35% more than Mashhad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Both Qazvin and Mashhad are more affordable than the global median – Qazvin53% lower, Mashhad65% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Qazvin
Mashhad
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.43$3.43
$2.94$2.94
16.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$15.98$15.98
$18.29$18.29
-12.63%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.41$3.41
$4.97$4.97
-31.39%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$0.67$0.67
$0.56$0.56
19.64%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48$1.48
$0.95$0.95
55.79%
Cappuccino
$1.27$1.27
$1.10$1.10
15.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.41$0.41
$0.43$0.43
-4.65%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72$1.72
$0.26$0.26
561.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Qazvin
Mashhad
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.48$0.48
$0.61$0.61
-21.31%
White Bread(500g)
$0.31$0.31
$0.21$0.21
47.62%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.72$2.72
$1.94$1.94
40.21%
Eggs
$0.91$0.91
$1.12$1.12
-18.75%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$4.35$4.35
$2.08$2.08
109.13%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$2.06$2.06
$2.73$2.73
-24.54%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.57$7.57
$10.34$10.34
-26.79%
Apples(1kg)
$0.48$0.48
$0.94$0.94
-48.94%
Banana(1kg)
$1.02$1.02
$1.55$1.55
-34.19%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.71$0.71
$0.83$0.83
-14.46%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.51$0.51
$0.61$0.61
-16.39%
Potato(1kg)
$0.51$0.51
$0.52$0.52
-1.92%
Onion(1kg)
$0.48$0.48
$0.44$0.44
9.09%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.49$0.49
$0.52$0.52
-5.77%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.29$0.29
$0.29$0.29
-
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
$0.81$0.81
$0.91$0.91
-10.99%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.52$0.52
$0.77$0.77
-32.47%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16$2.16
$0.90$0.90
140.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.55$2.55
$3.03$3.03
-15.84%
🚌 Getting Around
Qazvin
Mashhad
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.13$0.13
$0.02$0.02
550.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$9.65$9.65
$3.58$3.58
169.55%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.18$0.18
$0.20$0.20
-10.00%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.31$0.31
$0.52$0.52
-40.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.98$1.98
$1.99$1.99
-0.50%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.08$0.08
$0.81$0.81
-90.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.6K$42.6K
$59.3K$59.3K
-28.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$45.3K$45.3K
$68.1K$68.1K
-33.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Qazvin
Mashhad
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$12.88$12.88
$13.66$13.66
-5.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$1.61$1.61
$2.63$2.63
-38.78%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$3.99$3.99
$26.95$26.95
-85.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Qazvin
Mashhad
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$12.38$12.38
$19.25$19.25
-35.69%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.95$9.95
$15.14$15.14
-34.28%
Cinema Ticket
$1.02$1.02
$2.05$2.05
-50.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Qazvin
Mashhad
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$30.07$30.07
$41.46$41.46
-27.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$761$761
$613$613
24.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Qazvin
Mashhad
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$26.54$26.54
$20.34$20.34
30.48%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.51$27.51
$38.31$38.31
-28.19%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$98.4$98.4
$93.2$93.2
5.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$50.6$50.6
$69.8$69.8
-27.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Qazvin
Mashhad
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$509$509
$209$209
143.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$356$356
$151$151
135.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$698$698
$392$392
77.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$497$497
$266$266
86.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,145$1,145
$1,153$1,153
-0.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$527$527
$683$683
-22.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Qazvin
Mashhad
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$311$311
$250$250
24.08%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
18
21.5
-16.28%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Qazvin: October 25, 2026
Last update for Mashhad: October 27, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Qazvin
$356 55.3%
Mashhad
$151 31.6% ↓ 57.6%$205
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Qazvin
$91 14.2%
Mashhad
$100 20.9% ↑ 9.1%$8.3
🛒Groceries & Markets
Qazvin
$90 14%
Mashhad
$100 20.9% ↑ 10.5%$9.4
🍽Eating Out
Qazvin
$61 9.5%
Mashhad
$54 11.4% ↓ 11.5%$7.1
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Qazvin
$18 2.9%
Mashhad
$43 9.1% ↑ 134%$25
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Qazvin
$14 2.2%
Mashhad
$23 4.9% ↑ 62.1%$9
🚌Getting Around
Qazvin
$12 1.9%
Mashhad
$6.5 1.4% ↓ 45.7%$5.5
🏠Accommodation & Living
Qazvin
$497 41.3%
Mashhad
$266 25.2% ↓ 46.4%$230
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Qazvin
$203 16.9%
Mashhad
$222 21% ↑ 9.1%$19
🛒Groceries & Markets
Qazvin
$217 18.1%
Mashhad
$247 23.4% ↑ 13.5%$29
🍽Eating Out
Qazvin
$202 16.8%
Mashhad
$200 18.9% ↓ 1.1%$2.3
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Qazvin
$20 1.7%
Mashhad
$46 4.4% ↑ 128%$26
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Qazvin
$39 3.2%
Mashhad
$62 5.9% ↑ 59.5%$23
🚌Getting Around
Qazvin
$24 2%
Mashhad
$13 1.2% ↓ 46.2%$11
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $509 in Qazvin versus $209 in Mashhad. 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 24% higher in Qazvin, 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 $16 in Qazvin versus $18 in Mashhad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $90 vs $100 – making Qazvin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
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
Qazvin vs Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Qazvin or Mashhad?
Qazvin costs about 35% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Qazvin and in Mashhad?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $965 per month in Qazvin and $717 in Mashhad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Qazvin or Mashhad?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mashhad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $209 there versus $509 in Qazvin.
How much does it cost to live in Qazvin compared to Mashhad?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $644 in Qazvin and $478 in Mashhad. That makes Mashhad about 26% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Qazvin compared to Mashhad?
Public transport costs about 63% less in Mashhad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $800/month in Qazvin or in Mashhad?
$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $644 in Qazvin and $478 in Mashhad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How safe is Qazvin compared to Mashhad?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Qazvin or to Mashhad?
If budget matters most, go with Mashhad. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Qazvin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.