Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sanandaj and Mashhad, Iran

Name: Mashhad
Address: Mashhad, IR

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.

19

Cost of Living Index in Sanandaj
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Sanandaj Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index

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Sanandaj

🇮🇷 Iran

$403

/mo nomad

Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$464

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sanandaj and in Mashhad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sanandaj and in Mashhad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Sanandaj $403
Mashhad $464

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

Sanandaj $666
Mashhad $759

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

Sanandaj $929
Mashhad $1,054

Sanandaj is about 13% cheaper than Mashhad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.20 $3.20

$3.07 $3.07

4.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.15 $16.15

$18.75 $18.75

-13.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 $4.01

$5.06 $5.06

-20.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.56 $0.56

-8.93%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.92 $0.92

6.52%

Cappuccino

$1.02 $1.02

$1.09 $1.09

-6.42%

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

$0.63 $0.63

$0.43 $0.43

46.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.26 $0.26

292.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$0.61 $0.61

22.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 $0.68

$0.21 $0.21

223.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.95 $1.95

1.03%

Eggs

$0.99 $0.99

$1.15 $1.15

-13.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.17 $2.17

106.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.71 $2.71

4.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.43 $10.43

-3.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.87 $0.87

25.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.56 $1.56

-5.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.80 $0.80

11.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.63 $0.63

14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 $0.73

$0.49 $0.49

48.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 $0.77

$0.48 $0.48

60.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 $0.62

$0.52 $0.52

19.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 $0.33

$0.27 $0.27

22.22%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.79 $0.79

$0.86 $0.86

-8.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.79 $0.79

-30.38%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 $1.33

$0.97 $0.97

37.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.08 $3.08

-17.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 $0.13

$0.02 $0.02

550.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.70 $9.70

$3.66 $3.66

165.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 $0.39

$0.18 $0.18

116.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.49 $0.49

-40.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.02 $2.02

27.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

$0.78 $0.78

-88.46%

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

$50.0K $50.0K

$59.8K $59.8K

-16.31%

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

$46.4K $46.4K

$67.7K $67.7K

-31.37%

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

$10.14 $10.14

$14.81 $14.81

-31.53%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$2.14 $2.14

37.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.95 $3.95

$20.20 $20.20

-80.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$5.97 $5.97

$19.54 $19.54

-69.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.64 $13.64

$14.96 $14.96

-8.82%

Cinema Ticket

$1.02 $1.02

$1.97 $1.97

-48.22%

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

$107 $107

$41.44 $41.44

158.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,390 $2,390

$625 $625

282.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.96 $15.96

$20.06 $20.06

-20.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.18 $28.18

$39.31 $39.31

-28.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.5 $63.5

$95.3 $95.3

-33.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.7 $72.7

$70.1 $70.1

3.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$156 $156

$199 $199

-21.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$113 $113

$141 $141

-19.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 $333

$402 $402

-17.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 $199

$263 $263

-24.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$800 $800

$1,124 $1,124

-28.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$287 $287

$687 $687

-58.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$252 $252

$249 $249

1.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-8.33%

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

Last update for Sanandaj: November 1, 2026

Last update for Mashhad: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sanandaj

$116 28.7%

Mashhad

$100 21.5% 13.6% $16

Accommodation & Living

Sanandaj

$113 28%

Mashhad

$141 30.3% 24.7% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Sanandaj

$81 20.1%

Mashhad

$101 21.8% 24.6% $20

Eating Out

Sanandaj

$56 14%

Mashhad

$56 12% 1.6% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sanandaj

$17 4.2%

Mashhad

$37 8% 118% $20

Getting Around

Sanandaj

$12 3%

Mashhad

$6.4 1.4% 47.2% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Sanandaj

$8 2%

Mashhad

$23 5.1% 193% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $156 in Sanandaj versus $199 in Mashhad. 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 $16 in Sanandaj versus $19 in Mashhad. Groceries tell a different story – $116 in Sanandaj vs $100 in Mashhad – so Mashhad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Sanandaj

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🕒 Local time

22:50 10:50 PM

Same time as Sanandaj

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

412,767

3,001,184

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sanandaj Mashhad 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Sanandaj
Mashhad

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

Sanandaj vs Mashhad: 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 $604 per month in Sanandaj and $696 in Mashhad. 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 $403 in Sanandaj and $464 in Mashhad. 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 $403 in Sanandaj and $464 in Mashhad, 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.