Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shiraz and Mashhad, Iran

Name: Mashhad
Address: Mashhad, IR

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.

26

Cost of Living Index in Shiraz
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Shiraz Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index

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Shiraz

🇮🇷 Iran

$542

/mo nomad

Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$478

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shiraz 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 Shiraz and in Mashhad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Shiraz $542
Mashhad $478

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

Shiraz $813
Mashhad $766

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

Shiraz $1,084
Mashhad $1,055

Shiraz costs about 13% more than Mashhad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 $4.63

$2.94 $2.94

57.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.20 $13.20

$18.29 $18.29

-27.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.07 $4.07

$4.97 $4.97

-18.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.56 $0.56

75.00%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$0.95 $0.95

89.47%

Cappuccino

$1.21 $1.21

$1.10 $1.10

10.00%

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

$0.62 $0.62

$0.43 $0.43

44.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 $0.26

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$0.61 $0.61

14.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 $0.41

$0.21 $0.21

95.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.94 $1.94

-3.09%

Eggs

$1.18 $1.18

$1.12 $1.12

5.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.08 $2.08

9.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.73 $2.73

9.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.58 $9.58

$10.34 $10.34

-7.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.94 $0.94

18.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.83 $0.83

7.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 $0.60

$0.61 $0.61

-1.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 $0.57

$0.52 $0.52

9.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.44 $0.44

18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 $0.47

$0.52 $0.52

-9.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 $0.21

$0.29 $0.29

-27.59%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.91 $0.91

-2.20%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 $0.60

$0.77 $0.77

-22.08%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$0.90 $0.90

92.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.03 $3.03

0.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.11 $0.11

$0.02 $0.02

450.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.58 $3.58

-17.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 $0.41

$0.20 $0.20

105.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 $0.20

$0.52 $0.52

-61.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 $3.43

$1.99 $1.99

72.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

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

$64.9K $64.9K

$59.3K $59.3K

9.48%

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

$53.3K $53.3K

$68.1K $68.1K

-21.71%

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

$23.44 $23.44

$13.66 $13.66

71.60%

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

$1.98 $1.98

$2.63 $2.63

-24.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.86 $16.86

$26.95 $26.95

-37.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.75 $18.75

$19.25 $19.25

-2.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.68 $13.68

$15.14 $15.14

-9.64%

Cinema Ticket

$2.02 $2.02

$2.05 $2.05

-1.46%

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

$102 $102

$41.46 $41.46

146.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,401 $2,401

$613 $613

291.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.72 $22.72

$20.34 $20.34

11.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.07 $18.07

$38.31 $38.31

-52.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 $93.8

$93.2 $93.2

0.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.6 $55.6

$69.8 $69.8

-20.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$293 $293

$209 $209

40.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 $218

$151 $151

44.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 $526

$392 $392

34.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 $325

$266 $266

22.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,127 $1,127

$1,153 $1,153

-2.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$517 $517

$683 $683

-24.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$243 $243

$250 $250

-3.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.3

21.5

13.02%

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

Last update for Shiraz: October 27, 2026

Last update for Mashhad: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shiraz

$218 40.2%

Mashhad

$151 31.6% 30.7% $67

Groceries & Markets

Shiraz

$102 18.9%

Mashhad

$100 20.9% 2.5% $2.6

Clothing & Footwear

Shiraz

$86 15.8%

Mashhad

$100 20.9% 16.6% $14

Eating Out

Shiraz

$66 * 12.2%

Mashhad

$54 11.4% 18% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shiraz

$42 7.8%

Mashhad

$43 9.1% 2.3% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Shiraz

$23 4.2%

Mashhad

$23 4.9% 2.5% $0.6

Getting Around

Shiraz

$4.8 0.9%

Mashhad

$6.5 1.4% 35.3% $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 $293 in Shiraz 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 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 $13 in Shiraz versus $18 in Mashhad. Groceries tell a different story – $102 in Shiraz vs $100 in Mashhad – so Mashhad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Shiraz

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

Same time as Shiraz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,565,572

3,001,184

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Shiraz Mashhad 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shiraz
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

Shiraz vs Mashhad: 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 $813 per month in Shiraz and $717 in Mashhad. 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 $542 in Shiraz and $478 in Mashhad. 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 $542 in Shiraz and $478 in Mashhad, 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.