Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tehran and Mahabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahabad: $528 a month against $617 in Tehran, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Tehran
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Tehran Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Mahabad
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Mahabad Living Index

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Tehran

🇮🇷 Iran

$617

/mo nomad

Mahabad

🇮🇷 Iran

$528

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tehran and in Mahabad

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

A single person spends $617 per month in Tehran vs $528 in Mahabad, rent included.

Tehran $617
Mahabad $528

A couple spends around $1,064 per month in Tehran vs $831 in Mahabad, rent included.

Tehran $1,064
Mahabad $831

A family of three spends $1,511 per month in Tehran vs $1,135 in Mahabad, rent included.

Tehran $1,511
Mahabad $1,135

Tehran costs about 17% more than Mahabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tehran and Mahabad are more affordable than the global median – Tehran 54% lower, Mahabad 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 $3.45

$2.92 $2.92

18.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.20 $16.20

$16.31 $16.31

-0.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.99 $3.99

-2.01%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.68 $0.68

$0.73 $0.73

-6.85%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.08 $1.08

35.19%

Cappuccino

$1.40 $1.40

$1.13 $1.13

23.89%

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

$0.50 $0.50

$0.51 $0.51

-1.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$0.99 $0.99

72.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.67 $0.67

$0.68 $0.68

-1.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 $0.59

$0.51 $0.51

15.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.09 $2.09

65.55%

Eggs

$1.26 $1.26

$1.24 $1.24

1.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.47 $4.47

-3.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$3.34 $3.34

-0.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 $10.44

$7.85 $7.85

32.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.03 $1.03

43.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.59 $1.59

25.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.86 $0.86

47.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 $0.63

$0.57 $0.57

10.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.57 $0.57

-3.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 $0.47

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.54 $0.54

-3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 $0.27

$0.24 $0.24

12.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.77 $0.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.50 $0.50

2.00%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.34 $1.34

60.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 $2.46

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.11 $0.11

$0.14 $0.14

-21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.61 $5.61

$9.67 $9.67

-41.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.44 $0.44

15.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.31 $0.31

-6.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.63 $2.63

14.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.10 $0.10

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

$49.6K $49.6K

$50.0K $50.0K

-0.78%

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

$45.6K $45.6K

$45.4K $45.4K

0.31%

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

$13.23 $13.23

$12.98 $12.98

1.93%

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

$1.60 $1.60

$1.57 $1.57

1.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.81 $3.81

1.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.30 $24.30

$18.40 $18.40

32.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.26 $13.26

$13.52 $13.52

-1.92%

Cinema Ticket

$2.02 $2.02

$2.04 $2.04

-0.98%

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

$108 $108

$107 $107

0.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,533 $2,533

$2,442 $2,442

3.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.03 $26.03

$22.95 $22.95

13.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.33 $38.33

$27.82 $27.82

37.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$98.5 $98.5

17.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.9 $72.9

$73.7 $73.7

-1.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 $419

$290 $290

44.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$256 $256

$212 $212

20.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 $940

$806 $806

16.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 $632

$356 $356

77.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,293 $1,293

$1,134 $1,134

14.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$727 $727

$541 $541

34.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$210 $210

$254 $254

-17.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.79

24.3

2.02%

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

Last update for Tehran: November 1, 2026

Last update for Mahabad: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tehran

$256 41.4%

Mahabad

$212 40.2% 17.1% $44

Groceries & Markets

Tehran

$128 20.7%

Mahabad

$108 20.4% 15.8% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Tehran

$114 18.4%

Mahabad

$100 19% 11.8% $13

Eating Out

Tehran

$65 10.5%

Mahabad

$55 10.4% 15.5% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Tehran

$28 4.6%

Mahabad

$22 4.3% 20.6% $5.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tehran

$19 3%

Mahabad

$18 3.5% 1.7% $0.3

Getting Around

Tehran

$8 1.3%

Mahabad

$12 2.3% 52.2% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $419 in Tehran versus $290 in Mahabad. 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 21% higher in Mahabad, 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 $16 in Tehran versus $16 in Mahabad. Groceries tell a different story – $128 in Tehran vs $108 in Mahabad – so Mahabad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Tehran

🇮🇷 Mahabad

🕒 Local time

08:09 8:09 AM

Same time as Tehran

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000,000 Capital

208,541

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Tehran Mahabad 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tehran
Mahabad

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

Tehran vs Mahabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tehran is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $926 per month in Tehran and $792 in Mahabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahabad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $419 in Tehran.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $617 in Tehran and $528 in Mahabad. That makes Mahabad about 14% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $108 per month in Tehran and $107 in Mahabad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $617 in Tehran and $528 in Mahabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Tehran has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $528 in Mahabad to $617 in Tehran. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.