For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $478 a month against $516 in Zabol, rent and utilities included – about $460 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Zabol 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 Zabol and in Mashhad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $516 per month in Zabol vs $478 in Mashhad, rent included.
Zabol $516
Mashhad $478
A couple spends around $822 per month in Zabol vs $766 in Mashhad, rent included.
Zabol $822
Mashhad $766
A family of three spends $1,127 per month in Zabol vs $1,055 in Mashhad, rent included.
Zabol $1,127
Mashhad $1,055
😐
Zabol costs about 8% more than Mashhad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both Zabol and Mashhad are more affordable than the global median – Zabol62% lower, Mashhad65% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Zabol
Mashhad
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.06$2.06
$2.94$2.94
-29.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$15.80$15.80
$18.29$18.29
-13.61%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.45$3.45
$4.97$4.97
-30.58%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$0.52$0.52
$0.56$0.56
-7.14%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.95$0.95
$0.95$0.95
-
Cappuccino
$0.48$0.48
$1.10$1.10
-56.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49$0.49
$0.43$0.43
13.95%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.88$0.88
$0.26$0.26
238.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Zabol
Mashhad
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.66$0.66
$0.61$0.61
8.20%
White Bread(500g)
$0.47$0.47
$0.21$0.21
123.81%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.97$1.97
$1.94$1.94
1.55%
Eggs
$1.23$1.23
$1.12$1.12
9.82%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$4.54$4.54
$2.08$2.08
118.27%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.17$3.17
$2.73$2.73
16.12%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.69$11.69
$10.34$10.34
13.06%
Apples(1kg)
$0.99$0.99
$0.94$0.94
5.32%
Banana(1kg)
$1.48$1.48
$1.55$1.55
-4.52%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.85$0.85
$0.83$0.83
2.41%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.59$0.59
$0.61$0.61
-3.28%
Potato(1kg)
$0.53$0.53
$0.52$0.52
1.92%
Onion(1kg)
$0.51$0.51
$0.44$0.44
15.91%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.58$0.58
$0.52$0.52
11.54%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.24$0.24
$0.29$0.29
-17.24%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
$0.90$0.90
$0.91$0.91
-1.10%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.49$0.49
$0.77$0.77
-36.36%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35$1.35
$0.90$0.90
50.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.78$2.78
$3.03$3.03
-8.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Zabol
Mashhad
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.13$0.13
$0.02$0.02
550.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$8.85$8.85
$3.58$3.58
147.21%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.40$0.40
$0.20$0.20
100.00%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.30$0.30
$0.52$0.52
-42.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$2.33$2.33
$1.99$1.99
17.09%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.10$0.10
$0.81$0.81
-87.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$54.9K$54.9K
$59.3K$59.3K
-7.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.4K$40.4K
$68.1K$68.1K
-40.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zabol
Mashhad
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$11.33$11.33
$13.66$13.66
-17.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$1.47$1.47
$2.63$2.63
-44.11%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$3.34$3.34
$26.95$26.95
-87.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Zabol
Mashhad
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$21.29$21.29
$19.25$19.25
10.60%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.39$13.39
$15.14$15.14
-11.56%
Cinema Ticket
$1.76$1.76
$2.05$2.05
-14.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Zabol
Mashhad
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$111$111
$41.46$41.46
167.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$2,063$2,063
$613$613
236.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Zabol
Mashhad
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.16$23.16
$20.34$20.34
13.86%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.90$28.90
$38.31$38.31
-24.56%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$99.8$99.8
$93.2$93.2
7.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$75.4$75.4
$69.8$69.8
7.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Zabol
Mashhad
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$286$286
$209$209
36.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$207$207
$151$151
37.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$784$784
$392$392
99.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$356$356
$266$266
33.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,145$1,145
$1,153$1,153
-0.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$538$538
$683$683
-21.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Zabol
Mashhad
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$147$147
$250$250
-41.23%
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 Zabol: October 26, 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
Zabol
$207 40.2%
Mashhad
$151 31.6% ↓ 27.3%$57
🛒Groceries & Markets
Zabol
$117 22.6%
Mashhad
$100 20.9% ↓ 14.3%$17
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Zabol
$102 19.8%
Mashhad
$100 20.9% ↓ 2.5%$2.5
🍽Eating Out
Zabol
$38 7.4%
Mashhad
$54 11.4% ↑ 43%$16
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Zabol
$25 4.8%
Mashhad
$23 4.9% ↓ 5.8%$1.4
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zabol
$16 3.1%
Mashhad
$43 9.1% ↑ 168%$27
🚌Getting Around
Zabol
$11 2.2%
Mashhad
$6.5 1.4% ↓ 42.5%$4.8
🏠Accommodation & Living
Zabol
$356 31.6%
Mashhad
$266 25.2% ↓ 25.3%$90
🛒Groceries & Markets
Zabol
$287 25.5%
Mashhad
$247 23.4% ↓ 14.2%$41
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Zabol
$227 20.2%
Mashhad
$222 21% ↓ 2.5%$5.6
🍽Eating Out
Zabol
$153 13.6%
Mashhad
$200 18.9% ↑ 30.5%$47
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Zabol
$63 5.6%
Mashhad
$62 5.9% ↓ 1.9%$1.2
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zabol
$18 1.6%
Mashhad
$46 4.4% ↑ 161%$28
🚌Getting Around
Zabol
$23 2%
Mashhad
$13 1.2% ↓ 43%$9.8
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $286 in Zabol 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 70% 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 $16 in Zabol versus $18 in Mashhad. Groceries tell a different story – $117 in Zabol vs $100 in Mashhad – so Mashhad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.
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
Zabol vs Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Zabol or Mashhad?
Zabol costs about 8% more than Mashhad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 Zabol and in Mashhad?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $775 per month in Zabol and $717 in Mashhad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Zabol or Mashhad?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mashhad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $209 there versus $286 in Zabol.
How much does it cost to live in Zabol compared to Mashhad?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $516 in Zabol and $478 in Mashhad. That’s a gap of about 8%.
How expensive is transport in Zabol compared to Mashhad?
Public transport costs about 60% less in Mashhad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $800/month in Zabol or in Mashhad?
$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $516 in Zabol and $478 in Mashhad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for families?
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.