Mashhad at a glance
- Mashhad ranks 4th of 8 priced cities in Iran on cost: $345 a month in essentials, 22% above Tabriz, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $177 covers that 0.5×.
- 101.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at province level.
- PM2.5 averages 23.1 µg/m³ a year, 5× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 8 Iran cities we track, so every row says whether Mashhad is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $345 | $345 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $196 | $196 | same |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $316 | $316 | same |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $62 | $62 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $67 | $67 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $16 | $16 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $4 | $4 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $177 | $177 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $461 | $461 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $727 | $727 | same |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Mashhad, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $3.08 | $3.08 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $13.64 | $13.64 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $3.52 | $3.52 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $1.10 | $1.10 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.45 | $0.45 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $1.49 | $1.49 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $0.62 | $0.62 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.48 | $0.48 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.95 | $2.95 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.00 | $1.00 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $3.58 | $3.58 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $2.90 | $2.90 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $1.06 | $1.06 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.53 | $1.53 | same |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $0.57 | $0.57 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.46 | $0.46 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.44 | $0.44 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.23 | $0.23 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.09 | $0.09 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $5.17 | $5.17 | same |
| Taxi start | $0.47 | $0.47 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.28 | $0.28 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $0.08 | $0.08 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $12.55 | $12.55 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $3.48 | $3.48 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $1.59 | $1.59 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $17.60 | $17.60 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $1.76 | $1.76 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Mashhad has 101.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (province level). That is the 5th-highest of 8 Iran cities we track. Iran's national figure is 103.8, so Mashhad runs 2 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Mashhad ranks against every city we track
Mashhad sits ahead of 93% of the 998 cities we track on cost of living. On city-centre rent it is ahead of 81% of 1010. Its weakest measure is local salary, ahead of only 7% of 999.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Mashhad sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Mashhad on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Mashhad beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Mashhad in the research deskOr unlock the Iran deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Mohsen Golriz, Unsplash License.
Data updated