Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arak and Shiraz

For one person, living is cheaper in Arak: $480 a month against $542 in Shiraz, rent and utilities included – about $740 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Arak
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Arak Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Shiraz
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Shiraz Living Index

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Arak

🇮🇷 Iran

$480

/mo nomad

Shiraz

🇮🇷 Iran

$542

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arak and in Shiraz

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $480 in Arak versus $542 in Shiraz.

Arak $480
Shiraz $542

Estimated couple costs with rent: $755 in Arak versus $813 in Shiraz.

Arak $755
Shiraz $813

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,030 in Arak versus $1,084 in Shiraz.

Arak $1,030
Shiraz $1,084

Living in Arak costs roughly 11% less than in Shiraz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Arak 65% lower, Shiraz 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.55 $3.55

$4.63 $4.63

-23.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.88 $12.88

$13.20 $13.20

-2.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 $4.09

$4.07 $4.07

0.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

$0.98 $0.98

-25.51%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 $0.57

$1.80 $1.80

-68.33%

Cappuccino

$1.33 $1.33

$1.21 $1.21

9.92%

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

$0.51 $0.51

$0.62 $0.62

-17.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

Milk (1 liter)

$0.54 $0.54

$0.70 $0.70

-22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 $0.58

$0.41 $0.41

41.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.88 $1.88

4.26%

Eggs

$1.28 $1.28

$1.18 $1.18

8.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.27 $2.27

-5.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.98 $2.98

-15.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.31 $10.31

$9.58 $9.58

7.62%

Apples (1kg)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.11 $1.11

-30.63%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.55 $1.55

-39.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.63 $0.63

$0.89 $0.89

-29.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.60 $0.60

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.42 $0.42

$0.57 $0.57

-26.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 $0.44

$0.52 $0.52

-15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.47 $0.47

2.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 $0.28

$0.21 $0.21

33.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.76 $0.76

$0.89 $0.89

-14.61%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.60 $0.60

-8.33%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.73 $1.73

25.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.04 $3.04

-17.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.10 $0.10

$0.11 $0.11

-9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.70 $9.70

$2.95 $2.95

228.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.25 $0.25

$0.41 $0.41

-39.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.12 $0.12

$0.20 $0.20

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 $1.02

$3.43 $3.43

-70.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.10 $0.10

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

$50.3K $50.3K

$64.9K $64.9K

-22.42%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$53.3K $53.3K

-34.45%

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

$10.03 $10.03

$23.44 $23.44

-57.21%

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

$1.43 $1.43

$1.98 $1.98

-27.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.01 $4.01

$16.86 $16.86

-76.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.93 $9.93

$18.75 $18.75

-47.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.64 $24.64

$13.68 $13.68

80.12%

Cinema Ticket

$1.11 $1.11

$2.02 $2.02

-45.05%

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

$83.3 $83.3

$102 $102

-18.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,372 $2,372

$2,401 $2,401

-1.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.59 $13.59

$22.72 $22.72

-40.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.51 $8.51

$18.07 $18.07

-52.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 $81.9

$93.8 $93.8

-12.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.1 $52.1

$55.6 $55.6

-6.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 $294

$293 $293

0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$210 $210

$218 $218

-3.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$781 $781

$526 $526

48.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 $357

$325 $325

9.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,369 $1,369

$1,127 $1,127

21.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$647 $647

$517 $517

25.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$375 $375

$243 $243

54.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.5

24.3

-23.87%

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

Last update for Arak: October 26, 2026

Last update for Shiraz: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arak

$210 43.7%

Shiraz

$218 40.2% 3.8% $8

Groceries & Markets

Arak

$96 20%

Shiraz

$102 18.9% 6.7% $6.4

Clothing & Footwear

Arak

$70 14.6%

Shiraz

$86 15.8% 21.8% $15

Eating Out

Arak

$65 13.6%

Shiraz

$66 * 12.2% 1.5% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arak

$15 3.2%

Shiraz

$42 7.8% 173% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Arak

$12 2.5%

Shiraz

$23 4.2% 87.7% $11

Getting Around

Arak

$11 2.3%

Shiraz

$4.8 0.9% 56.3% $6.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $294 in Arak and $293 in Shiraz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arak pays 55% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $13 in Arak vs $13 in Shiraz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $96 vs $102 per month, with Arak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Arak

🇮🇷 Shiraz

🕒 Local time

06:38 6:38 AM

Same time as Arak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

526,200

1,565,572

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Arak Shiraz 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Arak
Shiraz

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

Arak vs Shiraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arak is about 11% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, utilities, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 55% higher in Arak, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $294 in Arak versus $293 in Shiraz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $83 in Arak versus $102 in Shiraz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Shiraz runs roughly 70% less than in Arak. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Arak gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Arak and Shiraz are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.