Cost of Living Comparison Between Iran and India Cost of Living Comparison Between Iran and India

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $511 in Iran versus $366 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $815 in Iran versus $581 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,118 in Iran versus $795 in India.

Living in Iran is roughly 40% more expensive than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Iran 63% lower, India 73% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in India: monthly costs span $228 to $810, compared to $351–$785 in Iran. City choice carries more weight in India.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.06 $3.06

$2.15 ₹205

42.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.91 $15.91

$10.42 ₹996

52.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 $4.09

$3.59 ₹343

13.93%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 $0.86

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

Cappuccino

$1.19 $1.19

$1.67 ₹160

-28.74%

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

$0.53 $0.53

$0.39 ₹37.26

35.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.17 ₹15.92

435.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 ₹179

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₹304

Milk (1 liter)

$0.65 $0.65

$0.64 ₹61.1

1.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 $0.47

$0.45 ₹42.66

4.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$0.63 ₹59.9

268.25%

Eggs

$1.16 $1.16

$0.87 ₹83.5

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$4.62 ₹442

-19.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.86 ₹273

5.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.39 $9.39

Apples (1kg)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.95 ₹186

-54.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$0.67 ₹64.3

123.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.99 ₹94.3

-16.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.54 $0.54

$0.51 ₹48.45

5.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.35 ₹33.23

37.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 $0.46

$0.42 ₹39.69

9.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 $0.54

$0.44 ₹41.87

22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.25 $0.25

$0.31 ₹29.80

-19.35%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.98 $0.98

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 $0.53

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 $1.40

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 $2.26

$5.14 ₹491

-56.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.58 ₹724

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₹160

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₹266

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.36 ₹512

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 $0.15

$0.25 ₹23.64

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.04 $10.04

$8.53 ₹815

17.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.94 ₹89.4

-45.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.27 ₹25.96

14.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.60 ₹153

51.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.29 $0.29

$1.12 ₹107

-74.11%

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

$60.0K $60.0K

$12.4K ₹1.2M

382.35%

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

$56.8K $56.8K

$20.2K ₹1.9M

181.80%

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

$14.21 $14.21

$37.28 ₹3,562

-61.88%

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

$2.33 $2.33

$3.49 ₹334

-33.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.75 $6.75

$7.20 ₹688

-6.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.50 $16.50

$14.69 ₹1,403

12.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.98 $11.98

$7.31 ₹698

63.89%

Cinema Ticket

$1.54 $1.54

$3.08 ₹294

-50.00%

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

$79.6 $79.6

$59.1 ₹5,646

34.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,164 $1,164

$1,693 ₹161.8K

-31.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.32 $22.32

$23.25 ₹2,221

-4.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.69 $26.69

$24.03 ₹2,296

11.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 $98.3

$40.99 ₹3,917

139.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.4 $60.4

$30.46 ₹2,911

98.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 $266

$143 ₹13.7K

85.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 $182

$93.2 ₹8,902

95.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 $559

$332 ₹31.7K

68.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 $359

$214 ₹20.4K

67.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$975 $975

$1,203 ₹115.0K

-19.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$585 $585

$643 ₹61.5K

-9.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$247 $247

$441 ₹42.1K

-44.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.98

8.93

157.33%

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

Last update for Iran: September 7, 2026

Last update for India: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $283 in Iran, $121 in India. Capital cities: $423 in Tehran vs $272 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $265 in Iran, $410 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 134% higher in Iran.

Dining out costs 60% more in Iran.

Salaries are 55% higher in India, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Iran vs India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $519 per month in India and $568 in Iran, there's a 9% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in India: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Iran is consistently higher than in India across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Iran it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: India wins on affordability; Iran may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.