For one person, living is cheaper in Iran: $497 a month against $1,843 in Italy, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Iran and in Italy actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $497 per month in Iran vs $1,843 in Italy, rent included.
Iran $497
Italy $1,843
A couple spends around $809 per month in Iran vs $2,816 in Italy, rent included.
Iran $809
Italy $2,816
A family of three spends $1,121 per month in Iran vs $3,788 in Italy, rent included.
Iran $1,121
Italy $3,788
📏
The regional cost range is wider in Italy ($1,038–$2,555) than in Iran ($361–$874), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in Iran is roughly 73% lower than in Italy on average.
📊
Iran sits 63% below the global median, while Italy is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Iran
Italy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.41$3.41
$20.46€18.36
-83.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$15.99$15.99
$79.5€71.3
-79.89%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.95$3.95
$11.15€10.01
-64.57%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$0.85$0.85
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.11$1.11
-
-
Cappuccino
$1.18$1.18
$2.04€1.83
-42.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53$0.53
$3.10€2.78
-82.90%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.85$0.85
$1.40€1.26
-39.29%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$5.51€4.95
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$5.74€5.15
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Iran
Italy
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.62$0.62
$1.57€1.41
-60.51%
White Bread(500g)
$0.48$0.48
$2.38€2.14
-79.83%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.35$2.35
$2.90€2.60
-18.97%
Eggs
$1.11$1.11
$4.07€3.66
-72.73%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$3.74$3.74
$17.44€15.65
-78.56%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.00$3.00
$12.56€11.27
-76.11%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$9.85$9.85
$20.17€18.10
-51.17%
Apples(1kg)
$0.97$0.97
$2.58€2.32
-62.40%
Banana(1kg)
$1.47$1.47
$2.19€1.96
-32.88%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.89$0.89
$2.68€2.40
-66.79%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.58$0.58
$3.27€2.93
-82.26%
Potato(1kg)
$0.51$0.51
$1.90€1.71
-73.16%
Onion(1kg)
$0.46$0.46
$1.82€1.63
-74.73%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.51$0.51
$1.57€1.41
-67.52%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.23$0.23
$0.55€0.49
-58.18%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
$1.01$1.01
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.53$0.53
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.44$1.44
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.21$2.21
$6.69€6.01
-66.97%
Wine(Bottle)
-
$7.99€7.17
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.77€1.59
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.35€2.11
-
🚌 Getting Around
Iran
Italy
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.15$0.15
$1.91€1.71
-92.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$10.20$10.20
$43.44€38.98
-76.52%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.52$0.52
$5.62€5.04
-90.75%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.31$0.31
$1.71€1.54
-81.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$2.43$2.43
$33.64€30.18
-92.78%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.28$0.28
$2.03€1.82
-86.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$59.2K$59.2K
$35.3K€31.7K
67.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$52.7K$52.7K
$36.7K€33.0K
43.44%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iran
Italy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$13.72$13.72
$227€203
-93.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$2.30$2.30
$11.59€10.40
-80.16%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$6.70$6.70
$30.38€27.26
-77.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Iran
Italy
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$16.70$16.70
$51.8€46.46
-67.74%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.24$12.24
$23.70€21.26
-48.35%
Cinema Ticket
$1.54$1.54
$10.60€9.51
-85.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Iran
Italy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$81.3$81.3
$568€509
-85.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$1,146$1,146
$11.5K€10.3K
-90.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Iran
Italy
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$22.85$22.85
$90.5€81.2
-74.76%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.56$26.56
$38.55€34.59
-31.10%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$100$100
$103€92.1
-2.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$62.5$62.5
$131€118
-52.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Iran
Italy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$252$252
$826€741
-69.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$180$180
$646€580
-72.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$556$556
$1,400€1,256
-60.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$345$345
$1,054€946
-67.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$994$994
$3,662€3,286
-72.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$585$585
$2,301€2,065
-74.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Iran
Italy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$243$243
$1,886€1,692
-87.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
23.39
3.56
557.02%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Iran: October 25, 2026
Last update for Italy: October 24, 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
Iran
$180 36.1%
Italy
$646 35.1% ↑ 260%$466
🛒Groceries & Markets
Iran
$108 21.7%
Italy
$348 18.9% ↑ 223%$240
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Iran
$96 19.2%
Italy
$163 8.9% ↑ 70.9%$68
🍽Eating Out
Iran
$59 11.8%
Italy
$279 15.1% ↑ 374%$220
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iran
$23 4.6%
Italy
$269 14.6% ↑ 1082%$246
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Iran
$20 4%
Italy
$73 4% ↑ 269%$53
🚌Getting Around
Iran
$13 2.6%
Italy
$65 3.5% ↑ 407%$52
🏠Accommodation & Living
Iran
$345 30.7%
Italy
$1.1K 27.8% ↑ 206%$710
🛒Groceries & Markets
Iran
$264 23.5%
Italy
$823 21.7% ↑ 212%$559
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Iran
$212 18.9%
Italy
$363 9.6% ↑ 70.9%$150
🍽Eating Out
Iran
$198 17.6%
Italy
$964 25.5% ↑ 388%$767
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iran
$25 2.2%
Italy
$280 7.4% ↑ 1020%$255
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Iran
$52 4.6%
Italy
$170 4.5% ↑ 228%$118
🚌Getting Around
Iran
$26 2.3%
Italy
$134 3.6% ↑ 416%$108
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $295 in Iran vs $729 in Italy. For reference, capital cities sit at $430 in Tehran and $1,297 in Rome.
💰Average salary: $268 in Iran vs $1,890 in Italy. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 147% higher in Italy.
⭐Dining out costs 356% more in Italy.
⭐Public transport is 330% more expensive in Italy.
⭐Salaries are about 7.1 times higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is cheaper: Iran or Italy?
Iran is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 73% lower on average.
Is rent more expensive in Iran or in Italy?
Housing costs more in Italy: a central one-bedroom averages $729 versus $295 in Iran.
How do daily expenses compare in Iran vs Italy?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Iran – part of why living there is about 73% cheaper overall.
Which country is better for expats: Iran or Italy?
Iran is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.