For one person, living is cheaper in Iran: $495 a month against $1,796 in Spain, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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 Spain actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $495 per month in Iran vs $1,796 in Spain, rent included.
Iran $495
Spain $1,796
A couple spends around $804 per month in Iran vs $2,612 in Spain, rent included.
Iran $804
Spain $2,612
A family of three spends $1,114 per month in Iran vs $3,429 in Spain, rent included.
Iran $1,114
Spain $3,429
📏
The regional cost range is wider in Spain ($932–$2,592) than in Iran ($355–$872), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in Iran is roughly 72% lower than in Spain on average.
📊
Iran sits 63% below the global median, while Spain is 33% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Iran
Spain
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.30$3.30
$16.93€15.10
-80.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.06$16.06
$56.3€50.2
-71.48%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$4.12$4.12
$11.32€10.10
-63.60%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$0.84$0.84
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.14$1.14
-
-
Cappuccino
$1.17$1.17
$2.42€2.16
-51.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.54$0.54
$2.55€2.27
-78.82%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.92$0.92
$1.79€1.60
-48.60%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$3.34€2.98
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.03€3.59
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Iran
Spain
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.62$0.62
$1.15€1.03
-46.09%
White Bread(500g)
$0.50$0.50
$1.47€1.31
-65.99%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.36$2.36
$1.68€1.50
40.48%
Eggs
$1.12$1.12
$3.43€3.06
-67.35%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$3.64$3.64
$14.11€12.59
-74.20%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.01$3.01
$8.64€7.71
-65.16%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$9.80$9.80
$16.44€14.67
-40.39%
Apples(1kg)
$0.97$0.97
$2.53€2.25
-61.66%
Banana(1kg)
$1.49$1.49
$2.05€1.82
-27.32%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.88$0.88
$2.03€1.81
-56.65%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.58$0.58
$2.46€2.20
-76.42%
Potato(1kg)
$0.48$0.48
$1.87€1.67
-74.33%
Onion(1kg)
$0.49$0.49
$1.95€1.74
-74.87%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.49$0.49
$1.37€1.22
-64.23%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.25$0.25
$0.74€0.66
-66.22%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
$1.02$1.02
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.53$0.53
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.39$1.39
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.14$2.14
$6.61€5.90
-67.62%
Wine(Bottle)
-
$5.52€4.93
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.28€1.14
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.08€1.86
-
🚌 Getting Around
Iran
Spain
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.16$0.16
$1.64€1.46
-90.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$10.09$10.09
$32.79€29.25
-69.23%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.48$0.48
$3.91€3.49
-87.72%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.29$0.29
$1.32€1.17
-78.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$2.44$2.44
$26.47€23.61
-90.78%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.30$0.30
$1.75€1.56
-82.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$58.9K$58.9K
$34.9K€31.1K
69.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$52.9K$52.9K
$30.6K€27.3K
72.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iran
Spain
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$13.82$13.82
$146€130
-90.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$2.24$2.24
$17.77€15.85
-87.39%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$6.49$6.49
$32.25€28.77
-79.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Iran
Spain
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$16.50$16.50
$44.93€40.08
-63.28%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.32$12.32
$15.01€13.39
-17.92%
Cinema Ticket
$1.46$1.46
$9.36€8.35
-84.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Iran
Spain
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$80.2$80.2
$564€503
-85.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$1,168$1,168
$13.3K€11.8K
-91.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Iran
Spain
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$22.51$22.51
$84.3€75.2
-73.29%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.70$26.70
$37.06€33.06
-27.95%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$103$103
$91.2€81.3
13.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$60.8$60.8
$108€96.1
-43.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Iran
Spain
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$251$251
$1,025€914
-75.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$177$177
$829€740
-78.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$560$560
$1,641€1,464
-65.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$337$337
$1,231€1,098
-72.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$993$993
$4,131€3,684
-75.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$604$604
$2,739€2,443
-77.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Iran
Spain
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$244$244
$2,012€1,795
-87.86%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
23.49
3.3
611.82%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Iran: October 31, 2026
Last update for Spain: November 2, 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
$177 35.9%
Spain
$829 46.2% ↑ 368%$652
🛒Groceries & Markets
Iran
$108 21.8%
Spain
$272 15.2% ↑ 152%$164
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Iran
$96 19.4%
Spain
$144 8% ↑ 50.1%$48
🍽Eating Out
Iran
$59 11.9%
Spain
$241 13.4% ↑ 310%$182
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iran
$23 4.6%
Spain
$196 10.9% ↑ 769%$173
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Iran
$19 3.9%
Spain
$64 3.5% ↑ 228%$44
🚌Getting Around
Iran
$13 2.6%
Spain
$50 2.8% ↑ 294%$37
🏠Accommodation & Living
Iran
$337 30.3%
Spain
$1.2K 35.9% ↑ 265%$894
🛒Groceries & Markets
Iran
$264 23.7%
Spain
$649 18.9% ↑ 146%$384
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Iran
$213 19.2%
Spain
$320 9.3% ↑ 50.1%$107
🍽Eating Out
Iran
$197 17.7%
Spain
$770 22.5% ↑ 290%$573
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iran
$25 2.2%
Spain
$214 6.2% ↑ 762%$189
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Iran
$51 4.6%
Spain
$142 4.2% ↑ 178%$91
🚌Getting Around
Iran
$26 2.3%
Spain
$103 3% ↑ 302%$77
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $294 in Iran vs $937 in Spain. For reference, capital cities sit at $419 in Tehran and $1,525 in Madrid.
💰Average salary: $268 in Iran vs $1,975 in Spain. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 219% higher in Spain.
⭐Dining out costs 256% more in Spain.
⭐Public transport is 210% more expensive in Spain.
⭐Salaries are about 7.4 times higher in Spain, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Spain.
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 Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is cheaper: Iran or Spain?
Iran is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 72% lower on average.
Is rent more expensive in Iran or in Spain?
Housing costs more in Spain: a central one-bedroom averages $937 versus $294 in Iran.
How do daily expenses compare in Iran vs Spain?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Iran – part of why living there is about 72% cheaper overall.
Which country is better for expats: Iran or Spain?
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.