Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Isfahan and Shiraz

For one person, living is cheaper in Isfahan: $470 a month against $544 in Shiraz, rent and utilities included – about $890 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Isfahan
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Isfahan Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Shiraz
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Shiraz Living Index

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Isfahan

🇮🇷 Iran

$470

/mo nomad

Shiraz

🇮🇷 Iran

$544

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Isfahan 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 Isfahan and in Shiraz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $470 per month in Isfahan vs $544 in Shiraz, rent included.

Isfahan $470
Shiraz $544

A couple spends around $802 per month in Isfahan vs $809 in Shiraz, rent included.

Isfahan $802
Shiraz $809

A family of three spends $1,134 per month in Isfahan vs $1,073 in Shiraz, rent included.

Isfahan $1,134
Shiraz $1,073

Isfahan is about 14% cheaper than Shiraz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Isfahan and Shiraz are more affordable than the global median – Isfahan 65% lower, Shiraz 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 $3.07

$4.44 $4.44

-30.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.72 $12.72

$12.98 $12.98

-2.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.94 $3.94

-23.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.76 $0.76

$0.98 $0.98

-22.45%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.72 $1.72

18.60%

Cappuccino

$1.01 $1.01

$1.22 $1.22

-17.21%

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

$0.49 $0.49

$0.65 $0.65

-24.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 $0.48

Milk (1 liter)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.66 $0.66

-27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 $0.46

$0.45 $0.45

2.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.94 $1.94

1.55%

Eggs

$1.51 $1.51

$1.18 $1.18

27.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.35 $2.35

17.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.07 $3.07

-21.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.57 $10.57

$9.79 $9.79

7.97%

Apples (1kg)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.11 $1.11

-31.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.61 $1.61

-20.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 $1.05

$0.96 $0.96

9.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.58 $0.58

5.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.54 $0.54

12.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$0.52 $0.52

-5.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 $0.59

$0.51 $0.51

15.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 $0.21

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.83 $0.83

-37.35%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.61 $0.61

-16.39%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.66 $1.66

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.97 $2.97

-30.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.09 $0.09

222.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.52 $12.52

$2.94 $2.94

325.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.38 $0.38

34.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.22 $0.22

40.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.46 $3.46

-41.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

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

$67.9K $67.9K

$65.5K $65.5K

3.55%

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

$58.5K $58.5K

$52.9K $52.9K

10.65%

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

$10.26 $10.26

$23.51 $23.51

-56.36%

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

$1.99 $1.99

$2.04 $2.04

-2.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.48 $7.48

$17.19 $17.19

-56.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.64 $13.64

$18.36 $18.36

-25.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.19 $13.19

$13.63 $13.63

-3.23%

Cinema Ticket

$1.02 $1.02

$1.98 $1.98

-48.48%

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

$72.2 $72.2

$104 $104

-30.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$533 $533

$2,420 $2,420

-77.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.62 $18.62

$23.08 $23.08

-19.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.77 $23.77

$18.07 $18.07

31.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 $86.2

$93.2 $93.2

-7.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.85 $37.85

$54.9 $54.9

-31.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$289 $289

-0.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 $192

$220 $220

-12.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 $1,311

$537 $537

143.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 $454

$315 $315

44.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,176 $1,176

$1,146 $1,146

2.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$736 $736

$503 $503

46.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 $203

$242 $242

-16.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.8

24.3

10.29%

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

Last update for Isfahan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Shiraz: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Isfahan

$192 41%

Shiraz

$220 40.5% 14.4% $28

Groceries & Markets

Isfahan

$102 21.7%

Shiraz

$105 19.2% 2.7% $2.7

Clothing & Footwear

Isfahan

$75 15.9%

Shiraz

$85 15.6% 13.7% $10

Eating Out

Isfahan

$50 10.6%

Shiraz

$65 * 11.9% 30.4% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Isfahan

$20 4.2%

Shiraz

$43 7.9% 117% $23

Getting Around

Isfahan

$16 3.4%

Shiraz

$4.8 0.9% 69.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Isfahan

$16 3.3%

Shiraz

$22 4.1% 42.3% $6.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $289 in Isfahan versus $289 in Shiraz. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 19% higher in Shiraz, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Isfahan versus $13.00 in Shiraz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $102 vs $105 – making Isfahan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Isfahan

🇮🇷 Shiraz

🕒 Local time

06:49 6:49 AM

Same time as Isfahan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,961,260

1,565,572

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Isfahan Shiraz 350 km

From you

Isfahan
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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

Isfahan vs Shiraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shiraz costs about 16% more than Isfahan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $705 per month in Isfahan and $816 in Shiraz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Isfahan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Isfahan and $13.00 in Shiraz. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $470 in Isfahan and $544 in Shiraz. That's a gap of about 16%.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $470 in Isfahan and $544 in Shiraz, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Isfahan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Isfahan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shiraz makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.