Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Isfahan and Tehran

For one person, living is cheaper in Isfahan: $470 a month against $627 in Tehran, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Tehran
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Tehran Living Index

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Isfahan

🇮🇷 Iran

$470

/mo nomad

Tehran

🇮🇷 Iran

$627

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Isfahan and in Tehran

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 Tehran actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $470 per month in Isfahan vs $627 in Tehran, rent included.

Isfahan $470
Tehran $627

A couple spends around $802 per month in Isfahan vs $1,074 in Tehran, rent included.

Isfahan $802
Tehran $1,074

A family of three spends $1,134 per month in Isfahan vs $1,521 in Tehran, rent included.

Isfahan $1,134
Tehran $1,521

Isfahan is about 25% cheaper than Tehran, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Isfahan and Tehran are more affordable than the global median – Isfahan 65% lower, Tehran 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 $3.07

$3.84 $3.84

-20.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.72 $12.72

$17.95 $17.95

-29.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.01 $3.01

$4.02 $4.02

-25.12%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.76 $0.76

$0.73 $0.73

4.11%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.52 $1.52

34.21%

Cappuccino

$1.01 $1.01

$1.34 $1.34

-24.63%

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

$0.49 $0.49

$0.53 $0.53

-7.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 $0.48

$1.74 $1.74

-72.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.70 $0.70

-31.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 $0.46

$0.58 $0.58

-20.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.45 $3.45

-42.90%

Eggs

$1.51 $1.51

$1.23 $1.23

22.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$4.35 $4.35

-36.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.47 $3.47

-30.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.57 $10.57

$10.15 $10.15

4.14%

Apples (1kg)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.34 $1.34

-43.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.95 $1.95

-34.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.19 $1.19

-11.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.68 $0.68

-10.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.55 $0.55

10.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$0.51 $0.51

-3.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 $0.59

$0.53 $0.53

11.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 $0.21

$0.28 $0.28

-25.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.76 $0.76

-31.58%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.55 $0.55

-7.27%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 $0.83

$2.10 $2.10

-60.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.54 $2.54

-18.50%

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

$5.66 $5.66

121.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.48 $0.48

6.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.29 $0.29

6.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.04 $3.04

-32.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$0.09 $0.09

922.22%

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

$67.9K $67.9K

$50.5K $50.5K

34.30%

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

$58.5K $58.5K

$44.2K $44.2K

32.26%

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

$10.26 $10.26

$13.03 $13.03

-21.26%

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

$1.99 $1.99

$1.58 $1.58

25.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.48 $7.48

$3.62 $3.62

106.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.64 $13.64

$24.77 $24.77

-44.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.19 $13.19

$13.60 $13.60

-3.01%

Cinema Ticket

$1.02 $1.02

$1.95 $1.95

-47.69%

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

$72.2 $72.2

$108 $108

-32.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$533 $533

$2,628 $2,628

-79.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.62 $18.62

$27.05 $27.05

-31.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.77 $23.77

$37.32 $37.32

-36.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 $86.2

$117 $117

-26.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.85 $37.85

$74.8 $74.8

-49.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$289 $289

$424 $424

-31.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 $192

$262 $262

-26.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 $1,311

$945 $945

38.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 $454

$625 $625

-27.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,176 $1,176

$1,247 $1,247

-5.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$736 $736

$723 $723

1.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 $203

$210 $210

-3.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.8

24.79

8.11%

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

Last update for Isfahan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tehran: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Isfahan

$192 41%

Tehran

$262 41.7% 36% $69

Groceries & Markets

Isfahan

$102 21.7%

Tehran

$127 20.3% 24.8% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Isfahan

$75 15.9%

Tehran

$115 18.4% 54.2% $41

Eating Out

Isfahan

$50 10.6%

Tehran

$68 10.8% 37.1% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Isfahan

$20 4.2%

Tehran

$18 2.9% 7.6% $1.5

Getting Around

Isfahan

$16 3.4%

Tehran

$8 1.3% 49.6% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Isfahan

$16 3.3%

Tehran

$29 4.6% 82.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $289 in Isfahan versus $424 in Tehran. 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 4% higher in Tehran, 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 $18.00 in Tehran. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $102 vs $127 – making Isfahan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Isfahan

🇮🇷 Tehran

🕒 Local time

03:58 3:58 AM

Same time as Isfahan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,961,260

8,000,000 Capital

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Tehran: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tehran costs about 33% more than Isfahan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 $940 in Tehran. 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 $18.00 in Tehran. 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 $627 in Tehran. That's a gap of about 33%.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $470 in Isfahan and $627 in Tehran, 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, Tehran makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.