Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sanandaj and Shiraz

For one person, living is cheaper in Sanandaj: $403 a month against $544 in Shiraz, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Sanandaj
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Sanandaj Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Shiraz
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Shiraz Living Index

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Sanandaj

🇮🇷 Iran

$403

/mo nomad

Shiraz

🇮🇷 Iran

$544

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $403 per month in Sanandaj vs $544 in Shiraz, rent included.

Sanandaj $403
Shiraz $544

A couple spends around $666 per month in Sanandaj vs $813 in Shiraz, rent included.

Sanandaj $666
Shiraz $813

A family of three spends $929 per month in Sanandaj vs $1,082 in Shiraz, rent included.

Sanandaj $929
Shiraz $1,082

Sanandaj is about 26% cheaper than Shiraz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Sanandaj and Shiraz are more affordable than the global median – Sanandaj 70% lower, Shiraz 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.20 $3.20

$4.46 $4.46

-28.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.15 $16.15

$12.88 $12.88

25.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 $4.01

$4.12 $4.12

-2.67%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.97 $0.97

-47.42%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.70 $1.70

-42.35%

Cappuccino

$1.02 $1.02

$1.21 $1.21

-15.70%

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

$0.63 $0.63

$0.60 $0.60

5.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$0.67 $0.67

11.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 $0.68

$0.45 $0.45

51.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.88 $1.88

4.79%

Eggs

$0.99 $0.99

$1.19 $1.19

-16.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.25 $2.25

99.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.94 $2.94

-4.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.02 $10.02

0.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.12 $1.12

-2.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.56 $1.56

-5.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.90 $0.90

-1.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.59 $0.59

22.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 $0.73

$0.53 $0.53

37.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 $0.77

$0.53 $0.53

45.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 $0.62

$0.47 $0.47

31.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 $0.33

$0.21 $0.21

57.14%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.79 $0.79

$0.87 $0.87

-9.20%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.74 $1.74

-23.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.97 $2.97

-14.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 $0.13

$0.11 $0.11

18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.70 $9.70

$2.98 $2.98

225.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 $0.39

$0.38 $0.38

2.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.20 $0.20

45.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.53 $3.53

-26.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

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

$50.0K $50.0K

$66.2K $66.2K

-24.40%

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

$46.4K $46.4K

$53.1K $53.1K

-12.52%

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

$10.14 $10.14

$23.42 $23.42

-56.70%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$2.07 $2.07

42.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.95 $3.95

$16.82 $16.82

-76.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$5.97 $5.97

$18.40 $18.40

-67.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.64 $13.64

$13.74 $13.74

-0.73%

Cinema Ticket

$1.02 $1.02

$2.04 $2.04

-50.00%

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

$107 $107

$103 $103

4.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,390 $2,390

$2,386 $2,386

0.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.96 $15.96

$22.62 $22.62

-29.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.18 $28.18

$18.48 $18.48

52.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.5 $63.5

$96.3 $96.3

-34.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.7 $72.7

$54.6 $54.6

33.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$156 $156

$293 $293

-46.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$113 $113

$219 $219

-48.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 $333

$545 $545

-38.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 $199

$323 $323

-38.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$800 $800

$1,154 $1,154

-30.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$287 $287

$503 $503

-42.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$252 $252

$237 $237

6.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.3

-9.47%

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

Last update for Sanandaj: November 1, 2026

Last update for Shiraz: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sanandaj

$116 28.7%

Shiraz

$103 19% 10.5% $12

Accommodation & Living

Sanandaj

$113 28%

Shiraz

$219 40.3% 94.4% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Sanandaj

$81 20.1%

Shiraz

$86 15.9% 6.5% $5.3

Eating Out

Sanandaj

$56 14%

Shiraz

$65 * 12% 15% $8.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sanandaj

$17 4.2%

Shiraz

$42 7.8% 149% $25

Getting Around

Sanandaj

$12 3%

Shiraz

$4.8 0.9% 60.2% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Sanandaj

$8 2%

Shiraz

$22 4.1% 180% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $156 in Sanandaj versus $293 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 7% higher in Sanandaj, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Sanandaj versus $13 in Shiraz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $116 vs $103 – making Shiraz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Sanandaj

🇮🇷 Shiraz

🕒 Local time

23:35 11:35 PM

Same time as Sanandaj

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

412,767

1,565,572

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sanandaj Shiraz 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sanandaj
Shiraz

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

Sanandaj vs Shiraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shiraz costs about 35% more than Sanandaj, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $604 per month in Sanandaj and $815 in Shiraz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sanandaj, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $156 there versus $293 in Shiraz.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $403 in Sanandaj and $544 in Shiraz. That makes Sanandaj about 26% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 69% less in Shiraz. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $403 in Sanandaj and $544 in Shiraz, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Shiraz has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $403 in Sanandaj to $544 in Shiraz. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.