For one person, living is cheaper in Shiraz: $544 a month against $885 in Sari, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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 Sari and in Shiraz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $885 in Sari versus $544 in Shiraz.
Sari $885
Shiraz $544
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,092 in Sari versus $809 in Shiraz.
Sari $1,092
Shiraz $809
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,299 in Sari versus $1,073 in Shiraz.
Sari $1,299
Shiraz $1,073
🌍
Living in Sari is roughly 63% more expensive than in Shiraz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Sari34% lower, Shiraz60% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Sari
Shiraz
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.83$3.83
$4.44$4.44
-13.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$11.96$11.96
$12.98$12.98
-7.86%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.90$3.90
$3.94$3.94
-1.02%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$0.73$0.73
$0.98$0.98
-25.51%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.85$0.85
$1.72$1.72
-50.58%
Cappuccino
$1.29$1.29
$1.22$1.22
5.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48$0.48
$0.65$0.65
-26.15%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56$0.56
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sari
Shiraz
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.48$0.48
$0.66$0.66
-27.27%
White Bread(500g)
$0.61$0.61
$0.45$0.45
35.56%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.30$3.30
$1.94$1.94
70.10%
Eggs
$1.23$1.23
$1.18$1.18
4.24%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$4.55$4.55
$2.35$2.35
93.62%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.39$3.39
$3.07$3.07
10.42%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$9.16$9.16
$9.79$9.79
-6.44%
Apples(1kg)
$1.34$1.34
$1.11$1.11
20.72%
Banana(1kg)
$1.88$1.88
$1.61$1.61
16.77%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.19$1.19
$0.96$0.96
23.96%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.64$0.64
$0.58$0.58
10.34%
Potato(1kg)
$0.54$0.54
$0.54$0.54
-
Onion(1kg)
$0.51$0.51
$0.52$0.52
-1.92%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.54$0.54
$0.51$0.51
5.88%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.28$0.28
$0.21$0.21
33.33%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
$0.78$0.78
$0.83$0.83
-6.02%
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)
$2.16$2.16
$1.66$1.66
30.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.44$2.44
$2.97$2.97
-17.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Sari
Shiraz
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
-
$0.09$0.09
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$9.88$9.88
$2.94$2.94
236.05%
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)
$3.08$3.08
$3.46$3.46
-10.98%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.08$0.08
-
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.9K$50.9K
$65.5K$65.5K
-22.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.8K$44.8K
$52.9K$52.9K
-15.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sari
Shiraz
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$12.89$12.89
$23.51$23.51
-45.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$1.64$1.64
$2.04$2.04
-19.61%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$3.78$3.78
$17.19$17.19
-78.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sari
Shiraz
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$50.8$50.8
$18.36$18.36
176.53%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.17$12.17
$13.63$13.63
-10.71%
Cinema Ticket
$0.97$0.97
$1.98$1.98
-51.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sari
Shiraz
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$50.8$50.8
$104$104
-51.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$805$805
$2,420$2,420
-66.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sari
Shiraz
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$26.52$26.52
$23.08$23.08
14.90%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.07$38.07
$18.07$18.07
110.68%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$116$116
$93.2$93.2
24.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$74.6$74.6
$54.9$54.9
35.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sari
Shiraz
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$799$799
$289$289
176.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$504$504
$220$220
129.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$688$688
$537$537
28.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$404$404
$315$315
28.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$849$849
$1,146$1,146
-25.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$516$516
$503$503
2.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sari
Shiraz
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$248$248
$242$242
2.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
24.79
24.3
2.02%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Sari: October 12, 2026
Last update for Shiraz: October 12, 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
Sari
$504 57%
Shiraz
$220 40.5% ↓ 56.3%$284
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sari
$121 13.7%
Shiraz
$105 19.2% ↓ 13.7%$17
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sari
$115 13%
Shiraz
$85 15.6% ↓ 25.7%$29
🍽Eating Out
Sari
$62 7%
Shiraz
$65 * 11.9% ↑ 4.3%$2.7
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sari
$53 6%
Shiraz
$22 4.1% ↓ 57.7%$30
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sari
$18 2.1%
Shiraz
$43 7.9% ↑ 133%$24
🚌Getting Around
Sari
$12 * 1.4%
Shiraz
$4.8 0.9% ↓ 59.9%$7.2
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Sari
$404 31.1%
Shiraz
$315 29.4% ↓ 22%$89
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sari
$293 22.6%
Shiraz
$258 24.1% ↓ 12%$35
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sari
$255 19.6%
Shiraz
$189 17.6% ↓ 25.7%$65
🍽Eating Out
Sari
$185 14.3%
Shiraz
$198 * 18.4% ↑ 6.7%$12
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sari
$118 9.1%
Shiraz
$58 5.4% ↓ 50.5%$59
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sari
$20 1.5%
Shiraz
$45 4.2% ↑ 125%$25
🚌Getting Around
Sari
$24 * 1.8%
Shiraz
$9.8 0.9% ↓ 59.2%$14
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $799 in Sari and $289 in Shiraz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Sari pays 2% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.
🛒Dining out: $12.00 in Sari vs $13.00 in Shiraz. Groceries flip the comparison at $121 vs $105, with Shiraz cheaper for home cooking.
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
Sari vs Shiraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Sari and in Shiraz?
Sari and Shiraz differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($885 vs $544 including rent). Shiraz is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Sari or Shiraz?
Average pay runs 2% higher in Sari, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Sari and in Shiraz?
Rent for a central apartment: $799 in Sari versus $289 in Shiraz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Sari. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Shiraz – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $12.00 in Sari. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $544 in Shiraz versus $885 in Sari, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shiraz but tight or insufficient in Sari. The gap between the two cities makes Shiraz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Sari and Shiraz?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Sari or Shiraz safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Sari and Shiraz are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Sari or Shiraz?
Expats usually find Shiraz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Sari. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.