Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shiraz and Arak

For one person, living is cheaper in Arak: $480 a month against $542 in Shiraz, rent and utilities included – about $740 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Shiraz
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Shiraz Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Arak
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Arak Living Index

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Shiraz

🇮🇷 Iran

$542

/mo nomad

Arak

🇮🇷 Iran

$480

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shiraz and in Arak

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Shiraz and in Arak actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $542 in Shiraz versus $480 in Arak.

Shiraz $542
Arak $480

Estimated couple costs with rent: $813 in Shiraz versus $755 in Arak.

Shiraz $813
Arak $755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,084 in Shiraz versus $1,030 in Arak.

Shiraz $1,084
Arak $1,030

Living in Shiraz is roughly 13% more expensive than in Arak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shiraz 60% lower, Arak 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 $4.63

$3.55 $3.55

30.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.20 $13.20

$12.88 $12.88

2.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.07 $4.07

$4.09 $4.09

-0.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.73 $0.73

34.25%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$0.57 $0.57

215.79%

Cappuccino

$1.21 $1.21

$1.33 $1.33

-9.02%

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

$0.62 $0.62

$0.51 $0.51

21.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$0.54 $0.54

29.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 $0.41

$0.58 $0.58

-29.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.96 $1.96

-4.08%

Eggs

$1.18 $1.18

$1.28 $1.28

-7.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.14 $2.14

6.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.53 $2.53

17.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.58 $9.58

$10.31 $10.31

-7.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.77 $0.77

44.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$0.94 $0.94

64.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.63 $0.63

41.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 $0.60

$0.48 $0.48

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 $0.57

$0.42 $0.42

35.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.44 $0.44

18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 $0.47

$0.48 $0.48

-2.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 $0.21

$0.28 $0.28

-25.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.76 $0.76

17.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 $0.60

$0.55 $0.55

9.09%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.17 $2.17

-20.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.52 $2.52

20.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.11 $0.11

$0.10 $0.10

10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$2.95 $2.95

$9.70 $9.70

-69.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 $0.41

$0.25 $0.25

64.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 $0.20

$0.12 $0.12

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 $3.43

$1.02 $1.02

236.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.10 $0.10

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

$64.9K $64.9K

$50.3K $50.3K

28.89%

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

$53.3K $53.3K

$35.0K $35.0K

52.54%

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

$23.44 $23.44

$10.03 $10.03

133.70%

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

$1.98 $1.98

$1.43 $1.43

38.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.86 $16.86

$4.01 $4.01

320.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.75 $18.75

$9.93 $9.93

88.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.68 $13.68

$24.64 $24.64

-44.48%

Cinema Ticket

$2.02 $2.02

$1.11 $1.11

81.98%

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

$102 $102

$83.3 $83.3

22.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,401 $2,401

$2,372 $2,372

1.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.72 $22.72

$13.59 $13.59

67.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.07 $18.07

$8.51 $8.51

112.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 $93.8

$81.9 $81.9

14.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.6 $55.6

$52.1 $52.1

6.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$293 $293

$294 $294

-0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 $218

$210 $210

3.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 $526

$781 $781

-32.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 $325

$357 $357

-8.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,127 $1,127

$1,369 $1,369

-17.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$517 $517

$647 $647

-20.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$243 $243

$375 $375

-35.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.3

18.5

31.35%

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

Last update for Shiraz: October 27, 2026

Last update for Arak: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shiraz

$218 40.2%

Arak

$210 43.7% 3.7% $8

Groceries & Markets

Shiraz

$102 18.9%

Arak

$96 20% 6.3% $6.4

Clothing & Footwear

Shiraz

$86 15.8%

Arak

$70 14.6% 17.9% $15

Eating Out

Shiraz

$66 * 12.2%

Arak

$65 13.6% 1.5% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shiraz

$42 7.8%

Arak

$15 3.2% 63.4% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Shiraz

$23 4.2%

Arak

$12 2.5% 46.7% $11

Getting Around

Shiraz

$4.8 0.9%

Arak

$11 2.3% 129% $6.2

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 $293 in Shiraz and $294 in Arak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arak pays 55% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $13 in Shiraz vs $13 in Arak. Groceries flip the comparison at $102 vs $96, with Arak cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Shiraz

🇮🇷 Arak

🕒 Local time

07:55 7:55 AM

Same time as Shiraz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,565,572

526,200

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shiraz Arak 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Shiraz
Arak

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

Shiraz vs Arak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arak is about 11% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, utilities, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Shiraz. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $293 in Shiraz versus $294 in Arak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $102 in Shiraz versus $83 in Arak. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Shiraz runs roughly 70% less than in Arak. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Arak gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Safety-wise, Shiraz and Arak are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.