Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shiraz and Ardabil

For one person, living is cheaper in Ardabil: $508 a month against $542 in Shiraz, rent and utilities included – about $410 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Shiraz
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Shiraz Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Ardabil
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Ardabil Living Index

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Shiraz

🇮🇷 Iran

$542

/mo nomad

Ardabil

🇮🇷 Iran

$508

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shiraz and in Ardabil

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $542 in Shiraz versus $508 in Ardabil.

Shiraz $542
Ardabil $508

Estimated couple costs with rent: $813 in Shiraz versus $807 in Ardabil.

Shiraz $813
Ardabil $807

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,084 in Shiraz versus $1,106 in Ardabil.

Shiraz $1,084
Ardabil $1,106

Living in Shiraz is roughly 7% more expensive than in Ardabil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shiraz 60% lower, Ardabil 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 $4.63

$2.89 $2.89

60.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.20 $13.20

$14.95 $14.95

-11.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.92 $3.92

3.83%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.70 $0.70

40.00%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.00 $1.00

80.00%

Cappuccino

$1.21 $1.21

$1.20 $1.20

0.83%

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

$0.62 $0.62

$0.51 $0.51

21.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$0.65 $0.65

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 $0.41

$0.49 $0.49

-16.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.03 $2.03

-7.39%

Eggs

$1.18 $1.18

$1.15 $1.15

2.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$4.49 $4.49

-49.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.32 $3.32

-10.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.58 $9.58

$10.23 $10.23

-6.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.17 $1.17

-5.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.41 $1.41

9.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.87 $0.87

2.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 $0.60

$0.53 $0.53

13.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 $0.57

$0.50 $0.50

14.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.47 $0.47

10.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 $0.47

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 $0.21

$0.23 $0.23

-8.70%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.85 $0.85

4.71%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 $0.60

$0.53 $0.53

13.21%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.44 $1.44

20.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.25 $2.25

35.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.11 $0.11

$0.15 $0.15

-26.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$2.95 $2.95

$8.58 $8.58

-65.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 $0.41

$0.43 $0.43

-4.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 $0.20

$0.30 $0.30

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.32 $2.32

47.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.10 $0.10

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

$64.9K $64.9K

$42.9K $42.9K

51.20%

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

$53.3K $53.3K

$40.4K $40.4K

32.01%

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

$23.44 $23.44

$14.32 $14.32

63.69%

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

$1.98 $1.98

$1.70 $1.70

16.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.86 $16.86

$3.40 $3.40

395.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.75 $18.75

$15.84 $15.84

18.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.68 $13.68

$14.71 $14.71

-7.00%

Cinema Ticket

$2.02 $2.02

$1.98 $1.98

2.02%

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

$102 $102

$93.6 $93.6

9.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,401 $2,401

$2,121 $2,121

13.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.72 $22.72

$21.25 $21.25

6.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.07 $18.07

$25.29 $25.29

-28.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 $93.8

$96.5 $96.5

-2.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.6 $55.6

$65.6 $65.6

-15.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$293 $293

$292 $292

0.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 $218

$196 $196

11.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 $526

$775 $775

-32.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 $325

$339 $339

-4.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,127 $1,127

$1,188 $1,188

-5.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$517 $517

$506 $506

2.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$243 $243

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.3

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

Last update for Shiraz: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ardabil: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shiraz

$218 40.2%

Ardabil

$196 38.6% 10% $22

Groceries & Markets

Shiraz

$102 18.9%

Ardabil

$112 22.1% 9.7% $9.9

Clothing & Footwear

Shiraz

$86 15.8%

Ardabil

$94 18.5% 9.8% $8.4

Eating Out

Shiraz

$66 * 12.2%

Ardabil

$55 10.9% 16.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shiraz

$42 7.8%

Ardabil

$19 3.8% 54.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Shiraz

$23 4.2%

Ardabil

$20 3.9% 13.1% $3

Getting Around

Shiraz

$4.8 0.9%

Ardabil

$11 2.2% 132% $6.3

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 $292 in Ardabil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $13 in Shiraz vs $15 in Ardabil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $102 vs $112 per month, with Shiraz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Shiraz

🇮🇷 Ardabil

🕒 Local time

00:42 12:42 AM

Same time as Shiraz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,565,572

482,632

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shiraz Ardabil 1,040 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shiraz
Ardabil

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 Ardabil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ardabil is about 6% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $813 in Shiraz and $762 in Ardabil to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $293 in Shiraz versus $292 in Ardabil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Shiraz runs roughly 66% less than in Ardabil. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $102 in Shiraz versus $94 in Ardabil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Ardabil 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 Ardabil are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.