Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shiraz and Urmia

For one person, living is cheaper in Urmia: $419 a month against $547 in Shiraz, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 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
20

Cost of Living Index in Urmia
Learn more

Urmia Living Index

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Shiraz

🇮🇷 Iran

$547

/mo nomad

Urmia

🇮🇷 Iran

$419

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shiraz and in Urmia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $547 in Shiraz versus $419 in Urmia.

Shiraz $547
Urmia $419

Estimated couple costs with rent: $811 in Shiraz versus $725 in Urmia.

Shiraz $811
Urmia $725

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,076 in Shiraz versus $1,030 in Urmia.

Shiraz $1,076
Urmia $1,030

Living in Shiraz is roughly 30% more expensive than in Urmia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shiraz 60% lower, Urmia 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 $4.41

$5.06 $5.06

-12.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.19 $13.19

$23.78 $23.78

-44.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.03 $4.03

$2.97 $2.97

35.69%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.26 $1.26

-18.25%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.57 $1.57

8.92%

Cappuccino

$1.22 $1.22

$1.09 $1.09

11.93%

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

$0.62 $0.62

$0.74 $0.74

-16.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 $0.49

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.62 $0.62

16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.42 $0.42

$0.44 $0.44

-4.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.35 $2.35

-19.15%

Eggs

$1.17 $1.17

$1.22 $1.22

-4.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$4.29 $4.29

-45.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.54 $2.54

18.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.68 $9.68

$6.37 $6.37

51.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$0.88 $0.88

20.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.46 $1.46

10.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 $0.90

$0.74 $0.74

21.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.67 $0.67

-17.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 $0.54

$0.52 $0.52

3.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 $0.53

$0.56 $0.56

-5.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.53 $0.53

-3.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.19 $0.19

$0.26 $0.26

-26.92%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.78 $0.78

14.10%

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)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.37 $1.37

27.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.13 $1.13

169.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.10 $0.10

$0.16 $0.16

-37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$2.92 $2.92

$9.65 $9.65

-69.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 $0.41

$0.39 $0.39

5.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 $0.22

$0.31 $0.31

-29.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.55 $2.55

40.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.10 $0.10

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

$66.1K $66.1K

$49.6K $49.6K

33.16%

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

$53.9K $53.9K

$44.0K $44.0K

22.52%

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

$24.16 $24.16

$12.79 $12.79

88.90%

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

$2.04 $2.04

$1.58 $1.58

29.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.09 $17.09

$3.65 $3.65

368.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.82 $18.82

$9.38 $9.38

100.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.51 $13.51

$13.16 $13.16

2.66%

Cinema Ticket

$1.97 $1.97

$2.02 $2.02

-2.48%

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

$103 $103

$106 $106

-2.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,367 $2,367

$2,393 $2,393

-1.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.34 $22.34

$22.69 $22.69

-1.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.26 $18.26

$27.94 $27.94

-34.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 $95.4

$97.7 $97.7

-2.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.0 $56.0

$32.75 $32.75

70.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$291 $291

$175 $175

65.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 $222

$130 $130

70.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 $540

$326 $326

65.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 $316

$271 $271

16.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,119 $1,119

$712 $712

57.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$505 $505

$594 $594

-14.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$237 $237

$277 $277

-14.15%

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 17, 2026

Last update for Urmia: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shiraz

$222 40.6%

Urmia

$130 31% 41.3% $92

Groceries & Markets

Shiraz

$103 18.9%

Urmia

$97 23.1% 6% $6.2

Clothing & Footwear

Shiraz

$86 15.8%

Urmia

$81 19.4% 5.7% $4.9

Eating Out

Shiraz

$65 * 11.8%

Urmia

$67 16.1% 4.3% $2.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shiraz

$43 7.9%

Urmia

$18 4.3% 58.4% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Shiraz

$23 4.2%

Urmia

$13 3.2% 41% $9.3

Getting Around

Shiraz

$4.8 0.9%

Urmia

$12 2.9% 154% $7.4

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 $291 in Shiraz and $175 in Urmia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Urmia pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $13.00 in Shiraz vs $24.00 in Urmia. Groceries flip the comparison at $103 vs $97.0, with Urmia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Shiraz

🇮🇷 Urmia

🕒 Local time

20:31 8:31 PM

Same time as Shiraz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,565,572

736,224

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Shiraz Urmia 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Shiraz
Urmia

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 Urmia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Urmia is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Urmia. 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: $291 in Shiraz versus $175 in Urmia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $103 in Shiraz versus $106 in Urmia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Shiraz. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Urmia 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 Urmia are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Urmia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Shiraz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.