Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shiraz and Zanjan

For one person, living is cheaper in Zanjan: $428 a month against $547 in Shiraz, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Shiraz outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

26

Cost of Living Index in Shiraz
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Shiraz Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Zanjan
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Zanjan Living Index

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Shiraz

🇮🇷 Iran

$547

/mo nomad

Zanjan

🇮🇷 Iran

$428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shiraz and in Zanjan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $547 in Shiraz versus $428 in Zanjan.

Shiraz $547
Zanjan $428

Estimated couple costs with rent: $811 in Shiraz versus $768 in Zanjan.

Shiraz $811
Zanjan $768

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,076 in Shiraz versus $1,108 in Zanjan.

Shiraz $1,076
Zanjan $1,108

Living in Shiraz is roughly 28% more expensive than in Zanjan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shiraz 60% lower, Zanjan 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 $4.41

$2.91 $2.91

51.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.19 $13.19

$12.89 $12.89

2.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.03 $4.03

$2.98 $2.98

35.23%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.68 $0.68

51.47%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$0.98 $0.98

74.49%

Cappuccino

$1.22 $1.22

$0.95 $0.95

28.42%

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

$0.62 $0.62

$0.52 $0.52

19.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 $1.13

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.70 $0.70

2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.42 $0.42

$0.58 $0.58

-27.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$3.21 $3.21

-40.81%

Eggs

$1.17 $1.17

$1.23 $1.23

-4.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$4.35 $4.35

-46.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.43 $3.43

-11.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.68 $9.68

$9.26 $9.26

4.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.03 $1.03

2.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.50 $1.50

8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 $0.90

$0.81 $0.81

11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.49 $0.49

12.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 $0.54

$0.53 $0.53

1.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 $0.53

$0.50 $0.50

6.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.41 $0.41

24.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.19 $0.19

$0.24 $0.24

-20.83%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.68 $0.68

30.88%

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

$1.52 $1.52

14.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.80 $1.80

69.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.10 $0.10

$0.23 $0.23

-56.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$2.92 $2.92

$10.06 $10.06

-70.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 $0.41

$0.29 $0.29

41.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 $0.22

$0.29 $0.29

-24.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.01 $1.01

255.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.03 $0.03

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

$66.1K $66.1K

$50.5K $50.5K

30.82%

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

$53.9K $53.9K

$46.4K $46.4K

16.16%

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

$24.16 $24.16

$12.92 $12.92

87.00%

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

$2.04 $2.04

$1.62 $1.62

25.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.09 $17.09

$3.80 $3.80

349.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.82 $18.82

$12.75 $12.75

47.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.51 $13.51

$12.70 $12.70

6.38%

Cinema Ticket

$1.97 $1.97

$1.96 $1.96

0.51%

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

$103 $103

$107 $107

-3.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,367 $2,367

$2,543 $2,543

-6.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.34 $22.34

$26.07 $26.07

-14.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.26 $18.26

$37.20 $37.20

-50.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 $95.4

$115 $115

-16.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.0 $56.0

$76.3 $76.3

-26.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$291 $291

$136 $136

113.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 $222

$100 $100

120.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 $540

$385 $385

40.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 $316

$318 $318

-0.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,119 $1,119

$790 $790

41.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$505 $505

$470 $470

7.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$237 $237

$283 $283

-16.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.3

5.65%

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

Last update for Shiraz: October 17, 2026

Last update for Zanjan: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shiraz

$222 40.6%

Zanjan

$100 23.5% 54.7% $121

Groceries & Markets

Shiraz

$103 18.9%

Zanjan

$115 26.9% 11.9% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Shiraz

$86 15.8%

Zanjan

$114 26.7% 32.4% $28

Eating Out

Shiraz

$65 * 11.8%

Zanjan

$50 11.8% 22.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shiraz

$43 7.9%

Zanjan

$18 4.3% 57.6% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Shiraz

$23 4.2%

Zanjan

$17 3.9% 26.7% $6.1

Getting Around

Shiraz

$4.8 0.9%

Zanjan

$13 3% 164% $7.9

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 $136 in Zanjan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zanjan pays 19% 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 $13.00 in Zanjan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $103 vs $115 per month, with Shiraz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Shiraz

🇮🇷 Zanjan

🕒 Local time

01:36 1:36 AM

Same time as Shiraz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,565,572

386,851

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shiraz Zanjan 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shiraz
Zanjan

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 Zanjan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zanjan is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and utilities. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Zanjan. 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 $136 in Zanjan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $103 in Shiraz versus $107 in Zanjan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Shiraz pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Zanjan 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 Zanjan 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 Zanjan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Shiraz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.