Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tabriz and Xiamen

For one person, living is cheaper in Tabriz: $409 a month against $831 in Xiamen, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Tabriz
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Tabriz Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Xiamen
Learn more

Xiamen Living Index

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Tabriz

🇮🇷 Iran

$409

/mo nomad

Xiamen

🇨🇳 China

$831

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tabriz and in Xiamen

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

A single person spends $409 per month in Tabriz vs $831 in Xiamen, rent included.

Tabriz $409
Xiamen $831

A couple spends around $689 per month in Tabriz vs $1,338 in Xiamen, rent included.

Tabriz $689
Xiamen $1,338

A family of three spends $968 per month in Tabriz vs $1,846 in Xiamen, rent included.

Tabriz $968
Xiamen $1,846

Tabriz is about 51% cheaper than Xiamen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tabriz and Xiamen are more affordable than the global median – Tabriz 70% lower, Xiamen 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.06 $3.06

$2.91 ¥19.48

5.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.10 $15.10

$23.99 ¥160

-37.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.98 $3.98

$5.29 ¥35.36

-24.76%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 $1.06

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 $1.11

Cappuccino

$1.36 $1.36

$2.54 ¥17.01

-46.46%

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

$0.59 $0.59

$0.49 ¥3.28

20.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 $0.62

$0.33 ¥2.19

87.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.88

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ¥19.71

Milk (1 liter)

$0.59 $0.59

$1.53 ¥10.25

-61.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.37 $0.37

$2.35 ¥15.74

-84.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.00 ¥6.67

260.00%

Eggs

$0.91 $0.91

$1.63 ¥10.89

-44.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$12.09 ¥80.9

-60.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.45 ¥16.40

16.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.65 $9.65

$12.00 ¥80.2

-19.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.53 ¥16.91

-60.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.44 ¥9.60

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.66 ¥11.07

-48.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 $0.57

$2.00 ¥13.36

-71.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 $0.53

$0.98 ¥6.52

-45.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 $0.51

$1.76 ¥11.78

-71.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 $0.42

$0.86 ¥5.74

-51.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.19 $0.19

$0.50 ¥3.37

-62.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.58 $0.58

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 $0.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.07 $2.07

$3.07 ¥20.53

-32.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.33 ¥75.7

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.32

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ¥11.29

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.09 $0.09

$0.16 ¥1.04

-43.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.10 $12.10

$11.97 ¥80.0

1.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 $0.41

$1.53 ¥10.20

-73.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 $0.21

$0.31 ¥2.10

-32.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 $3.91

$7.37 ¥49.26

-46.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

$1.26 ¥8.42

-92.86%

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

$73.4K $73.4K

$19.1K ¥127.9K

283.68%

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

$53.0K $53.0K

$17.7K ¥118.1K

200.03%

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

$14.19 $14.19

$44.38 ¥297

-68.03%

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

$1.91 $1.91

$8.49 ¥56.8

-77.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.57 $5.57

$10.38 ¥69.4

-46.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.36 $14.36

$47.51 ¥318

-69.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.65 $24.65

$10.64 ¥71.2

131.67%

Cinema Ticket

$1.49 $1.49

$10.16 ¥67.9

-85.33%

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

$60.6 $60.6

$491 ¥3,284

-87.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$550 $550

$24.3K ¥162.2K

-97.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.57 $15.57

$38.94 ¥260

-60.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.66 $10.66

$29.13 ¥195

-63.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 $75.3

$103 ¥690

-27.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.19 $49.19

$85.0 ¥568

-42.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$151 $151

$355 ¥2,375

-57.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$119 $119

$265 ¥1,771

-54.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$374 $374

$841 ¥5,623

-55.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$248 $248

$547 ¥3,655

-54.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$860 $860

$8,609 ¥57.6K

-90.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$837 $837

$4,717 ¥31.5K

-82.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$232 $232

$1,182 ¥7,901

-80.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.5

3.46

550.29%

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

Last update for Tabriz: October 11, 2026

Last update for Xiamen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tabriz

$119 29.2%

Xiamen

$265 31.9% 122% $146

Groceries & Markets

Tabriz

$111 27.2%

Xiamen

$218 26.2% 95.8% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Tabriz

$68 16.6%

Xiamen

$115 13.9% 70% $48

Eating Out

Tabriz

$58 14.1%

Xiamen

$86 10.4% 49.7% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tabriz

$22 5.3%

Xiamen

$63 7.6% 192% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Tabriz

$17 4.2%

Xiamen

$68 8.2% 291% $50

Getting Around

Tabriz

$14 3.4%

Xiamen

$16 1.9% 12.9% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $151 in Tabriz versus $355 in Xiamen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 408% higher in Xiamen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in Tabriz versus $24.00 in Xiamen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $111 vs $218 – making Tabriz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Tabriz

🇨🇳 Xiamen

🕒 Local time

03:44 3:44 AM

08:14 8:14 AM

4 h 30 min ahead of Tabriz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,558,693

3,531,000

💱 Currency

USD USD

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Tabriz Xiamen 6,820 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Tabriz
Xiamen

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

Tabriz vs Xiamen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Xiamen costs about 103% more than Tabriz, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $613 per month in Tabriz and $1,246 in Xiamen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tabriz, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $60.6 per month in Tabriz and $491 in Xiamen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 96% more in Xiamen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $409 in Tabriz and $831 in Xiamen, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Tabriz – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Tabriz. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Xiamen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.