Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tehran and Isfahan

For one person, living is cheaper in Isfahan: $470 a month against $627 in Tehran, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Tehran
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Tehran Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Isfahan
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Isfahan Living Index

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Tehran

🇮🇷 Iran

$627

/mo nomad

Isfahan

🇮🇷 Iran

$470

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tehran and in Isfahan

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

A single person spends $627 per month in Tehran vs $470 in Isfahan, rent included.

Tehran $627
Isfahan $470

A couple spends around $1,074 per month in Tehran vs $802 in Isfahan, rent included.

Tehran $1,074
Isfahan $802

A family of three spends $1,521 per month in Tehran vs $1,134 in Isfahan, rent included.

Tehran $1,521
Isfahan $1,134

Tehran costs about 33% more than Isfahan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tehran and Isfahan are more affordable than the global median – Tehran 54% lower, Isfahan 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 $3.84

$3.07 $3.07

25.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.95 $17.95

$12.72 $12.72

41.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.01 $3.01

33.55%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

$0.76 $0.76

-3.95%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.04 $2.04

-25.49%

Cappuccino

$1.34 $1.34

$1.01 $1.01

32.67%

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

$0.53 $0.53

$0.49 $0.49

8.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$0.48 $0.48

262.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$0.48 $0.48

45.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 $0.58

$0.46 $0.46

26.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.97 $1.97

75.13%

Eggs

$1.23 $1.23

$1.51 $1.51

-18.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$2.76 $2.76

57.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.42 $2.42

43.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.15 $10.15

$10.57 $10.57

-3.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 $1.34

$0.76 $0.76

76.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.28 $1.28

52.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.05 $1.05

13.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 $0.68

$0.61 $0.61

11.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.61 $0.61

-9.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.49 $0.49

4.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 $0.53

$0.59 $0.59

-10.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 $0.28

$0.21 $0.21

33.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.76 $0.76

$0.52 $0.52

46.15%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.51 $0.51

7.84%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.83 $0.83

153.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.07 $2.07

22.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.09 $0.09

$0.29 $0.29

-68.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.66 $5.66

$12.52 $12.52

-54.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.51 $0.51

-5.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.31 $0.31

-6.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.04 $2.04

49.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

$0.92 $0.92

-90.22%

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

$50.5K $50.5K

$67.9K $67.9K

-25.54%

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

$44.2K $44.2K

$58.5K $58.5K

-24.39%

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

$13.03 $13.03

$10.26 $10.26

27.00%

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

$1.58 $1.58

$1.99 $1.99

-20.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.62 $3.62

$7.48 $7.48

-51.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.77 $24.77

$13.64 $13.64

81.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.60 $13.60

$13.19 $13.19

3.11%

Cinema Ticket

$1.95 $1.95

$1.02 $1.02

91.18%

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

$108 $108

$72.2 $72.2

49.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,628 $2,628

$533 $533

392.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.05 $27.05

$18.62 $18.62

45.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.32 $37.32

$23.77 $23.77

57.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$86.2 $86.2

36.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.8 $74.8

$37.85 $37.85

97.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 $424

$289 $289

46.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 $262

$192 $192

35.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 $945

$1,311 $1,311

-27.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 $625

$454 $454

37.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,247 $1,247

$1,176 $1,176

6.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$723 $723

$736 $736

-1.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$210 $210

$203 $203

3.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.79

26.8

-7.50%

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

Last update for Tehran: October 12, 2026

Last update for Isfahan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tehran

$262 41.7%

Isfahan

$192 41% 26.5% $69

Groceries & Markets

Tehran

$127 20.3%

Isfahan

$102 21.7% 19.9% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Tehran

$115 18.4%

Isfahan

$75 15.9% 35.1% $41

Eating Out

Tehran

$68 10.8%

Isfahan

$50 10.6% 27% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Tehran

$29 4.6%

Isfahan

$16 3.3% 45.3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tehran

$18 2.9%

Isfahan

$20 4.2% 8.2% $1.5

Getting Around

Tehran

$8 1.3%

Isfahan

$16 3.4% 98.2% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $424 in Tehran versus $289 in Isfahan. 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 4% higher in Tehran, 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 $18.00 in Tehran versus $13.00 in Isfahan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $127 vs $102 – making Isfahan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Tehran

🇮🇷 Isfahan

🕒 Local time

23:03 11:03 PM

Same time as Tehran

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000,000 Capital

1,961,260

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Tehran vs Isfahan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tehran costs about 33% more than Isfahan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $940 per month in Tehran and $705 in Isfahan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Tehran and $13.00 in Isfahan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $627 in Tehran and $470 in Isfahan. That's a gap of about 33%.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $627 in Tehran and $470 in Isfahan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Isfahan – 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 Isfahan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tehran makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.