Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tehran and Kish

For one person, living is cheaper in Kish: $556 a month against $629 in Tehran, rent and utilities included – about $880 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Tehran
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Tehran Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Kish
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Kish Living Index

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Tehran

🇮🇷 Iran

$629

/mo nomad

Kish

🇮🇷 Iran

$556

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tehran and in Kish

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $629 in Tehran versus $556 in Kish.

Tehran $629
Kish $556

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,066 in Tehran versus $874 in Kish.

Tehran $1,066
Kish $874

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,503 in Tehran versus $1,193 in Kish.

Tehran $1,503
Kish $1,193

Living in Tehran is roughly 13% more expensive than in Kish, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tehran 54% lower, Kish 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 $3.45

$5.57 $5.57

-38.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.28 $16.28

$15.80 $15.80

3.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 $4.09

$4.61 $4.61

-11.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.69 $0.69

4.35%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.21 $1.21

25.62%

Cappuccino

$1.32 $1.32

$1.03 $1.03

28.16%

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

$0.53 $0.53

$0.50 $0.50

6.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$0.98 $0.98

75.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 $0.71

$0.64 $0.64

10.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 $0.62

$0.47 $0.47

31.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.09 $2.09

59.81%

Eggs

$1.26 $1.26

$1.22 $1.22

3.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.18 $4.18

7.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.41 $3.41

-1.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.13 $10.13

$11.56 $11.56

-12.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$0.94 $0.94

46.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.49 $1.49

25.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.75 $0.75

52.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 $0.64

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.59 $0.59

-6.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 $0.47

$0.49 $0.49

-4.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 $0.53

$0.59 $0.59

-10.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 $0.30

$0.21 $0.21

42.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.79 $0.79

$0.72 $0.72

9.72%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.48 $0.48

14.58%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.37 $1.37

54.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.68 $2.68

-5.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.10 $0.10

$0.16 $0.16

-37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.47 $5.47

$9.47 $9.47

-42.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.40 $0.40

30.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.32 $0.32

-9.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.68 $2.68

15.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

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

$51.0K $51.0K

$51.9K $51.9K

-1.82%

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

$45.1K $45.1K

$39.6K $39.6K

13.74%

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

$12.88 $12.88

$11.21 $11.21

14.90%

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

$1.60 $1.60

$1.79 $1.79

-10.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.63 $3.63

6.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.27 $24.27

$19.75 $19.75

22.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.15 $13.15

$13.18 $13.18

-0.23%

Cinema Ticket

$1.95 $1.95

$2.01 $2.01

-2.99%

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

$109 $109

$121 $121

-10.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,557 $2,557

$2,576 $2,576

-0.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.91 $26.91

$22.56 $22.56

19.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.60 $37.60

$28.77 $28.77

30.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$92.4 $92.4

27.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.7 $71.7

$74.9 $74.9

-4.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 $430

$289 $289

48.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 $269

$212 $212

26.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 $961

$808 $808

18.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 $628

$349 $349

79.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,268 $1,268

$1,302 $1,302

-2.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$717 $717

$548 $548

31.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$211 $211

$411 $411

-48.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.79

24.3

2.02%

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

Last update for Tehran: October 24, 2026

Last update for Kish: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tehran

$269 42.8%

Kish

$212 38.2% 21.2% $57

Groceries & Markets

Tehran

$126 20.1%

Kish

$116 20.9% 8.2% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Tehran

$114 18.2%

Kish

$98 17.7% 13.9% $16

Eating Out

Tehran

$65 10.3%

Kish

$77 13.8% 18.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Tehran

$28 4.5%

Kish

$24 4.3% 15.7% $4.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tehran

$18 2.9%

Kish

$17 3% 9.3% $1.7

Getting Around

Tehran

$7.8 1.3%

Kish

$12 2.2% 54.7% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Tehran and $289 in Kish. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kish pays 95% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $16 in Tehran vs $16 in Kish. Groceries flip the comparison at $126 vs $116, with Kish cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Tehran

🇮🇷 Kish

🕒 Local time

01:41 1:41 AM

Same time as Tehran

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000,000 Capital

24,819

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Tehran Kish 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tehran
Kish

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

Tehran vs Kish: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $629 in Tehran and $556 in Kish, so Kish is about 12% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Tehran. 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: $430 in Tehran versus $289 in Kish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $109 in Tehran versus $121 in Kish. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Tehran runs roughly 42% less than in Kish. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Kish 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.