Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United Kingdom and Iran

Name: Iran
Address: IR

For one person, living is cheaper in Iran: $497 a month against $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $23,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in the United Kingdom
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United Kingdom Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Iran
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Iran Living Index

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🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,462

/mo nomad

🇮🇷 Iran

$497

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United Kingdom and in Iran

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

A single person spends $2,462 per month in the United Kingdom vs $497 in Iran, rent included.

United Kingdom $2,462
Iran $497

A couple spends around $3,600 per month in the United Kingdom vs $809 in Iran, rent included.

United Kingdom $3,600
Iran $809

A family of three spends $4,738 per month in the United Kingdom vs $1,121 in Iran, rent included.

United Kingdom $4,738
Iran $1,121

The regional cost range is wider in the United Kingdom ($1,126–$4,646) than in Iran ($361–$874), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United Kingdom is about 395% higher than in Iran on average.

The United Kingdom sits 81% above the global median, while Iran is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.48 £16.17

$3.41 $3.41

529.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.7 £64.5

$15.99 $15.99

436.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 £7.99

$3.95 $3.95

168.61%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.85 $0.85

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 $1.11

Cappuccino

$4.91 £3.70

$1.18 $1.18

316.10%

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

$2.66 £2.00

$0.53 $0.53

401.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.41

$0.85 $0.85

120.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 £4.99

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 £5.15

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.26

$0.62 $0.62

170.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 £1.29

$0.48 $0.48

258.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 £1.63

$2.35 $2.35

-7.66%

Eggs

$4.00 £3.01

$1.11 $1.11

260.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 £7.09

$3.74 $3.74

151.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.19 £6.91

$3.00 $3.00

206.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.77 £11.11

$9.85 $9.85

49.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 £2.23

$0.97 $0.97

206.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 £1.22

$1.47 $1.47

10.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 £2.15

$0.89 $0.89

220.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 £2.65

$0.58 $0.58

506.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 £1.38

$0.51 $0.51

258.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 £1.21

$0.46 $0.46

250.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.94

$0.51 $0.51

145.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 £1.25

$0.23 $0.23

621.74%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.01 $1.01

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 $0.53

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 $1.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.65 £17.80

$2.21 $2.21

970.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.50 £7.90

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.25

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 £2.64

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.98 £2.99

$0.15 $0.15

2553.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 £80.9

$10.20 $10.20

953.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.18 £3.90

$0.52 $0.52

896.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.35 £1.77

$0.31 $0.31

658.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.84 £20.20

$2.43 $2.43

1004.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.50

$0.28 $0.28

610.71%

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

$39.4K £29.7K

$59.2K $59.2K

-33.34%

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

$40.5K £30.5K

$52.7K $52.7K

-23.20%

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

$327 £246

$13.72 $13.72

2284.69%

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

$18.21 £13.71

$2.30 $2.30

691.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.60 £32.81

$6.70 $6.70

550.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.36 £31.88

$16.70 $16.70

153.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.22 £13.71

$12.24 $12.24

48.86%

Cinema Ticket

$13.85 £10.42

$1.54 $1.54

799.35%

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

$1,868 £1,406

$81.3 $81.3

2197.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K £17.0K

$1,146 $1,146

1874.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 £69.9

$22.85 $22.85

306.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.92 £34.56

$26.56 $26.56

72.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £76.5

$100 $100

1.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 £77.0

$62.5 $62.5

63.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 £1,010

$252 $252

432.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,073 £808

$180 $180

497.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,231 £1,679

$556 $556

301.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,742 £1,311

$345 $345

405.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,601 £4,216

$994 $994

463.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,265 £3,210

$585 $585

629.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,349 £2,521

$243 $243

1280.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

23.39

-77.26%

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

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 26, 2026

Last update for Iran: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United Kingdom

$1.1K 43.6%

Iran

$180 36.1% 83.3% $894

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United Kingdom

$389 15.8%

Iran

$23 4.6% 94.2% $366

Eating Out

United Kingdom

$328 13.3%

Iran

$59 11.8% 82.1% $269

Groceries & Markets

United Kingdom

$307 12.5%

Iran

$108 21.7% 64.9% $199

Clothing & Footwear

United Kingdom

$154 6.3%

Iran

$96 19.2% 38.1% $59

Getting Around

United Kingdom

$140 5.7%

Iran

$13 2.6% 90.8% $127

Sport & Entertainment

United Kingdom

$70 2.9%

Iran

$20 4% 71.8% $50

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,287 in the United Kingdom vs $295 in Iran. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,811 in London and $430 in Tehran.

Average salary: $3,251 in the United Kingdom vs $268 in Iran. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 336% higher in the United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 419% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 910% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are about 12 times higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.

Good to know

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🇮🇷 Iran

🕒 Local time

21:51 9:51 PM

01:21 1:21 AM

3 h 30 min ahead of the United Kingdom

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,326,569

86,758,304

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.753 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to GBP in detail →

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Between locations

United Kingdom Iran 4,400 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

United Kingdom
Iran

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

United Kingdom vs Iran: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iran is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 80% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United Kingdom: a central one-bedroom averages $1,287 versus $295 in Iran.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Iran – part of why living there is about 80% cheaper overall.

Iran is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.