Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zanjan and Shiraz

For one person, living is cheaper in Zanjan: $428 a month against $542 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.

21

Cost of Living Index in Zanjan
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Zanjan Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Shiraz
Learn more

Shiraz Living Index

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Zanjan

🇮🇷 Iran

$428

/mo nomad

Shiraz

🇮🇷 Iran

$542

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zanjan and in Shiraz

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $428 in Zanjan versus $542 in Shiraz.

Zanjan $428
Shiraz $542

Estimated couple costs with rent: $768 in Zanjan versus $813 in Shiraz.

Zanjan $768
Shiraz $813

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,108 in Zanjan versus $1,084 in Shiraz.

Zanjan $1,108
Shiraz $1,084

Living in Zanjan costs roughly 21% less than in Shiraz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zanjan 69% lower, Shiraz 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 $3.07

$4.63 $4.63

-33.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.14 $13.14

$13.20 $13.20

-0.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.03 $3.03

$4.07 $4.07

-25.55%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.67 $0.67

$0.98 $0.98

-31.63%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.80 $1.80

-43.89%

Cappuccino

$0.92 $0.92

$1.21 $1.21

-23.97%

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

$0.49 $0.49

$0.62 $0.62

-20.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 $1.18

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 $0.57

$0.41 $0.41

39.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 $3.20

$1.88 $1.88

70.21%

Eggs

$1.23 $1.23

$1.18 $1.18

4.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.27 $2.27

100.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.98 $2.98

9.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.09 $9.09

$9.58 $9.58

-5.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.11 $1.11

-4.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.55 $1.55

-1.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.82 $0.82

$0.89 $0.89

-7.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.45 $0.45

$0.60 $0.60

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 $0.53

$0.57 $0.57

-7.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 $0.47

$0.52 $0.52

-9.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 $0.40

$0.47 $0.47

-14.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 $0.24

$0.21 $0.21

14.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.73 $0.73

$0.89 $0.89

-17.98%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.60 $0.60

-8.33%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.73 $1.73

-12.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.73 $1.73

$3.04 $3.04

-43.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 $0.19

$0.11 $0.11

72.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.85 $9.85

$2.95 $2.95

233.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.41 $0.41

-24.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.20 $0.20

55.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 $1.02

$3.43 $3.43

-70.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.03 $0.03

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

$49.9K $49.9K

$64.9K $64.9K

-23.15%

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

$46.7K $46.7K

$53.3K $53.3K

-12.49%

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

$13.19 $13.19

$23.44 $23.44

-43.73%

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

$1.57 $1.57

$1.98 $1.98

-20.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.00 $4.00

$16.86 $16.86

-76.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.35 $12.35

$18.75 $18.75

-34.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.66 $12.66

$13.68 $13.68

-7.46%

Cinema Ticket

$2.04 $2.04

$2.02 $2.02

0.99%

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

$106 $106

$102 $102

4.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,544 $2,544

$2,401 $2,401

5.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.95 $26.95

$22.72 $22.72

18.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.23 $37.23

$18.07 $18.07

106.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$93.8 $93.8

25.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.3 $74.3

$55.6 $55.6

33.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$136 $136

$293 $293

-53.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.0 $99.0

$218 $218

-54.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 $384

$526 $526

-26.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 $314

$325 $325

-3.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$809 $809

$1,127 $1,127

-28.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$473 $473

$517 $517

-8.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$285 $285

$243 $243

17.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.3

-5.35%

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

Last update for Zanjan: October 25, 2026

Last update for Shiraz: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Clothing & Footwear

Zanjan

$115 26.9%

Shiraz

$86 15.8% 25.8% $30

Groceries & Markets

Zanjan

$115 26.8%

Shiraz

$102 18.9% 10.7% $12

Accommodation & Living

Zanjan

$99 23.1%

Shiraz

$218 40.2% 120% $119

Eating Out

Zanjan

$51 12%

Shiraz

$66 * 12.2% 28.9% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zanjan

$19 4.4%

Shiraz

$42 7.8% 125% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Zanjan

$16 3.8%

Shiraz

$23 4.2% 38.7% $6.4

Getting Around

Zanjan

$13 2.9%

Shiraz

$4.8 0.9% 61.7% $7.7

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 $136 in Zanjan and $293 in Shiraz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zanjan pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $13 in Zanjan vs $13 in Shiraz. Groceries flip the comparison at $115 vs $102, with Shiraz cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Zanjan

🇮🇷 Shiraz

🕒 Local time

20:17 8:17 PM

Same time as Zanjan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

386,851

1,565,572

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zanjan Shiraz 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Zanjan
Shiraz

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

Zanjan vs Shiraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zanjan is about 21% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Zanjan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $136 in Zanjan versus $293 in Shiraz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Shiraz pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $428 per month in Zanjan versus $542 in Shiraz – Zanjan is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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, Zanjan and Shiraz are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.