Shiraz, Iran's capital of Persian poetryIran · population 1.6 million city · index 5.8 of 10

Shiraz in 200 words.

Shiraz scored 5.8 on the everycity index in 2026. The headline numbers: a central one bedroom rents at 220 dollars a month, the monthly all in cost runs 480 dollars for a single resident, the income tax tops out at 30 percent with the floor at a tax free band at the bottom, and the safety score is 6.6 on the same 10 point scale we apply to Tehran, London, and New York.

The case for Shiraz runs through agriculture, refining, and higher education, a low cost of living, and a setting that rewards the resident who looks past the obvious metropolitan names. The case against is named in section 12. If you want the comparison view instead, start with Dubai vs Istanbul or Athens vs Istanbul, then return here for the deep read. the middle east places the city on the regional table, and the Iran sits in the wider Middle East report.

The data feeding this report is drawn from the sources listed at the foot of the page and explained in our 2026 cost of living report and on the methodology page. Numbers are May 2026 unless stated otherwise. Currency is local with a dollar conversion where the original is not the dollar. The index blends 18 weighted inputs, from rent to internet speed, into the single figure in the badge above.

One reading note. This is the long form report. If you only want the headline figure, the city score generator returns the index with custom weights in 30 seconds, the cost converter tells you what your home salary needs to become here, and the relocation score tool grades your current city against this one out of 100. Skim the section eyebrows and jump to the question you came with.

A 6.6 read on streets, day and night.

Shiraz scored 6.6 overall. The breakdown matters more than the headline.

Against the rest of the index, Shiraz sits at 6.6 overall. The safest cities ranking places Singapore at 9.5 and Tokyo at 9.4 as the Asian anchors; for comparison London reads 7.4 and New York 7.6. The four categories behind the score are violent crime, property crime, traffic safety, and emergency response time.

The numbers tell the honest story for Shiraz. The score is strongest on the 7.2 family reading and weakest on the 6.4 after dark figure, which is the variable that should drive neighborhood choice. The solo female safety ranking and the family safety ranking show how the city scores on those axes against the field, and the safest cities in Asia ranking sets the wider benchmark.

Practical notes for new residents: carry an international policy from SafetyWing for the first months while local cover is arranged, register with the local authorities within the qualifying window of arrival, and read the full safety methodology on the methodology page before you weight this section against the others. The family safety ranking is the cross reference for households.

Who pays, and how much the tax takes back.

Salary medians are May 2026, from Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, and national statistics. Tax figures are from the official revenue authority.

Shiraz turns on agriculture, refining, and the university. The Fars province farmland sends grain, citrus, and the famous flowers through the city, the Shiraz oil refinery and the electronics works anchor industry, and Shiraz University and the medical schools make the city a national center for higher education and medicine. The take home math is sensitive to deductions; the tax calculator tool is the cleanest way to run a real offer. For benchmarking, the highest paying cities ranking and the cities for tech jobs ranking cover the field on one chart, and the highest paying cities in Asia ranking sets the regional benchmark.

Note on tax: the income tax tops out at 30 percent with the floor at a tax free band at the bottom. Run your own number, not the headline, because the effective rate after standard deductions lands well below the marginal top. Working culture is its own variable here; the typical professional role expects 40 to 50 hours a week between the published and the practical reading, and negotiating the contract before signing matters more than in most cities.

Career mobility for the relocated worker, particularly the foreign passport holder, is worth pricing in before you sign. The work permit usually ties the foreign worker to the qualifying employer, so a change of job can mean a change of visa. The visa guide 2026 covers the path and the timelines, the spouse visa guide covers the dual income question that two thirds of relocating families underestimate, and the relocation checklist lists the documents recruiters skip.

The system, the cost, the wait.

Healthcare scored 6.0 on a 10 point scale. The methodology weights access, cost, and outcomes equally.

The local system runs through the Namazi Hospital, one of the largest teaching hospitals in the country, the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences network, and a strong private tier, and the city is a recognized destination for domestic medical travel, though international sanctions complicate the supply of some imported drugs and devices.

For new arrivals: pick up an interim international policy from SafetyWing or Cigna Global while residency papers process, then switch to the local system. Double cover is the most common mistake new residents make, and it costs an extra 600 to 1,400 dollars a year. The expat insurance guide covers the trade off, and the expat mental health guide covers the slowest stream in any public system. Families should also read the family safety ranking and the healthcare ranking.

Dental and vision typically sit outside the main coverage. A cleaning runs 35 to 110 dollars at the private clinic tier, a filling more again, an annual eye exam less. For prescription medication, the local pharmacy network usually beats anything you can import, so bring two months of supply and switch to the local equivalent on arrival. Mental health is the slowest public stream, with three to nine month waits for a non urgent appointment that private cover collapses to two to four weeks.

Walk, ride, or drive.

Walkability 6.0, transit 5.5, bike 4.0. Car needed: Yes.

Shiraz runs one operating metro line with extensions under construction, and the bus network covers the core, but the city sprawls north toward Moaali Abad, so most residents rely on a car or the cheap shared taxis that fill the avenues. For relocation scouting trips and the first two weeks before a local card arrives, a rental from Discover Cars covers most needs at 40 to 80 dollars a day. Beyond that, the decision to own a car comes down to where your work and home sit on the network. The public transit ranking and the walkable cities ranking set the benchmark.

Airport and intercity access is the variable most new residents underweight. For frequent travelers, connectivity and the cost of a hop matter more than the headline; the best cities for digital nomads ranking tracks the connections that count for the global traveler, and the fastest internet ranking is the cross reference for the remote worker.

Internet, visas, and where to plug in.

Median internet speed 28 Mbps. Coworking density: 5 spaces. Nomad visa: No.

The remote work rating for Shiraz turns on three numbers. The internet median at 28 Mbps, the coworking density at 5 spaces, and the time zone overlap with the major employer hubs. For a privacy layer on local networks and access where restrictions apply, NordVPN is the cleanest option we have tested. The best cities for remote work ranking covers the full table.

For nomads, the visa story is the biggest variable. Iran issues no digital nomad visa, the internet is filtered and throttled with frequent disruption, and international sanctions mean that transfer services such as Wise and most foreign banking do not operate here, so residents lean on cash, the informal hawala network, and a privacy layer for access. The nomad visa guide 2026 tracks the eligibility, the cost, and the tax residency triggers across the cities that now offer one, and the nomad visa cities ranking and the best cities for digital nomads ranking keep the macro view. Watch the 183 day tax residency rule.

On coworking specifically, the density figure of 5 spaces hides a wide quality range. Premium operators charge a clear markup for a hot desk, the mid market option that most residents actually use runs lower for unlimited access plus mail handling, and a strong home line at the speeds above makes a dedicated desk optional for many. The cities for expats ranking tracks how the whole package compares across the field.