Moving to Iran from China
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from China to Iran — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from China to Iran, you would find that Iran is 35.9% cheaper than China overall. A CN¥500,000 salary in China would need to be roughly IRR65,800,000,000 in Iran to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Persian (Farsi).
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Iran cheaper than China?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 13.8% more
Groceries
pay 47.0% less
Transportation
pay 32.9% less
Housing
pay 20.1% less
Childcare
pay 89.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 58.6% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Iran?
What does your salary buy?
CN¥500,000 → IRR65,800,000,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Iran
Calculate with your salary →Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Iran cost about 21% more than cities in China.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from China to Iran.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
China performs better than Iran across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iran leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Iran performs significantly better than China across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
China performs better than Iran across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
China performs better than Iran across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
China performs better than Iran across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2014–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2007). How we calculate this
Weather in Iran vs China
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Shanghai | Tehran |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/36°F (10°/2°C) | 52°/35°F (11°/2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/60°F (23°/16°C) | 82°/61°F (28°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) | 94°/72°F (35°/22°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 62°/47°F (17°/9°C) | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Shanghai | Tehran |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°/33°F (7.7°/0.5°C) | 45°/30°F (7.2°/-1.1°C) |
| Feb | 47°/35°F (8.6°/1.5°C) | 50°/33°F (9.9°/0.7°C) |
| Mar | 55°/41°F (12.7°/5.1°C) | 60°/41°F (15.4°/5.2°C) |
| Apr | 65°/51°F (18.6°/10.6°C) | 71°/52°F (21.9°/10.9°C) |
| May | 74°/60°F (23.5°/15.7°C) | 82°/61°F (28.0°/16.1°C) |
| Jun | 81°/69°F (27.2°/20.3°C) | 93°/70°F (34.1°/20.9°C) |
| Jul | 89°/77°F (31.6°/24.8°C) | 98°/75°F (36.8°/24.0°C) |
| Aug | 89°/76°F (31.5°/24.7°C) | 96°/73°F (35.4°/23.0°C) |
| Sep | 81°/69°F (27.2°/20.5°C) | 89°/67°F (31.5°/19.2°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.3°/14.7°C) | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) |
| Nov | 62°/47°F (16.7°/8.6°C) | 62°/44°F (16.5°/6.7°C) |
| Dec | 51°/36°F (10.6°/2.4°C) | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.3°C) |
China Meteorological AdministrationCan you move from China to Iran?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between China and Iran. To live, work, or study long-term in Iran, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Iran's immigration authority.
China passport holder visiting Iran
Visa Free
Iran passport holder visiting China
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Iran than China?
Yes — Iran is on average about 36% cheaper than China. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Iran?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly IRR16,450,000,000 in Iran on a CN¥500,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Iran?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Iran has 12.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Iran safe for expats?
China performs better than Iran across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Iran is 2.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in China.
How is healthcare in Iran compared to China?
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iran leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 18.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Iran, compared to 31.1 in China. Iran scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (China: 81).
What's the weather like in Iran compared to China?
The average high temperature in Tehran is 72°F, compared to 68°F in Shanghai. Tehran receives around 9.1 in of rainfall per year, while Shanghai gets 43.8 in.
What language do they speak in Iran?
The official language in Iran is Persian (Farsi). In China, the official language is Chinese.
