Tehran Families Face 89.9% Inflation and 168 Million Rial Food Bills
Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati admits to a heavy economic burden as households cut protein and abandon savings.
By Alina Carter ·
Tehran families are spending more than 168 million rials, or about $62, on food for three people each month, according to new data.
Factnameh, a Canadian fact-checking outlet, calculated that a basket of 11 essential food items cost 56 million rials per person in September. That figure translates to a monthly food bill of $61.70 for a household of three. The government’s 10 million rial food voucher now covers less than 18 percent of that per-person cost, a drop from roughly 30 percent in December 2025.
Annual inflation hit 89.9 percent in September, while the average monthly wage sits at approximately $100. Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati acknowledged on October 23 that Iranians are carrying a heavy burden. He stated that external efforts to isolate the Iranian economy failed to reach their primary goal.
Households are restructuring their diets to survive. One Tehran woman reported that her family reserves meat and chicken for their children, who are still growing. Her husband and she now eat legumes and meat substitutes. They worry that rising prices will eventually force them to cut protein from the children’s plates as well. Another retired woman, who receives a monthly pension of 180 million rials, has reduced her intake of meat since the Iranian year began in March. She cited health concerns but noted her luck in not paying rent.
The financial strain extends to higher earners. A middle-aged man in western Tehran said his combined salary and rental income reaches a billion rials per month. This figure exceeds the average monthly household income in Tehran of 600 million rials. Despite this higher income, he said he can live for today but has no savings for tomorrow. He has stopped traveling, dining out, and saving.
Social habits are shifting to accommodate costs. A 28-year-old woman earning 400 million rials a month said she and her friends now split dishes at cafes. They order one item for two people to share the bill. A newly married couple in Tehran used their wedding fund for a housing deposit. They now work double shifts to repay a loan. The wife said their home has become a place for sleep only, and they know each morning that they are poorer than the day before.
These changes follow a war launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, which damaged infrastructure. A US naval blockade has reduced oil exports and imports, while Iranian attacks in the Strait of Hormuz have hindered shipping. In August, the US Treasury started a new sanctions campaign called Economic D-Day to isolate Tehran financially. These factors, along with years of sanctions, have driven the current spike in living costs.
