Tehran Families Ration Meat and Split Bills as Inflation Tops 90 Percent

Ordinary residents in Tehran are abandoning middle-class habits such as dining out and saving money to cover the rising cost of basic groceries. A field survey conducted by Radio Farda in central Tehran shows that households are reordering their priorities, choosing which necessities to buy and which to forgo. The cost of preparing a meal at home has roughly doubled over the past year, forcing many families to stretch limited budgets further.

The shift in spending habits is visible in daily cooking. A single serving of ghormeh sabzi, a popular herb stew, now costs approximately 23 million rials, or about $8.45. Potato patties known as kookoo sib zamini cost around 4 million rials. One resident described how her family now reserves most meat and chicken for their children, who are still growing. She and her husband eat legumes and meat substitutes instead, fearing that future price hikes will force them to cut protein from the children’s plates as well.

Economic data underscores the shrinking value of wages and social safety nets. Factnameh, a fact-checking organization based in Canada, calculated that a basket of 11 essential food items cost 56 million rials per person in September. For a family of three, that total exceeds 168 million rials, or roughly $61.70. The government’s standard food voucher of 10 million rials now covers less than 18 percent of that per-person cost, a drop from approximately 30 percent in December 2025. Annual inflation hit 89.9 percent in September, while the average monthly wage stands at around $100.

Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati acknowledged the "heavy burden" on citizens on October 23. He stated that foreign efforts to isolate the Iranian economy had failed to meet their primary goal. Despite this, the pressure on household budgets has intensified since the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran began on February 28. Infrastructure damage, a US naval blockade of Iranian ports, and new sanctions campaigns described by Washington as "Economic D-Day" have disrupted trade and oil exports.

The financial strain is affecting even those with above-average incomes. A middle-aged man in western Tehran reported that his household earns one billion rials, or about $367, per month. This figure is significantly higher than the average Tehran household income of 600 million rials. He noted that while he can manage daily expenses, he has no savings for the future. Travel, restaurant visits, and saving money have vanished from his routine.

Younger residents are altering their social habits to manage costs. A 28-year-old woman in Tehran, who earns 400 million rials monthly, said she and her friends now order one dish to share for every two people at cafes. Previously, they visited these establishments weekly. She described sharing food as the primary method to keep outings affordable. A retired woman on a monthly pension of 180 million rials has also reduced her intake of meat and other major protein sources since March, citing health concerns and limited funds.