Iranians Cut Meat, Dining Out and Savings as Prices Soar

A newly married woman in Tehran says the money her family set aside for a wedding celebration went to a housing deposit instead. She now works two shifts to repay a loan, and she and her husband spend most of their time on the job. "Our home has turned into the place we just sleep," she told Radio Farda, adding that every morning they know they are poorer than the day before. She asked that her name be withheld.

Her account reflects a widening struggle among ordinary Iranians, as rising living costs push households to reconsider spending on food, housing, travel, restaurants and savings. Years of international sanctions, stubborn inflation and the steady fall of the rial have weakened the economy. Hardship was a major driver of the protests in January, which authorities put down in a deadly crackdown.

The pressure has grown since the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28, which damaged infrastructure. Trade has also been disrupted from both directions. A US naval blockade of Iranian ports has sharply reduced oil exports and imports of goods, while Iranian attempts to control the Strait of Hormuz through attacks have further hindered shipping. In August, the US Treasury began a new sanctions campaign, described by US officials as "Economic D-Day," to isolate Tehran financially.

A field survey by Radio Farda in central Tehran found that families are changing their shopping priorities and deciding which necessities to go without, while activities once seen as normal for the middle class are being abandoned. The cost of cooking at home shows the shift. Making chicken and barberry now costs nearly twice as much as a year ago. A meal of ghormeh sabzi, the herb stew considered Iran's national dish, served with rice could cost 23 million rials ($8.45), and potato patties known as kookoo sib zamini cost about 4 million rials.

One woman said her family now saves most of its meat and chicken for the children, who are still growing, while she and her husband eat legumes and meat substitutes. They fear further price rises could eventually force them to cut meat from the children's meals too.

The fact-checking outlet Factnameh, based in Canada, estimated that a basket of 11 essential food items cost 56 million rials ($20.70) per person in September, or more than 168 million rials ($61.70) for a family of three. The government's 10 million rial ($3.67) food voucher covered less than 18 percent of the per-person cost, down from about 30 percent in December 2025. Annual inflation reached 89.9 percent in September, and the monthly wage is estimated at around $100.

Central bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati acknowledged on October 23 the "heavy burden" Iranians are bearing, but said efforts to isolate the country's economy had failed to achieve their main objective. For a retired woman living on a monthly pension of 180 million rials ($66), the choices are already affecting her diet. She said she has cut back on meals with meat and other major protein sources since the Iranian year began in March and worries about her health, though she considers herself fortunate because she pays no rent.

Those earning above average are also feeling the strain. A middle-aged man in western Tehran said his salary and rental income bring household earnings to a billion rials ($367), well above the average monthly household income in Tehran of around 600 million rials ($220), the highest in the country. Even so, he said, "I can live for today, but I have no savings for tomorrow." Travel, dining out and saving have all disappeared from his life.

A 28-year-old Tehran woman earning 400 million rials ($147) a month said she has changed how she socializes. She and her friends used to visit cafes weekly, but now they sometimes order one dish for every two people to split the bill. Sharing, she said, is about the only way to make an outing affordable.