Tehran, Iran's sprawling capital at the foot of the Alborz Mountains, pairs Qajar-era palaces and a vast historic bazaar with modern towers, mountain gondolas, and a genuine after-dark cafe culture built around teahouses rather than bars.
Local currency: Iranian Rial (IRR), colloquially quoted and priced in Toman (1 Toman = 10 Rial) in almost all everyday transactions.
Daily budget by traveller style
Typical per-person daily spend in Tehran.
- Luxury
- approximately 23,500,000-41,000,000 Toman (~$102-178) per day, covering a five-star hotel, fine dining, private drivers, and premium attractions such as the Tochal gondola
Cost breakdown
Typical price ranges across major spending categories.
Accommodation
- Hostel
- 1,200,000-3,000,000 Toman (~$5-13), Tehran Heritage Hostel dormitory and shared-bathroom rooms
- Budget
- 1,500,000-4,500,000 Toman (~$7-20), guesthouses such as Firouzeh, Khayyam, and New Naderi
- Midrange
- 6,500,000-14,500,000 Toman (~$28-63), Howeyzeh, Ferdowsi Grand, Tehran Grand, Laleh International
- Luxury
- 14,000,000-32,000,000 Toman (~$61-139), Espinas Palace, Parsian Esteghlal, Parsian Azadi, Homa
Food
- Street
- 50,000-150,000 Toman (~$0.20-0.65), bread, kebab sandwiches, and fruit from street vendors
- Local
- 150,000-400,000 Toman (~$0.65-1.70), traditional kababi and dizi restaurants
- Midrange
- 400,000-900,000 Toman (~$1.70-3.90), casual restaurants and cafes
- Fine
- 1,000,000-3,000,000 Toman (~$4.30-13), fine dining restaurants such as Divan and Hestooran
Transport
- Metro
- 10,000-20,000 Rial per ride (roughly 1,000-2,000 Toman, under $0.10)
- Taxi Snapp
- 100,000-250,000 Toman (~$0.40-1.10) for a typical short-to-medium in-city ride via the Snapp ride-hailing app
- Airport
- 800,000-1,500,000 Toman (~$3.50-6.50), private transfer between Imam Khomeini International Airport and central Tehran, roughly 30-45 kilometers
- Daytrip
- 1,500,000-4,000,000 Toman (~$6.50-17), day trip by hired car or driver to sites outside the city such as Darbandsar or the Alborz foothills
Activities
- Museum
- 200,000-500,000 Toman (~$0.90-2.20), Golestan Palace, National Museum of Iran, and similar sites
- Bazaar
- no admission fee to enter the Grand Bazaar or Tajrish Bazaar; cost depends entirely on purchases
- Gondola
- 500,000-1,200,000 Toman (~$2.20-5.20), Tochal gondola return ticket
- Guided Tour
- 1,000,000-3,000,000 Toman (~$4.30-13) per person for a half-day guided city tour
Trip budgets by length
What a typical trip to Tehran costs end-to-end.
Budget traveller
approximately 15,000,000-32,000,000 Toman/week (~$65-140), dorm or guesthouse accommodation, local food, metro and shared taxis, free sights and a handful of paid museum entries
Midrange traveller
approximately 65,000,000-120,000,000 Toman/week (~$280-520), mid-range hotel, mix of local and casual restaurants, Snapp rides, and several guided or paid attractions
Luxury traveller
approximately 165,000,000-290,000,000 Toman/week (~$720-1260), five-star hotel, fine dining, private drivers, and guided excursions such as the Tochal gondola or a day trip to Darbandsar
Money-saving tips
Practical ways to stretch your budget further.
Use the Tehran Metro for cross-city travel instead of taxis; a single ride costs a small fraction of a Snapp or street-taxi fare and the network covers most major sights
Eat at local kababi and dizi restaurants rather than hotel restaurants or tourist-oriented venues for significantly lower prices on comparable Iranian food
Carry cash in small denominations of Toman for markets and small vendors, since foreign cards cannot be used anywhere in the country and change is not always available for large notes
Load a prepaid Iran tourist card (such as Mah Card or a Bank Melli tourist card) with only the amount needed for the trip to avoid holding excess cash, while still keeping some backup cash on hand
Book budget accommodation directly by phone rather than through a paid intermediary where possible, since many Tehran guesthouses accept walk-in or same-day phone reservations without a booking fee
Watch the free-market exchange rate before changing money, since rates can shift by several percentage points within a single trip, and exchange only what is needed for the days ahead
Free things to do
Memorable experiences that cost nothing.
Grand Bazaar Wandering
Walking the covered lanes of the Tehran Grand Bazaar near Sabze Meydan and Imam Khomeini Square costs nothing beyond any purchases made; the historic architecture, tea houses, and trading atmosphere are free to observe.
Golestan Palace Gardens (exterior areas)
The outer gardens and courtyards of the Qajar-era Golestan Palace complex in downtown Tehran can be appreciated from publicly accessible areas without paying the museum-hall entry fees.
Tajrish Bazaar and Square
The historic Tajrish Bazaar in northern Tehran, open daily including Fridays, is free to walk through and observe, with produce, spice, and handicraft stalls typical of a working neighborhood market.
Vali-e-Asr Street Walk
A walk along sections of Vali-e-Asr Street, one of the longest tree-lined avenues in the Middle East, passes cafes, shops, and public squares at no cost.
Niavaran Palace Complex Grounds
The landscaped grounds surrounding the former royal Niavaran Palace complex in northern Tehran can be enjoyed without paying the separate fees charged for entry into the individual palace buildings.