Iranian Households Slash Meat and Dining as Inflation Hits 90%

Ordinary families in Tehran are abandoning long-standing financial habits as the cost of living spikes. The shift is forcing households to cut back on meat, skip dining out, and stop saving for the future.

A field survey conducted by Radio Farda in central Tehran documented these changes. Residents are reordering their spending priorities to decide which necessities they can afford to skip. Activities that were once standard for the middle class are now rare. The cost of cooking at home has risen sharply. A meal of ghormeh sabzi, the country's national herb stew, now costs 23 million rials, or about $8.45. Potato patties, known as kookoo sib zamini, cost roughly 4 million rials. Making chicken and barberry costs nearly twice as much as it did a year ago.

The economic squeeze stems from several sources. Years of international sanctions and high inflation have weakened the economy. The rial has fallen steadily. Hardship was a key factor in the protests of January, which ended in a deadly crackdown. The pressure intensified after the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28. That conflict damaged infrastructure and disrupted trade. A US naval blockade of Iranian ports has reduced oil exports and imports. Iranian attacks on the Strait of Hormuz have also hindered shipping. In August, the US Treasury started a new sanctions campaign called Economic D-Day to isolate Tehran financially.

The numbers illustrate the strain. Factnameh, a fact-checking outlet based in Canada, estimated that a basket of 11 essential food items costs 56 million rials, or $20.70, per person in September. For a family of three, that total is over 168 million rials, or $61.70. The government's food voucher, valued at 10 million rials or $3.67, covers less than 18 percent of that per-person cost. That is down from about 30 percent in December 2025. Annual inflation reached 89.9 percent in September. The estimated monthly wage is around $100.

Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati acknowledged the heavy burden on Iranians on October 23. He said that efforts to isolate the economy had failed to meet their main goal. Despite this, daily choices are changing. One newly married woman in Tehran said her wedding funds went toward a housing deposit instead. She now works two shifts to repay a loan. She told Radio Farda that her home is where they sleep, and they know they are poorer each morning. Another woman said her family saves meat and chicken for their growing children. The adults eat legumes and meat substitutes. They fear prices will rise enough to cut meat from the children's diets too.

Even those with higher incomes are feeling the pinch. A retired woman living on a monthly pension of 180 million rials, or $66, has cut back on meat and protein since March. She worries about her health but notes she pays no rent. A middle-aged man in western Tehran earns a billion rials, or $367, a month from his salary and rental income. This is well above the average Tehran household income of 600 million rials, or $220. He said he can live for today but has no savings for tomorrow. Travel and dining out have disappeared from his routine.

Social habits are also shifting. A 28-year-old woman in Tehran earns 400 million rials, or $147, a month. She and her friends used to visit cafes weekly. Now they sometimes order one dish for two people to split the bill. She said sharing is the only way to make an outing affordable.