Living in Tabriz, Iran
Tabriz is a large inland city in East Azerbaijan, Iran (1 to 5 million people in the city proper). It has a mild climate, averaging 13°C over the year with about 258 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,300 a month to live centrally, and Iran sits in our low to medium tax tier. For foreigners, long-term residency in Iran is hard to obtain.
12 questions, about 4 minutes, no account needed. Taking the quiz is free, and so is seeing your #1 city. Full results for both of you are a one-time US$12 (€12 in Europe).
- Est. cost
- €2,300
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- Low to medium
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 13°C
- 258 mm rain a year
- Size
- Large
- 1 to 5 million people
- Safety
- 58/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~30 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Hard to obtain
- for most foreigners
Travel advisory. As of 13 October 2026, the US State Department advises against all travel to Iran ("Level 4: Do Not Travel"). Our quiz and best-cities lists leave Tabriz out, and the safety figures below are country averages that do not reflect the advisory. Read the current advisory on travel.state.gov and your own government's travel advice.
What stands out about Tabriz
- Dry: about 258 mm of rain a year
- Long-term residency is hard to obtain
Residency and visas
Hard to obtain. Long-term residency comes mainly through an investment/deposit permit, employer-sponsored work, or family ties; there is no passive-income, retirement, or points-based skilled route.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Iran:
- Investment: about $90k (Iran 5-year residence-by-investment permit, minimum USD 90,000 (cut from USD 250,000 in April 2022); thresholds are quoted directly in USD by the source, so no FX conversion applies.; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 44 of 198 passports can enter visa-free, 144 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival and 10 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Iran runs at about 30 Mbps, faster than 8% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Climate
Tabriz averages 13°C across the year with about 258 mm of rain, which makes it mild and very dry. It is warmer than 22% of the 1225 cities we track.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €2,300 a month to live centrally in Tabriz, 16% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 78% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Healthcare
Iran scores 60 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 27% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Iran.
Language and culture
Main languages: Persian. English proficiency: limited. Social openness scores 20 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Taxes
Iran sits in our low to medium tax tier: moderate personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at zero or very low will not see Tabriz in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Safety and stability
Iran scores 58 out of 100 on safety, safer than 44% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 1.9 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Iran. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Questions couples ask about Tabriz
Is Tabriz a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Tabriz scores well on affordability. It is weaker on healthcare, internet speed, English, political stability and social openness. Expect a mild, very dry climate (13°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks 915 cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Tabriz?
We estimate about €2,300 a month for a couple living centrally, 16% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Tabriz?
Iran is in our low to medium tax tier (moderate personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make zero or very low tax a must-have will not see Tabriz in their results.
Can foreigners live in Iran long term?
Our assessment: hard to obtain. Long-term residency comes mainly through an investment/deposit permit, employer-sponsored work, or family ties; there is no passive-income, retirement, or points-based skilled route. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: investment, about $90k (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Tabriz?
Tabriz averages 13°C across the year with about 258 mm of rain, which makes it mild and very dry. It is warmer than 22% of the cities we track.
Cities like Tabriz
Closest matches in other countries across climate, size, coast, cost, safety, healthcare, internet, language and politics.
Near Tabriz
Moving to Iran as a couple
Entry, residency, taxes and costs for a couple who both hold one of these passports.