hamadan wages: can you actually live here without eating ramen forever?
so i spent a week in hamadan asking strangers how much they actually make and whether it's enough to survive. spoiler: it's messy. the average monthly salary here hovers around 25 million rials (about $500), but that number feels like a lie when rent alone eats up half of it. i stayed in a tiny studio in the central district, and my landlord casually mentioned that most locals spend 40-50% of their income just on housing. yeah, brutal.
here's the thing: hamadan is cheap compared to tehran, but it's not free. a decent meal at a local restaurant costs about 200k rials ($4), and groceries for a week run you maybe 1.5 million rials ($30). but then there's the hidden stuff-electricity bills spike in winter, and don't even get me started on the internet speed. i nearly threw my laptop out the window waiting for a page to load.
i met a freelance photographer who said he survives by shooting weddings and events. “if you're smart, you can make 60 million rials ($1,200) a month,” he told me over tea. “but you have to hustle. there's no safety net here.” his advice? “learn to negotiate. and always carry cash. cards are a joke.”
the data table (because numbers don't lie)
| Expense | Cost (Million Rials) | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Average Monthly Salary | 25 | $500 |
| Rent (1-bedroom) | 10-15 | $200-300 |
| Utilities (monthly) | 2-3 | $40-60 |
| Groceries (weekly) | 1.5 | $30 |
| Dining Out (per meal) | 0.2 | $4 |
| Internet (monthly) | 0.5 | $10 |
overheard gossip from the bazaar
“rent's gone up 20% since last year,” a spice vendor muttered while weighing out saffron. “but wages? they're stuck in 2010.” another guy, selling handmade carpets, laughed bitterly. “you want to know the real salary? it's whatever you can barter for.”
i also chatted with a history nerd who moonlights as a tour guide. “hamadan's ancient, but the economy's stuck in the past,” he said. “tourism could save us, but the infrastructure’s a joke. and don't even get me started on the visa process.”
the weather and neighbors
it was freezing when i visited-like, “why did i pack only one sweater?” cold. hamadan's winters are no joke, and the wind cuts through you like a knife. but the people? warm as hell. and if you need a break, kermanshah and kashan are just a short drive away. kermanshah's got those insane bas-reliefs, and kashan’s like stepping into a persian fairy tale.
drunk advice from a local barista
“you want to survive here? find a side hustle,” he said, sliding me a coffee. “teach english online, sell stuff on instagram, whatever. and for god's sake, learn to cook. eating out will bankrupt you.”
he also warned me about the job market. “if you're not connected, good luck. it's all about who you know.” his final tip? “never trust a landlord who smiles too much. they're hiding something.”
the verdict
can you live in hamadan on the average salary? technically, yes. but it's a grind. you'll be budgeting like crazy, skipping dinners out, and probably taking on a side gig. but if you're okay with that-and you love history, cheap rent, and incredibly kind people-it might just be worth it.
*check out these links for more:*
- TripAdvisor: Hamadan Attractions
- Reddit: Living in Iran
- Yelp: Hamadan Restaurants
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