Wages Won’t Buy a Car: Iran’s Pricey Domestic Market Widening the Cost‑of‑Living Gap

Iran’s car market has become unaffordable for most, with domestic prices rising 40–80% since the war and imports constrained by sanctions, currency rules, and tariffs. Even a salary around 900 million rials (~$390) can’t cover new domestically produced models or high‑end imports, forcing long savings horizons (and in some cases decades) to replace a car amid rising maintenance costs and a backdrop of economic isolation.