---
title: "Living in Kermanshah as a digital nomad: cost, safety, visa, internet"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kermanshah
description: "Kurdish city in the Zagros, beside the rock reliefs of Bisotun"
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Kermanshah, Iran

Kermanshah scores 40.2/100 for digital nomads under balanced weights, ranking 1433 of 1501 cities. There is no open cost-of-living figure yet; expect no dedicated nomad visa, and a measured median download speed of 6.1 Mbps.

Kermanshah is the largest Kurdish city in Iran, set in a Zagros valley at about 1,350 m, with the UNESCO-listed Bisotun inscription and the Sasanian reliefs of Taq-e Bostan close by. It is friendly and little visited, with hot summers and cold winters. Sanctions block foreign cards, the internet is filtered and US, UK and Canadian citizens need a guide.

Known for: Bisotun inscription, Taq-e Bostan reliefs, Kurdish culture, Sanctions: no foreign cards.

## Scores (balanced weights, 0–100)

| Factor | Score |
| --- | --- |
| Overall | 40.2 |
| Cost of living | — |
| Safety | 41 |
| Healthcare | 80 |
| Internet | 30 |
| Visa ease | 15 |
| Getting there & around | 16 |
| Climate | 50 |
| Air quality | 32 |
| Quality of life | 58 |

## The numbers behind the scores

| Metric | Value | Level | As of | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | — | country | 2026-09 | [^2] |
| Central 1-bedroom rent | — | city | 2026-09 | [^3] |
| Outskirts 1-bedroom rent (basis of the monthly total) | — | city | 2026-09 | [^3] |
| Homicide rate (per 100k) | 2.9 | country | 2021 | [^4] |
| Political stability (0–100) | 36 | country | 2025 | [^5] |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 81 | country | 2023 | [^6] |
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.7 | country | 2023 | [^7] |
| Median download (Mbps) | 6.1 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Median upload (Mbps) | 0.6 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Starlink residential service | Coming soon | country | 2026-10 | [^9] |
| Nomad visa | none listed | country | 2026-07 | [^10] |
| Entry for US / EU / UK passports | visa required / visa on arrival / visa required | country | 2026-02 | [^11] |
| Non-stop destinations (KSH) | 6 | city | 2026-08 | [^12] |
| Restaurants within 3 km of the centre (OpenStreetMap) | 19 | city | 2026-11 | [^16] |
| Walkability / transit (1–5) | 3 / 2 | editorial | 2026-09 | [^13] |
| Comfortable months | 6 of 12 | city | 2001–2020 | [^14] |
| Annual mean PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 35.7 | city | 2023 | [^15] |
| Human Development Index | 0.799 | country | 2023 | [^17] |
| English proficiency band | low | country | 2024 | [^18] |

## Tax on income from abroad

**Foreigners are taxed only on Iranian-source income, but work done while living in Iran counts as Iranian income.** Iran taxes foreign nationals only on income earned in Iran, however long they stay, so dividends, interest, rent and pensions from abroad are not taxed. A salary for work done in Iran is taxed even if the employer is abroad: 10%–30% progressive in 2026-27 after a yearly exemption. Iranian citizens living in Iran are taxed on worldwide income. Sanctions mean foreign bank cards do not work in Iran.

| Question | Answer |
| --- | --- |
| How residents are taxed | territorial (local income only) |
| Remote work for foreign clients or employers | taxed (10%–30% progressive (2026-27 salary bands)) |
| Investments and pensions from abroad | not taxed |
| Wealth | no wealth tax; inheritance tax applies |
| Tax resident after | home or ties test |
| Top income tax rate | 30% |

Residency: The Direct Taxation Act has no day-count residency test. What matters is nationality (Article 1). A resident Iranian national is taxed on income from Iran and abroad, and an Iranian living abroad only on income from Iran. A non-Iranian is taxed only on income obtained in Iran (plus royalties, technical-service fees and film rights paid from Iran), however long they stay. For a foreigner on a tourist stay or a longer stay, the length of the stay does not change what is taxable. If you also hold Iranian nationality, the worldwide rule can apply to you.

Remote work: Salary tax covers pay a person receives for employment in Iran (Article 82). The test is where the work is done, not where the employer or bank is, so a foreign company's salary for work done from Iran falls within it. Non-Iranians are taxed on all income obtained in Iran (Article 1(5)). The law itself sets 10% above the yearly exemption up to seven times that amount and 20% above it (Article 85), but the exemption and bands are set each year (Article 84). For the Iranian year 1405 (21 March 2026 to 20 March 2027), the Tax Administration's circular 200/1005/ص of 20 April 2026 sets an exemption of IRR 4,800 million a year and bands of 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30%, with 30% above IRR 16,800 million a year. That circular and the underlying law could not be loaded from an official site, so treat these figures as unconfirmed. Freelancers pay business-income tax on income obtained in Iran (Article 93) at 15%–25% (Article 131), after an exemption equal to the salary exemption if they file on time (Article 101). Whether fees from foreign clients for work done in Iran count as obtained in Iran is not spelled out, but the salary rule suggests they do. With no Iranian payer to withhold it, the tax falls on you. Social security and treaty relief were not verified.

Investments: A non-Iranian is taxed only on income obtained in Iran (Direct Taxation Act, Article 1(5)), so dividends, interest, capital gains, rent and pensions from abroad are outside Iranian tax for a foreign national. Iranian citizens living in Iran are taxed on income from abroad too (Article 1(2)). Income from Iran is taxed differently. Interest on deposits with Iranian banks is exempt (Article 145). Rent from Iranian property is taxed after a 25% deduction for costs (Article 53) at 15%–25% (Article 131). A capital gains tax added in June 2025 covers sales of Iranian property, cars, gold, foreign currency and crypto-assets by private persons. Gains held one year or more are taxed at 15%–25% after an inflation adjustment, and gains held less than a year at 10 points above the top rate, so 35% (Articles 46–49). A home held over two years by someone with no other home and a car held over a year are exempt (Article 47), and listed securities are outside it (Article 46, note 7). The tax only applies once the government's e-invoice platform for these assets is running (Article 46, note 3). This profile could not confirm that it is.

On the nomad visa: Iran has no digital nomad or remote-work visa. Foreigners usually come on a tourist visa, and British nationals must travel on an organised tour or have a sponsor in Iran. The tax rules do not depend on the visa. Work done while in Iran is Iranian-source income from the first day, and foreign investment income stays untaxed. The UK FCDO advises against all travel to Iran, citing a very high risk of arbitrary detention of British and dual nationals. Non-Iranian bank cards do not work there and getting cash is hard. US persons are also bound by US sanctions (31 CFR part 560). Iran's foreign-ministry e-visa site could not be loaded.

Official sources: [Direct Taxation Act of 1366 (1988) with later amendments, consolidated](https://qavanin.ir/Law/TreeText/?IDS=892583840653829785) (National Laws and Regulations Portal of the Islamic Republic of Iran (qavanin.ir), read 2026-10-27); [Iran travel advice](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/iran) (UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK), read 2026-10-27); [Iran travel advice: safety and security](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/iran/safety-and-security) (UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK), read 2026-10-27); [Iran travel advice: entry requirements](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/iran/entry-requirements) (UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK), read 2026-10-27); [Iran Sanctions](https://ofac.treasury.gov/sanctions-programs-and-country-information/iran-sanctions) (Office of Foreign Assets Control, US Department of the Treasury, read 2026-10-27).

Not yet reviewed by a person. General information, not tax advice. US citizens are taxed by the US wherever they live.

## Climate (2001–2020 normals)

| Month | Mean °C | Rain mm | Humidity % | Comfortable |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jan | 0.6 | 47 | 71 | no |
| Feb | 2.3 | 48 | 69 | no |
| Mar | 6.7 | 55 | 62 | no |
| Apr | 11.6 | 52 | 58 | no |
| May | 17.7 | 20 | 46 | yes |
| Jun | 23.9 | 1 | 26 | yes |
| Jul | 27.8 | 1 | 20 | yes |
| Aug | 27.3 | 1 | 20 | yes |
| Sep | 22.4 | 2 | 23 | yes |
| Oct | 16.1 | 29 | 37 | yes |
| Nov | 7.3 | 51 | 58 | no |
| Dec | 2.6 | 42 | 68 | no |

## Airports and nonstop flights

| Airport | IATA | Nonstop destinations | International | From US airports |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Kermanshah Airport | KSH | 6 | 0 | 0 |

Unique destinations across all airports: 6, of which 0 international (Wikipedia, 2026-08).

## Similar cities

- [Yazd](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/yazd) (39.2) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kermanshah-vs-yazd)
- [Qom](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/qom) (39.3) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kermanshah-vs-qom)
- [Nishapur](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/nishapur) (40.6) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kermanshah-vs-nishapur)
- [Shiraz](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/shiraz) (43) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kermanshah-vs-shiraz)
- [Urmia](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/urmia) (37.8) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kermanshah-vs-urmia)

## FAQ

### How much does it cost to live in Kermanshah as a digital nomad?

We do not have a reliable monthly cost figure for Kermanshah yet.

### Is Kermanshah safe for digital nomads?

Kermanshah scores 41/100 on safety. Iran records 2.9 homicides per 100,000 people per year (WHO, 2021) and a political-stability score of 36/100 (World Bank WGI). Both figures are national, so neighbourhood-level risk can differ.

### Does Iran have a digital nomad visa?

No dedicated digital nomad visa was listed for Iran as of 2026-07. Visitors from the US need a visa from a consulate.

### How fast is the internet in Kermanshah?

Measured median download speed in Kermanshah was 6.1 Mbps (upload 0.6 Mbps) across 7,948 M-Lab tests in 2024. Measured speeds run below advertised plan speeds everywhere, so compare cities rather than reading the number as a plan.

### Is Starlink available in Kermanshah?

Not yet. Starlink's availability map lists Iran as coming soon as of 2026-10. Roaming plans may work for short stays, but local rules on using them vary.

### Which airports serve Kermanshah and how many nonstop flights are there?

Kermanshah is served by Kermanshah Airport (KSH) with 6 nonstop destinations, of which 0 are international. 0 US airports have a nonstop link. Source: Wikipedia, 2026-08.

### When is the best time of year to be in Kermanshah?

The most comfortable months are May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct. Mean temperatures range from 33°F (1°C) in Jan to 82°F (28°C) in Jul (NASA POWER 2001–2020 climatology).

### Kermanshah or Yazd: which is better for digital nomads?

Yazd is the city with the closest factor profile to Kermanshah in this dataset. Which one wins depends on your weights; the comparison page puts every factor side by side with the numbers behind them.

## Plan a trip

[Plan a trip to Kermanshah](https://dashboard.navoy.io/trip/new?utm_source=nostos&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=plan_trip&utm_content=kermanshah&destination=Kermanshah%2C+Iran) on Navoy, the AI travel planner behind Nostos.

## Sources

[^1]: City population (latest census or official estimate), Wikipedia (citing national statistics offices). CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^2]: 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level), WhereNext. CC BY 4.0. https://getwherenext.com/data/cost-of-living-2026 (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^3]: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows), WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. https://github.com/0brien18/global-emigration-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^4]: Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/estimates-of-rates-of-homicides-per-100-000-population (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^5]: Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100), World Bank. CC BY 4.0. https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/worldwide-governance-indicators (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^6]: UHC service coverage index, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/uhc-index-of-service-coverage (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^7]: Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/life-expectancy-at-birth-(years) (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^8]: M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024), Measurement Lab. CC0 1.0. https://statistics.measurementlab.net/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^9]: Starlink availability map, SpaceX (Starlink). Factual status cited from starlink.com. https://www.starlink.com/map (retrieved 2026-10-07)
[^10]: Digital Nomad Visas 2026, WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. https://github.com/0brien18/global-emigration-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^11]: Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations), Ilya Ilyankou (compiled from passportindex.org). MIT. https://github.com/ilyankou/passport-index-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^12]: Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables), Wikipedia contributors; countries via Wikidata. CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-24)
[^13]: Walkability and transit ratings (editorial), Navoy. CC BY 4.0. https://nostos.navoy.io/methodology (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^14]: NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means), NASA Langley Research Center. Public domain (US Government). https://power.larc.nasa.gov/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^15]: SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04), Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis. CC BY 4.0. https://sites.wustl.edu/acag/surface-pm2-5/ (retrieved 2026-10-07)
[^16]: OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API), OpenStreetMap contributors. ODbL 1.0. https://overpass-api.de/ (retrieved 2026-10-02)
[^17]: Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023), United Nations Development Programme. CC BY 3.0 IGO. https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/documentation-and-downloads (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^18]: EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band), EF Education First. Proprietary; band cited as a fact with attribution. https://www.ef.com/epi/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kermanshah