# Iranians Lament Soaring Costs as Inflation Bites

> Iranian shopkeepers report sales plummeting as inflation soars to 90% year-on-year.
- Title: Iranians Lament Soaring Costs as Inflation Bites · Malay Mail
- Summary: Iranian shopkeepers report sales plummeting as inflation soars to 90% year-on-year. Iranian shopkeepers say food prices have doubled since last year due to…
- Keywords: iran, inflation, tehran, tajrish bazaar, us-iran conflict, food prices, currency, shopkeepers, economic strain, news, world, Iranians
- Source: Malay Mail — https://malaymail.com/news/life/2026/10/12/we-arent-meant-to-just-exist-iranians-lament-soaring-costs-as-inflation-bites/238665
- Published: 2026-10-12T07:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: iran, inflation, tehran, tajrish bazaar, us-iran conflict, food prices, currency, shopkeepers, economic strain, news, world
## Iranian Shopkeepers Report Sales Decline
Shopkeepers say customers now buy half the nuts they once did due to soaring prices.

> There used to be customers who bought two to five kilogrammes. Now, they’re down to buying one kilogramme or half a kilogramme.
## Inflation Soars to 90% Year-on-Year
Iran's inflation rate reached 90% year-on-year in September according to official figures.

> Rising inflation, nearly 90 per cent year-on-year in September according to official figures, and erratic currency exchange fluctuations have driven up the cost of everyday items.
## Currency Value Plummets
The rial traded at around 2.7 million to the dollar on the unofficial market in the past week, compared with about 1.7 million before the war.

> The rial traded at around 2.7 million to the dollar on the unofficial market in the past week, compared with about 1.7 million before the war.
## Minimum Wage Drops to US$65
The minimum monthly wage that stood at around US$120 a year ago has fallen to US$65.

> The minimum monthly wage that stood at around US$120 a year ago has fallen to US$65.
## Shopkeepers Demand Currency Stabilization
Shopkeepers call for currency stabilization to prevent further economic collapse.

> We’re left in limbo, everyone is. They need to stabilise the dollar exchange rate.
## Businesses Face Bankruptcy
Manufacturers are going bankrupt, laying off staff and closing shops due to economic strain.

> We have absolutely no plan for the future. When people don’t come to buy... it effectively spells bankruptcy for the business.
## Shoppers Avoid Purchases
Many shoppers leave the bazaar without buying anything due to weakened purchasing power.

> We aren’t meant to just exist, we’re meant to actually live, right?
## Price Skyrocketed for Kitchen Cloth
A kitchen cloth costs US$1.10 now, five times more than it did months ago.

> It shows that prices haven’t just gone up, they’ve truly skyrocketed.
## Economic Contraction in Q2
Iran’s GDP contracted 10.1 per cent year-on-year between late March and late June.

> Mounting pressure over the war saw Iran’s GDP contract 10.1 per cent year-on-year between late March and late June, according to official figures.
## Key takeaway

Iranian shopkeepers say food prices have doubled since last year due to US-Iran war impacts.