The official currency of Iran is the Iranian Rial (IRR). Whilst prices of goods are virtually always written in Rials, there is considerable confusion amongst those new to the country due to the widespread usage of an alternative called the Toman.
Since the value of the Iranian Rial is so weak, and to avoid using so many zeros, locals will commonly drop a zero from the Rial figure and refer to it as the Toman. Therefore:
- 100,000 IRR = 10,000 Tomans
It becomes even more confusing when this same amount is also referred to as 10 Tomans! Ultimately, the context of the transaction and one’s experience will help to understand what amount is intended.
Once you can recognise the denominations at a glance, everyday transactions become much easier to follow.
Rule of thumb. If a price sounds suspiciously small, the speaker is almost certainly quoting Tomans (or shorthand Tomans), not Rials. When in doubt, ask the seller to confirm the figure in Rials, or to show it written down.
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