Luxury Cafes and Economic Inequality

Coffee in a Divided City

Tehran is deeply unequal.

Luxury cafes in wealthy northern districts coexist with struggling small coffee shops in poorer neighborhoods.

Some cafes charge prices unaffordable for much of the population.

Yet customers continue paying because cafes provide something increasingly rare:

• Beauty
• Calmness
• Social belonging
• Emotional relief

Coffee culture in Tehran reflects broader economic inequality across the city.