Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karaj and Shiraz

For one person, living is cheaper in Shiraz: $547 a month against $833 in Karaj, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Karaj
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Karaj Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Shiraz
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Shiraz Living Index

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Karaj

🇮🇷 Iran

$833

/mo nomad

Shiraz

🇮🇷 Iran

$547

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karaj and in Shiraz

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Karaj and in Shiraz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $833 in Karaj versus $547 in Shiraz.

Karaj $833
Shiraz $547

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,062 in Karaj versus $811 in Shiraz.

Karaj $1,062
Shiraz $811

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,291 in Karaj versus $1,076 in Shiraz.

Karaj $1,291
Shiraz $1,076

Living in Karaj is roughly 52% more expensive than in Shiraz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karaj 39% lower, Shiraz 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 $3.64

$4.41 $4.41

-17.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.73 $16.73

$13.19 $13.19

26.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.89 $3.89

$4.03 $4.03

-3.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.48 $0.48

$1.03 $1.03

-53.40%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.71 $1.71

-37.43%

Cappuccino

$1.10 $1.10

$1.22 $1.22

-9.84%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 $0.43

$0.62 $0.62

-30.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

Milk (1 liter)

$0.66 $0.66

$0.72 $0.72

-8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.42 $0.42

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.90 $1.90

10.00%

Eggs

$1.07 $1.07

$1.17 $1.17

-8.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.33 $2.33

91.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.02 $3.02

10.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.29 $10.29

$9.68 $9.68

6.30%

Apples (1kg)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.06 $1.06

-14.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.62 $1.62

5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 $0.75

$0.90 $0.90

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$0.55 $0.55

-10.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.43 $0.43

$0.54 $0.54

-20.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.53 $0.53

-9.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 $0.58

$0.51 $0.51

13.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.17 $0.17

$0.19 $0.19

-10.53%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.82 $0.82

$0.89 $0.89

-7.87%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.60 $0.60

-15.00%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.74 $1.74

-20.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.05 $3.05

-19.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 $0.19

$0.10 $0.10

90.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.90 $12.90

$2.92 $2.92

341.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.41 $0.41

-29.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.22 $0.22

31.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.59 $3.59

-26.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.10 $0.10

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$50.1K $50.1K

$66.1K $66.1K

-24.20%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$45.1K $45.1K

$53.9K $53.9K

-16.27%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$13.06 $13.06

$24.16 $24.16

-45.94%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.04 $2.04

-19.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.72 $3.72

$17.09 $17.09

-78.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.16 $23.16

$18.82 $18.82

23.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.94 $9.94

$13.51 $13.51

-26.42%

Cinema Ticket

$1.10 $1.10

$1.97 $1.97

-44.16%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$107 $107

$103 $103

4.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$837 $837

$2,367 $2,367

-64.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.51 $24.51

$22.34 $22.34

9.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.24 $28.24

$18.26 $18.26

54.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 $97.3

$95.4 $95.4

2.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 $76.4

$56.0 $56.0

36.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$287 $287

$291 $291

-1.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 $498

$222 $222

124.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$818 $818

$540 $540

51.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 $470

$316 $316

48.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,267 $1,267

$1,119 $1,119

13.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$536 $536

$505 $505

6.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$248 $248

$237 $237

4.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.3

-5.35%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Karaj: October 17, 2026

Last update for Shiraz: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Karaj

$498 59.7%

Shiraz

$222 40.6% 55.5% $276

Groceries & Markets

Karaj

$112 13.4%

Shiraz

$103 18.9% 7.8% $8.7

Clothing & Footwear

Karaj

$102 12.2%

Shiraz

$86 15.8% 15.3% $16

Eating Out

Karaj

$62 7.5%

Shiraz

$65 * 11.8% 3.4% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Karaj

$25 3.1%

Shiraz

$23 4.2% 10.3% $2.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karaj

$18 2.2%

Shiraz

$43 7.9% 135% $25

Getting Around

Karaj

$15 1.9%

Shiraz

$4.8 0.9% 68.8% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $287 in Karaj and $291 in Shiraz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karaj pays 5% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $17.00 in Karaj vs $13.00 in Shiraz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $112 vs $103 per month, with Shiraz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Karaj

🇮🇷 Shiraz

🕒 Local time

14:19 2:19 PM

Same time as Karaj

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,712,000

1,565,572

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Karaj Shiraz 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Karaj
Shiraz

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Karaj vs Shiraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karaj and Shiraz differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($833 vs $547 including rent). Shiraz is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Karaj, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $287 in Karaj versus $291 in Shiraz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Karaj. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Shiraz – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $17.00 in Karaj. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Shiraz gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Karaj and Shiraz are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Shiraz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Karaj. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.