Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karaj and Tabriz

For one person, living is cheaper in Tabriz: $406 a month against $823 in Karaj, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
20

Cost of Living Index in Tabriz
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Tabriz Living Index

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Karaj

🇮🇷 Iran

$823

/mo nomad

Tabriz

🇮🇷 Iran

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karaj and in Tabriz

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 Tabriz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $823 in Karaj versus $406 in Tabriz.

Karaj $823
Tabriz $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,058 in Karaj versus $679 in Tabriz.

Karaj $1,058
Tabriz $679

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,293 in Karaj versus $952 in Tabriz.

Karaj $1,293
Tabriz $952

Living in Karaj is roughly 103% more expensive than in Tabriz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karaj 40% lower, Tabriz 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.54 $3.54

$3.02 $3.02

17.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.19 $16.19

$14.86 $14.86

8.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.97 $3.97

$3.90 $3.90

1.79%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.48 $0.48

$1.06 $1.06

-54.72%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.11 $1.11

-4.50%

Cappuccino

$1.06 $1.06

$1.30 $1.30

-18.46%

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

$0.43 $0.43

$0.56 $0.56

-23.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$0.61 $0.61

170.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$0.56 $0.56

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.37 $0.37

40.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$3.79 $3.79

-45.38%

Eggs

$1.03 $1.03

$0.90 $0.90

14.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$4.78 $4.78

-6.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.80 $2.80

18.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 $10.43

$9.33 $9.33

11.79%

Apples (1kg)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.99 $0.99

-10.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.28 $1.28

32.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.80 $0.80

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$0.57 $0.57

-14.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 $0.46

$0.52 $0.52

-11.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 $0.47

$0.52 $0.52

-9.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 $0.54

$0.46 $0.46

17.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 $0.21

$0.18 $0.18

16.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.63 $0.63

31.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.44 $0.44

15.91%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.46 $1.46

-8.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.14 $2.14

15.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 $0.20

$0.11 $0.11

81.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.11 $13.11

$12.38 $12.38

5.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.42 $0.42

-30.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.19 $0.19

63.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$4.04 $4.04

-34.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.08 $0.08

$0.09 $0.09

-11.11%

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

$49.5K $49.5K

$72.5K $72.5K

-31.82%

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

$45.6K $45.6K

$52.8K $52.8K

-13.67%

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

$13.24 $13.24

$14.37 $14.37

-7.86%

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

$1.54 $1.54

$1.94 $1.94

-20.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.81 $3.81

$5.38 $5.38

-29.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.04 $23.04

$14.57 $14.57

58.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.08 $10.08

$25.20 $25.20

-60.00%

Cinema Ticket

$1.06 $1.06

$1.47 $1.47

-27.89%

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

$108 $108

$60.1 $60.1

79.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$839 $839

$539 $539

55.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.32 $25.32

$15.73 $15.73

60.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.83 $27.83

$10.63 $10.63

161.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 $97.8

$74.0 $74.0

32.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 $73.3

$49.41 $49.41

48.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$298 $298

$153 $153

95.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$488 $488

$119 $119

308.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 $798

$373 $373

114.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$476 $476

$240 $240

98.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,274 $1,274

$871 $871

46.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$527 $527

$855 $855

-38.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$239 $239

$233 $233

2.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.5

2.22%

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

Last update for Karaj: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tabriz: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Karaj

$488 59.3%

Tabriz

$119 29.4% 75.5% $368

Groceries & Markets

Karaj

$113 13.8%

Tabriz

$110 27% 3.1% $3.6

Clothing & Footwear

Karaj

$101 12.3%

Tabriz

$67 16.6% 33.2% $34

Eating Out

Karaj

$61 7.5%

Tabriz

$56 13.8% 8.4% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Karaj

$25 3.1%

Tabriz

$18 4.3% 30.4% $7.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karaj

$19 2.3%

Tabriz

$22 5.3% 16.6% $3.1

Getting Around

Karaj

$16 1.9%

Tabriz

$14 3.5% 10.1% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $298 in Karaj and $153 in Tabriz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karaj pays 3% 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: $16 in Karaj vs $15 in Tabriz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $113 vs $110 per month, with Tabriz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Karaj

🇮🇷 Tabriz

🕒 Local time

02:23 2:23 AM

Same time as Karaj

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,712,000

1,558,693

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Karaj Tabriz 490 km

From you

Karaj
Tabriz

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 Tabriz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $823 in Karaj and $406 in Tabriz, so Tabriz is about 51% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,234 in Karaj and $609 in Tabriz to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $298 in Karaj versus $153 in Tabriz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Karaj. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Tabriz – a meal for two runs $15 versus $16 in Karaj. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $406 in Tabriz versus $823 in Karaj, a $800 budget is realistic in Tabriz but tight or insufficient in Karaj. The gap between the two cities makes Tabriz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tabriz is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Karaj, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Karaj and Tabriz are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Tabriz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Karaj. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.