Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karaj and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Karaj: $816 a month against $2,561 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Karaj
Learn more

Karaj Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
Learn more

Toronto Living Index

Jump to prices

Karaj

🇮🇷 Iran

$816

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karaj and in Toronto

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $816 in Karaj versus $2,561 in Toronto.

Karaj $816
Toronto $2,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,054 in Karaj versus $3,694 in Toronto.

Karaj $1,054
Toronto $3,694

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,292 in Karaj versus $4,826 in Toronto.

Karaj $1,292
Toronto $4,826

Living in Karaj costs roughly 68% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Karaj is 40% below, Toronto is 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 $3.79

$17.18 CA$24.29

-77.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.25 $17.25

$76.0 CA$107

-77.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 $3.92

$10.54 CA$14.89

-62.81%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.48 $0.48

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 $1.12

Cappuccino

$1.11 $1.11

$4.02 CA$5.68

-72.39%

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

$0.46 $0.46

$2.12 CA$3.00

-78.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.75 CA$2.48

-5.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.83

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 CA$10.02

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$2.44 CA$3.45

-71.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 $0.51

$2.68 CA$3.78

-80.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.24 CA$3.17

-7.59%

Eggs

$1.08 $1.08

$3.56 CA$5.03

-69.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$9.09 CA$12.85

-52.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$11.33 CA$16.01

-70.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.38 $10.38

$14.53 CA$20.55

-28.56%

Apples (1kg)

$0.86 $0.86

$3.62 CA$5.12

-76.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.21 CA$1.72

38.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 $0.75

$3.60 CA$5.09

-79.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$4.21 CA$5.96

-88.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 $0.46

$1.79 CA$2.53

-74.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 $0.47

$1.59 CA$2.25

-70.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 $0.57

$2.27 CA$3.21

-74.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.19 $0.19

$1.25 CA$1.77

-84.80%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.76 $0.76

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 $1.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 $2.52

$13.82 CA$19.53

-81.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 CA$20.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.10

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.44

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 $0.19

$2.39 CA$3.38

-92.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.23 $13.23

$111 CA$157

-88.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 $0.31

$2.91 CA$4.12

-89.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$1.20 CA$1.69

-75.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 $2.66

$21.38 CA$30.23

-87.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.08 $0.08

$1.21 CA$1.71

-93.39%

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

$49.4K $49.4K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

75.35%

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

$44.9K $44.9K

$20.3K CA$28.6K

121.81%

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

$12.86 $12.86

$120 CA$170

-89.31%

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

$1.58 $1.58

$32.26 CA$45.60

-95.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.69 $3.69

$47.93 CA$67.8

-92.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.06 $23.06

$38.48 CA$54.4

-40.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.06 $10.06

$22.96 CA$32.46

-56.18%

Cinema Ticket

$1.12 $1.12

$12.38 CA$17.50

-90.95%

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

$108 $108

$830 CA$1,173

-86.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$817 $817

$23.1K CA$32.6K

-96.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.45 $25.45

$50.7 CA$71.7

-49.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.36 $28.36

$40.02 CA$56.6

-29.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 $95.8

$98.0 CA$139

-2.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 $74.5

$121 CA$171

-38.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$291 $291

$1,592 CA$2,251

-81.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$480 $480

$1,410 CA$1,994

-65.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 $829

$2,670 CA$3,775

-68.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 $467

$2,152 CA$3,042

-78.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,249 $1,249

$7,945 CA$11.2K

-84.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$528 $528

$6,542 CA$9,249

-91.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$245 $245

$3,727 CA$5,269

-93.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

414.54%

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

Last update for Karaj: October 11, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Karaj

$480 58.8%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1% 194% $930

Groceries & Markets

Karaj

$112 13.7%

Toronto

$340 13.3% 203% $228

Clothing & Footwear

Karaj

$101 12.4%

Toronto

$139 5.4% 38.1% $38

Eating Out

Karaj

$64 7.8%

Toronto

$278 10.9% 335% $214

Sport & Entertainment

Karaj

$25 3.1%

Toronto

$63 2.5% 150% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karaj

$18 2.2%

Toronto

$201 7.8% 1006% $182

Getting Around

Karaj

$16 1.9%

Toronto

$129 5.1% 723% $114

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $291 in Karaj and $1,592 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 1424% 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 $76.0 in Toronto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $112 vs $340 per month, with Karaj cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Karaj

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

08:32 8:32 AM

01:02 1:02 AM

7 h 30 min behind Karaj

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,712,000

2,731,571

💱 Currency

USD USD

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karaj Toronto 9,850 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Karaj
Toronto

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 Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karaj and Toronto differ by about 214% in total monthly costs ($816 vs $2,561 including rent). Karaj is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1424% lower in Toronto. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $291 in Karaj versus $1,592 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 203% higher in Toronto. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Karaj – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $76.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $816 in Karaj versus $2,561 in Toronto, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karaj but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Karaj the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Toronto 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 Karaj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 214% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.