Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Karaj

For one person, living is cheaper in Karaj: $816 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $38,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

194

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Karaj
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Karaj Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,986

/mo nomad

Karaj

🇮🇷 Iran

$816

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Karaj

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,986 in London versus $816 in Karaj.

London $3,986
Karaj $816

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,791 in London versus $1,054 in Karaj.

London $5,791
Karaj $1,054

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,595 in London versus $1,292 in Karaj.

London $7,595
Karaj $1,292

Living in London is roughly 389% more expensive than in Karaj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: London is 195% above, Karaj is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.93 £19.45

$3.79 $3.79

584.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £79.9

$17.25 $17.25

517.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £8.03

$3.92 $3.92

173.21%

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

$5.47 £4.11

$1.11 $1.11

392.79%

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

$2.97 £2.23

$0.46 $0.46

545.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 £1.65

$1.66 $1.66

32.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.13 £6.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 £5.96

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.40

$0.70 $0.70

165.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 £1.55

$0.51 $0.51

305.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 £1.81

$2.07 $2.07

16.91%

Eggs

$5.09 £3.82

$1.08 $1.08

371.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 £9.66

$4.31 $4.31

198.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 £7.82

$3.30 $3.30

216.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 £12.66

$10.38 $10.38

62.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 £2.33

$0.86 $0.86

261.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.68 $1.68

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 £2.31

$0.75 $0.75

310.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 £2.45

$0.49 $0.49

567.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 £1.19

$0.46 $0.46

243.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 £1.31

$0.47 $0.47

270.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 £1.05

$0.57 $0.57

145.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.35

$0.19 $0.19

847.37%

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)

$23.28 £17.46

$2.52 $2.52

823.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 £9.77

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 £3.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.05

$0.19 $0.19

2042.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$247 £185

$13.23 $13.23

1765.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.18

$0.31 $0.31

1700.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.36 £2.52

$0.29 $0.29

1058.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.8 £42.58

$2.66 $2.66

2033.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.60

$0.08 $0.08

2562.50%

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

$38.2K £28.6K

$49.4K $49.4K

-22.70%

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

$40.9K £30.7K

$44.9K $44.9K

-8.97%

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

$372 £279

$12.86 $12.86

2793.93%

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

$17.82 £13.37

$1.58 $1.58

1027.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.37 £30.29

$3.69 $3.69

994.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.0 £44.99

$23.06 $23.06

160.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 £15.97

$10.06 $10.06

111.63%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 £13.31

$1.12 $1.12

1483.93%

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

$2,864 £2,149

$108 $108

2540.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.3K £26.5K

$817 $817

4225.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 £85.5

$25.45 $25.45

348.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 £40.71

$28.36 $28.36

91.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 £93.2

$95.8 $95.8

29.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 £122

$74.5 $74.5

118.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,869 £2,152

$291 $291

885.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,233 £1,675

$480 $480

365.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,266 £3,951

$829 $829

535.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,778 £2,835

$467 $467

709.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K £13.8K

$1,249 $1,249

1367.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,024 £6,020

$528 $528

1420.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,037 £3,779

$245 $245

1959.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.74

-79.39%

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for Karaj: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.2K 56%

Karaj

$480 58.8% 78.5% $1.8K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$430 10.8%

Karaj

$18 2.2% 95.8% $412

Eating Out

London

$388 9.7%

Karaj

$64 7.8% 83.5% $324

Groceries & Markets

London

$349 8.8%

Karaj

$112 13.7% 67.9% $237

Getting Around

London

$285 7.2%

Karaj

$16 1.9% 94.5% $270

Clothing & Footwear

London

$205 5.1%

Karaj

$101 12.4% 50.8% $104

Sport & Entertainment

London

$95 2.4%

Karaj

$25 3.1% 73.5% $70

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,869 in London and $291 in Karaj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 1960% 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: $107 in London vs $17.00 in Karaj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $112 per month, with Karaj cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇮🇷 Karaj

🕒 Local time

06:54 6:54 AM

09:24 9:24 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

1,712,000

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

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

USD to GBP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

London Karaj 4,360 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

London vs Karaj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

London and Karaj differ by about 389% in total monthly costs ($3,986 vs $816 including rent). Karaj is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1960% higher in London, 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: $2,869 in London versus $291 in Karaj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 212% higher in London. 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 $107 in London. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $816 in Karaj versus $3,986 in London, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karaj but tight or insufficient in London. 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, London and Karaj 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 389% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.