Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sanandaj and Tehran

For one person, living is cheaper in Sanandaj: $403 a month against $617 in Tehran, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Sanandaj
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Sanandaj Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Tehran
Learn more

Tehran Living Index

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Sanandaj

🇮🇷 Iran

$403

/mo nomad

Tehran

🇮🇷 Iran

$617

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sanandaj and in Tehran

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

A single person spends $403 per month in Sanandaj vs $617 in Tehran, rent included.

Sanandaj $403
Tehran $617

A couple spends around $666 per month in Sanandaj vs $1,064 in Tehran, rent included.

Sanandaj $666
Tehran $1,064

A family of three spends $929 per month in Sanandaj vs $1,511 in Tehran, rent included.

Sanandaj $929
Tehran $1,511

Sanandaj is about 35% cheaper than Tehran, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Sanandaj and Tehran are more affordable than the global median – Sanandaj 70% lower, Tehran 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.20 $3.20

$3.45 $3.45

-7.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.15 $16.15

$16.20 $16.20

-0.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.91 $3.91

2.56%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.68 $0.68

-25.00%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.46 $1.46

-32.88%

Cappuccino

$1.02 $1.02

$1.40 $1.40

-27.14%

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

$0.63 $0.63

$0.50 $0.50

26.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.71 $1.71

-40.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$0.67 $0.67

11.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 $0.68

$0.59 $0.59

15.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.46 $3.46

-43.06%

Eggs

$0.99 $0.99

$1.26 $1.26

-21.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$4.32 $4.32

3.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.32 $3.32

-15.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.44 $10.44

-3.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.48 $1.48

-26.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.99 $1.99

-26.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.27 $1.27

-29.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.63 $0.63

14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 $0.73

$0.55 $0.55

32.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 $0.77

$0.47 $0.47

63.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 $0.62

$0.52 $0.52

19.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 $0.33

$0.27 $0.27

22.22%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.79 $0.79

$0.77 $0.77

2.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.51 $0.51

7.84%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 $1.33

$2.15 $2.15

-38.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.46 $2.46

3.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 $0.13

$0.11 $0.11

18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.70 $9.70

$5.61 $5.61

72.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 $0.39

$0.51 $0.51

-23.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.01 $3.01

-14.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

$0.10 $0.10

-10.00%

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

$50.0K $50.0K

$49.6K $49.6K

0.91%

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

$46.4K $46.4K

$45.6K $45.6K

1.93%

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

$10.14 $10.14

$13.23 $13.23

-23.36%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$1.60 $1.60

83.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.95 $3.95

$3.85 $3.85

2.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$5.97 $5.97

$24.30 $24.30

-75.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.64 $13.64

$13.26 $13.26

2.87%

Cinema Ticket

$1.02 $1.02

$2.02 $2.02

-49.50%

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

$107 $107

$108 $108

-0.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,390 $2,390

$2,533 $2,533

-5.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.96 $15.96

$26.03 $26.03

-38.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.18 $28.18

$38.33 $38.33

-26.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.5 $63.5

$116 $116

-45.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.7 $72.7

$72.9 $72.9

-0.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$156 $156

$419 $419

-62.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$113 $113

$256 $256

-55.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 $333

$940 $940

-64.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 $199

$632 $632

-68.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$800 $800

$1,293 $1,293

-38.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$287 $287

$727 $727

-60.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$252 $252

$210 $210

19.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.79

-11.25%

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

Last update for Sanandaj: November 1, 2026

Last update for Tehran: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sanandaj

$116 28.7%

Tehran

$128 20.7% 10.6% $12

Accommodation & Living

Sanandaj

$113 28%

Tehran

$256 41.4% 127% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Sanandaj

$81 20.1%

Tehran

$114 18.4% 40.2% $33

Eating Out

Sanandaj

$56 14%

Tehran

$65 10.5% 15% $8.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sanandaj

$17 4.2%

Tehran

$19 3% 9.8% $1.7

Getting Around

Sanandaj

$12 3%

Tehran

$8 1.3% 33.4% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Sanandaj

$8 2%

Tehran

$28 4.6% 253% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $156 in Sanandaj versus $419 in Tehran. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 20% higher in Sanandaj, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Sanandaj versus $16 in Tehran. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $116 vs $128 – making Sanandaj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Sanandaj

🇮🇷 Tehran

🕒 Local time

23:43 11:43 PM

Same time as Sanandaj

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

412,767

8,000,000 Capital

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Sanandaj vs Tehran: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tehran costs about 53% more than Sanandaj, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $604 per month in Sanandaj and $926 in Tehran. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sanandaj, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $156 there versus $419 in Tehran.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $403 in Sanandaj and $617 in Tehran. That makes Sanandaj about 35% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $107 per month in Sanandaj and $108 in Tehran. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $403 in Sanandaj and $617 in Tehran, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Tehran has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $403 in Sanandaj to $617 in Tehran. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.