Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sari and Tehran

For one person, living is cheaper in Tehran: $627 a month against $885 in Sari, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Sari
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Sari Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Tehran
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Tehran Living Index

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Sari

🇮🇷 Iran

$885

/mo nomad

Tehran

🇮🇷 Iran

$627

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sari 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 Sari and in Tehran actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $885 in Sari versus $627 in Tehran.

Sari $885
Tehran $627

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,092 in Sari versus $1,074 in Tehran.

Sari $1,092
Tehran $1,074

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,299 in Sari versus $1,521 in Tehran.

Sari $1,299
Tehran $1,521

Living in Sari is roughly 41% more expensive than in Tehran, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sari 34% lower, Tehran 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.83 $3.83

$3.84 $3.84

-0.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.96 $11.96

$17.95 $17.95

-33.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 $3.90

$4.02 $4.02

-2.99%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.52 $1.52

-44.08%

Cappuccino

$1.29 $1.29

$1.34 $1.34

-3.73%

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

$0.48 $0.48

$0.53 $0.53

-9.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 $0.56

$1.74 $1.74

-67.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.70 $0.70

-31.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.58 $0.58

5.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$3.45 $3.45

-4.35%

Eggs

$1.23 $1.23

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.35 $4.35

4.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.47 $3.47

-2.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.16 $9.16

$10.15 $10.15

-9.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 $1.34

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.95 $1.95

-3.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 $0.64

$0.68 $0.68

-5.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 $0.54

$0.55 $0.55

-1.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 $0.51

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 $0.54

$0.53 $0.53

1.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 $0.28

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.78 $0.78

$0.76 $0.76

2.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.55 $0.55

-7.27%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.10 $2.10

2.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.54 $2.54

-3.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.09 $0.09

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.88 $9.88

$5.66 $5.66

74.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.48 $0.48

6.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.29 $0.29

6.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.04 $3.04

1.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.08 $0.08

$0.09 $0.09

-11.11%

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

$50.9K $50.9K

$50.5K $50.5K

0.73%

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

$44.8K $44.8K

$44.2K $44.2K

1.18%

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

$12.89 $12.89

$13.03 $13.03

-1.07%

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

$1.64 $1.64

$1.58 $1.58

3.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.62 $3.62

4.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 $50.8

$24.77 $24.77

104.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.17 $12.17

$13.60 $13.60

-10.51%

Cinema Ticket

$0.97 $0.97

$1.95 $1.95

-50.26%

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

$50.8 $50.8

$108 $108

-52.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$805 $805

$2,628 $2,628

-69.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.52 $26.52

$27.05 $27.05

-1.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.07 $38.07

$37.32 $37.32

2.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$117 $117

-1.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.6 $74.6

$74.8 $74.8

-0.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$799 $799

$424 $424

88.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 $504

$262 $262

92.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$688 $688

$945 $945

-27.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 $404

$625 $625

-35.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$849 $849

$1,247 $1,247

-31.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$516 $516

$723 $723

-28.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$248 $248

$210 $210

18.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.79

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

Last update for Sari: October 12, 2026

Last update for Tehran: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sari

$504 57%

Tehran

$262 41.7% 48.1% $242

Groceries & Markets

Sari

$121 13.7%

Tehran

$127 20.3% 4.9% $5.9

Clothing & Footwear

Sari

$115 13%

Tehran

$115 18.4% 0.7% $0.8

Eating Out

Sari

$62 7%

Tehran

$68 10.8% 9.7% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Sari

$53 6%

Tehran

$29 4.6% 45.6% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sari

$18 2.1%

Tehran

$18 2.9% 0.4% $0.1

Getting Around

Sari

$12 * 1.4%

Tehran

$8 1.3% 33.5% $4

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 $799 in Sari and $424 in Tehran. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sari pays 18% 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: $12.00 in Sari vs $18.00 in Tehran for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $121 vs $127 per month, with Sari cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Sari

🇮🇷 Tehran

🕒 Local time

02:55 2:55 AM

Same time as Sari

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

300,000

8,000,000 Capital

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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From you

Sari
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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

Sari vs Tehran: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sari and Tehran differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($885 vs $627 including rent). Tehran is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Sari, 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: $799 in Sari versus $424 in Tehran. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Sari pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Tehran – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $12.00 in Sari. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $627 in Tehran versus $885 in Sari, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tehran but tight or insufficient in Sari. The gap between the two cities makes Tehran 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, Sari and Tehran 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 Tehran gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Sari. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.