Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shiraz and Karaj

For one person, living is cheaper in Shiraz: $547 a month against $833 in Karaj, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Shiraz
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Shiraz Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Karaj
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Karaj Living Index

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Shiraz

🇮🇷 Iran

$547

/mo nomad

Karaj

🇮🇷 Iran

$833

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $547 in Shiraz versus $833 in Karaj.

Shiraz $547
Karaj $833

Estimated couple costs with rent: $811 in Shiraz versus $1,062 in Karaj.

Shiraz $811
Karaj $1,062

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,076 in Shiraz versus $1,291 in Karaj.

Shiraz $1,076
Karaj $1,291

Living in Shiraz costs roughly 34% less than in Karaj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shiraz 60% lower, Karaj 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 $4.41

$3.64 $3.64

21.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.19 $13.19

$16.73 $16.73

-21.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.03 $4.03

$3.89 $3.89

3.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.48 $0.48

114.58%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.07 $1.07

59.81%

Cappuccino

$1.22 $1.22

$1.10 $1.10

10.91%

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

$0.62 $0.62

$0.43 $0.43

44.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.66 $0.66

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.42 $0.42

$0.48 $0.48

-12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.09 $2.09

-9.09%

Eggs

$1.17 $1.17

$1.07 $1.07

9.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$4.46 $4.46

-47.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.33 $3.33

-9.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.68 $9.68

$10.29 $10.29

-5.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$0.91 $0.91

16.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.71 $1.71

-5.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 $0.90

$0.75 $0.75

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.49 $0.49

12.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 $0.54

$0.43 $0.43

25.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 $0.53

$0.48 $0.48

10.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.58 $0.58

-12.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.19 $0.19

$0.17 $0.17

11.76%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.82 $0.82

8.54%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 $0.60

$0.51 $0.51

17.65%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.39 $1.39

25.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.45 $2.45

24.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.10 $0.10

$0.19 $0.19

-47.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$2.92 $2.92

$12.90 $12.90

-77.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 $0.41

$0.29 $0.29

41.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 $0.22

$0.29 $0.29

-24.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.63 $2.63

36.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.10 $0.10

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

$66.1K $66.1K

$50.1K $50.1K

31.93%

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

$53.9K $53.9K

$45.1K $45.1K

19.43%

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

$24.16 $24.16

$13.06 $13.06

84.99%

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

$2.04 $2.04

$1.65 $1.65

23.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.09 $17.09

$3.72 $3.72

359.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.82 $18.82

$23.16 $23.16

-18.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.51 $13.51

$9.94 $9.94

35.92%

Cinema Ticket

$1.97 $1.97

$1.10 $1.10

79.09%

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

$103 $103

$107 $107

-4.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,367 $2,367

$837 $837

182.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.34 $22.34

$24.51 $24.51

-8.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.26 $18.26

$28.24 $28.24

-35.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 $95.4

$97.3 $97.3

-2.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.0 $56.0

$76.4 $76.4

-26.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$291 $291

$287 $287

1.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 $222

$498 $498

-55.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 $540

$818 $818

-33.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 $316

$470 $470

-32.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,119 $1,119

$1,267 $1,267

-11.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$505 $505

$536 $536

-5.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$237 $237

$248 $248

-4.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.3

5.65%

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

Last update for Shiraz: October 17, 2026

Last update for Karaj: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shiraz

$222 40.6%

Karaj

$498 59.7% 125% $276

Groceries & Markets

Shiraz

$103 18.9%

Karaj

$112 13.4% 8.5% $8.7

Clothing & Footwear

Shiraz

$86 15.8%

Karaj

$102 12.2% 18% $16

Eating Out

Shiraz

$65 * 11.8%

Karaj

$62 7.5% 3.3% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shiraz

$43 7.9%

Karaj

$18 2.2% 57.4% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Shiraz

$23 4.2%

Karaj

$25 3.1% 11.5% $2.6

Getting Around

Shiraz

$4.8 0.9%

Karaj

$15 1.9% 220% $11

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 $291 in Shiraz and $287 in Karaj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karaj pays 5% 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: $13.00 in Shiraz vs $17.00 in Karaj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $103 vs $112 per month, with Shiraz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Shiraz

🇮🇷 Karaj

🕒 Local time

16:49 4:49 PM

Same time as Shiraz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,565,572

1,712,000

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shiraz Karaj 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shiraz
Karaj

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

Shiraz vs Karaj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shiraz and Karaj differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($547 vs $833 including rent). Shiraz is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Karaj. 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 Shiraz versus $287 in Karaj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Karaj. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Shiraz – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $17.00 in Karaj. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Shiraz gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Shiraz 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 Shiraz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Karaj. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.