Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tabriz and Karaj

For one person, living is cheaper in Tabriz: $406 a month against $823 in Karaj, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Tabriz
Learn more

Tabriz Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Karaj
Learn more

Karaj Living Index

Jump to prices

Tabriz

🇮🇷 Iran

$406

/mo nomad

Karaj

🇮🇷 Iran

$823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Tabriz versus $823 in Karaj.

Tabriz $406
Karaj $823

Estimated couple costs with rent: $679 in Tabriz versus $1,058 in Karaj.

Tabriz $679
Karaj $1,058

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $952 in Tabriz versus $1,293 in Karaj.

Tabriz $952
Karaj $1,293

Living in Tabriz costs roughly 51% less than in Karaj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tabriz 70% lower, Karaj 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.02 $3.02

$3.54 $3.54

-14.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.86 $14.86

$16.19 $16.19

-8.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.97 $3.97

-1.76%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 $1.06

$0.48 $0.48

120.83%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.06 $1.06

4.72%

Cappuccino

$1.30 $1.30

$1.06 $1.06

22.64%

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

$0.56 $0.56

$0.43 $0.43

30.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 $0.61

$1.65 $1.65

-63.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.56 $0.56

$0.70 $0.70

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.37 $0.37

$0.52 $0.52

-28.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.07 $2.07

83.09%

Eggs

$0.90 $0.90

$1.03 $1.03

-12.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$4.48 $4.48

6.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.33 $3.33

-15.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.33 $9.33

$10.43 $10.43

-10.55%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.89 $0.89

11.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.70 $1.70

-24.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.80 $0.80

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 $0.57

$0.49 $0.49

16.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.46 $0.46

13.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.47 $0.47

10.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 $0.46

$0.54 $0.54

-14.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.18 $0.18

$0.21 $0.21

-14.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.63 $0.63

$0.83 $0.83

-24.10%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 $0.44

$0.51 $0.51

-13.73%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.34 $1.34

8.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.48 $2.48

-13.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.11 $0.11

$0.20 $0.20

-45.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.38 $12.38

$13.11 $13.11

-5.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 $0.42

$0.29 $0.29

44.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 $0.19

$0.31 $0.31

-38.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.04 $4.04

$2.64 $2.64

53.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

$0.08 $0.08

12.50%

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

$72.5K $72.5K

$49.5K $49.5K

46.67%

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

$52.8K $52.8K

$45.6K $45.6K

15.84%

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

$14.37 $14.37

$13.24 $13.24

8.53%

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

$1.94 $1.94

$1.54 $1.54

25.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.38 $5.38

$3.81 $3.81

41.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.57 $14.57

$23.04 $23.04

-36.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.20 $25.20

$10.08 $10.08

150.00%

Cinema Ticket

$1.47 $1.47

$1.06 $1.06

38.68%

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

$60.1 $60.1

$108 $108

-44.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$539 $539

$839 $839

-35.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.73 $15.73

$25.32 $25.32

-37.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.63 $10.63

$27.83 $27.83

-61.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 $74.0

$97.8 $97.8

-24.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.41 $49.41

$73.3 $73.3

-32.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$153 $153

$298 $298

-48.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$119 $119

$488 $488

-75.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$373 $373

$798 $798

-53.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 $240

$476 $476

-49.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$871 $871

$1,274 $1,274

-31.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$855 $855

$527 $527

62.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$233 $233

$239 $239

-2.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.5

-2.17%

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

Last update for Tabriz: October 25, 2026

Last update for Karaj: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tabriz

$119 29.4%

Karaj

$488 59.3% 309% $368

Groceries & Markets

Tabriz

$110 27%

Karaj

$113 13.8% 3.2% $3.6

Clothing & Footwear

Tabriz

$67 16.6%

Karaj

$101 12.3% 49.8% $34

Eating Out

Tabriz

$56 13.8%

Karaj

$61 7.5% 9.2% $5.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tabriz

$22 5.3%

Karaj

$19 2.3% 14.3% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Tabriz

$18 4.3%

Karaj

$25 3.1% 43.6% $7.6

Getting Around

Tabriz

$14 3.5%

Karaj

$16 1.9% 11.2% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $153 in Tabriz and $298 in Karaj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karaj pays 3% 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: $15 in Tabriz vs $16 in Karaj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $110 vs $113 per month, with Tabriz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Tabriz

🇮🇷 Karaj

🕒 Local time

03:15 3:15 AM

Same time as Tabriz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,558,693

1,712,000

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tabriz Karaj 490 km

From you

Tabriz
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

Tabriz vs Karaj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $406 in Tabriz and $823 in Karaj, so Tabriz is about 51% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Tabriz. 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: $153 in Tabriz versus $298 in Karaj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Karaj. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Tabriz – a meal for two runs $15 versus $16 in Karaj. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $406 in Tabriz versus $823 in Karaj, a $800 budget is realistic in Tabriz but tight or insufficient in Karaj. The gap between the two cities makes Tabriz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tabriz is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Karaj, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tabriz and Karaj are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Tabriz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Karaj. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.