Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tehran and Babol

For one person, living is cheaper in Babol: $471 a month against $629 in Tehran, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Tehran
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Tehran Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Babol
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Babol Living Index

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Tehran

🇮🇷 Iran

$629

/mo nomad

Babol

🇮🇷 Iran

$471

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tehran and in Babol

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

A single person spends $629 per month in Tehran vs $471 in Babol, rent included.

Tehran $629
Babol $471

A couple spends around $1,066 per month in Tehran vs $733 in Babol, rent included.

Tehran $1,066
Babol $733

A family of three spends $1,503 per month in Tehran vs $994 in Babol, rent included.

Tehran $1,503
Babol $994

Tehran costs about 33% more than Babol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tehran and Babol are more affordable than the global median – Tehran 54% lower, Babol 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 $3.45

$2.94 $2.94

17.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.28 $16.28

$10.80 $10.80

50.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 $4.09

$4.02 $4.02

1.74%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.49 $0.49

46.94%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$0.66 $0.66

130.30%

Cappuccino

$1.32 $1.32

$1.05 $1.05

25.71%

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

$0.53 $0.53

$0.29 $0.29

82.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 $0.71

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 $0.62

$0.22 $0.22

181.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.47 $2.47

35.22%

Eggs

$1.26 $1.26

$1.22 $1.22

3.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.02 $2.02

123.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.27 $3.27

2.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.13 $10.13

$9.23 $9.23

9.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.22 $1.22

13.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.41 $1.41

32.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.48 $0.48

137.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 $0.64

$0.48 $0.48

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.29 $0.29

89.66%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 $0.47

$0.29 $0.29

62.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 $0.53

$0.29 $0.29

82.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 $0.30

$0.14 $0.14

114.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.79 $0.79

$0.78 $0.78

1.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.54 $0.54

1.85%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.18 $2.18

-3.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.24 $2.24

12.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.10 $0.10

$0.16 $0.16

-37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.47 $5.47

$9.65 $9.65

-43.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.51 $0.51

1.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.94 $2.94

5.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

$0.08 $0.08

12.50%

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

$51.0K $51.0K

$49.2K $49.2K

3.48%

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

$45.1K $45.1K

$30.1K $30.1K

50.00%

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

$12.88 $12.88

$12.91 $12.91

-0.23%

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

$1.60 $1.60

$1.52 $1.52

5.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.84 $3.84

0.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.27 $24.27

$18.51 $18.51

31.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.15 $13.15

$13.57 $13.57

-3.10%

Cinema Ticket

$1.95 $1.95

$1.94 $1.94

0.52%

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

$109 $109

$48.02 $48.02

125.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,557 $2,557

$2,397 $2,397

6.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.91 $26.91

$19.85 $19.85

35.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.60 $37.60

$14.97 $14.97

151.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$53.6 $53.6

119.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.7 $71.7

$39.31 $39.31

82.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 $430

$289 $289

48.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 $269

$207 $207

29.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 $961

$779 $779

23.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 $628

$359 $359

74.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,268 $1,268

$911 $911

39.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$717 $717

$596 $596

20.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$211 $211

$130 $130

61.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.79

23.75

4.38%

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

Last update for Tehran: October 24, 2026

Last update for Babol: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tehran

$269 42.8%

Babol

$207 44% 22.9% $62

Groceries & Markets

Tehran

$126 20.1%

Babol

$97 20.6% 23.1% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Tehran

$114 18.2%

Babol

$57 12.2% 49.7% $57

Eating Out

Tehran

$65 10.3%

Babol

$56 11.9% 13.3% $8.6

Sport & Entertainment

Tehran

$28 4.5%

Babol

$22 4.8% 20.5% $5.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tehran

$18 2.9%

Babol

$18 3.9% 0.3% $0.1

Getting Around

Tehran

$7.8 1.3%

Babol

$12 2.6% 56.3% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $430 in Tehran versus $289 in Babol. 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 62% higher in Tehran. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Tehran versus $11 in Babol. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $126 vs $97 – making Babol the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Tehran

🇮🇷 Babol

🕒 Local time

01:19 1:19 AM

Same time as Tehran

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000,000 Capital

220,000

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Tehran Babol 150 km

From you

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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

Tehran vs Babol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $629 in Tehran, $471 in Babol – Babol comes out roughly 25% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $943 per month in Tehran and $707 in Babol. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Babol, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $289 there versus $430 in Tehran.

Public transport costs about 43% less in Tehran. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $109 per month in Tehran and $48 in Babol. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $629 in Tehran and $471 in Babol, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Babol – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Babol. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tehran makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.