Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tehran and Karaj

For one person, living is cheaper in Tehran: $633 a month against $833 in Karaj, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Karaj outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

31

Cost of Living Index in Tehran
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Tehran Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Karaj
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Karaj Living Index

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Tehran

🇮🇷 Iran

$633

/mo nomad

Karaj

🇮🇷 Iran

$833

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $633 in Tehran versus $833 in Karaj.

Tehran $633
Karaj $833

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,074 in Tehran versus $1,062 in Karaj.

Tehran $1,074
Karaj $1,062

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,515 in Tehran versus $1,291 in Karaj.

Tehran $1,515
Karaj $1,291

Living in Tehran costs roughly 24% less than in Karaj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tehran 53% lower, Karaj 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.77 $3.77

$3.64 $3.64

3.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.66 $17.66

$16.73 $16.73

5.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.89 $3.89

0.26%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.69 $0.69

$0.48 $0.48

43.75%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.07 $1.07

42.06%

Cappuccino

$1.34 $1.34

$1.10 $1.10

21.82%

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

$0.49 $0.49

$0.43 $0.43

13.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.65 $1.65

3.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.66 $0.66

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 $0.60

$0.48 $0.48

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.09 $2.09

63.16%

Eggs

$1.24 $1.24

$1.07 $1.07

15.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.46 $4.46

-2.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.23 $10.23

$10.29 $10.29

-0.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$0.91 $0.91

45.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.71 $1.71

9.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.75 $0.75

52.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 $0.68

$0.49 $0.49

38.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 $0.59

$0.43 $0.43

37.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.48 $0.48

6.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 $0.57

$0.58 $0.58

-1.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 $0.28

$0.17 $0.17

64.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.76 $0.76

$0.82 $0.82

-7.32%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.39 $1.39

57.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.45 $2.45

-0.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.09 $0.09

$0.19 $0.19

-52.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.39 $5.39

$12.90 $12.90

-58.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.29 $0.29

79.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.29 $0.29

6.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.63 $2.63

13.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

$0.10 $0.10

-10.00%

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

$50.1K $50.1K

-0.06%

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

$46.2K $46.2K

$45.1K $45.1K

2.32%

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

$12.77 $12.77

$13.06 $13.06

-2.22%

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

$1.63 $1.63

$1.65 $1.65

-1.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.74 $3.74

$3.72 $3.72

0.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.64 $24.64

$23.16 $23.16

6.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.67 $13.67

$9.94 $9.94

37.53%

Cinema Ticket

$2.02 $2.02

$1.10 $1.10

83.64%

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

$107 $107

-0.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,597 $2,597

$837 $837

210.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.72 $26.72

$24.51 $24.51

9.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.79 $37.79

$28.24 $28.24

33.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$97.3 $97.3

17.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 $76.6

$76.4 $76.4

0.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 $418

$287 $287

45.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 $271

$498 $498

-45.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 $967

$818 $818

18.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 $627

$470 $470

33.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,279 $1,279

$1,267 $1,267

0.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$728 $728

$536 $536

35.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$213 $213

$248 $248

-14.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.79

7.78%

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

Last update for Tehran: October 19, 2026

Last update for Karaj: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tehran

$271 42.8%

Karaj

$498 59.7% 83.8% $227

Groceries & Markets

Tehran

$126 19.9%

Karaj

$112 13.4% 11.1% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Tehran

$115 18.2%

Karaj

$102 12.2% 11.3% $13

Eating Out

Tehran

$67 10.5%

Karaj

$62 7.5% 6.3% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Tehran

$29 4.5%

Karaj

$25 3.1% 11.6% $3.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tehran

$18 2.9%

Karaj

$18 2.2% 1.7% $0.3

Getting Around

Tehran

$7.8 1.2%

Karaj

$15 1.9% 96.8% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $418 in Tehran and $287 in Karaj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karaj pays 17% 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: $18.00 in Tehran vs $17.00 in Karaj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $126 vs $112 per month, with Karaj cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Tehran

🇮🇷 Karaj

🕒 Local time

20:15 8:15 PM

Same time as Tehran

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000,000 Capital

1,712,000

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Tehran Karaj 39 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 Karaj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tehran and Karaj differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($633 vs $833 including rent). Tehran is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 17% 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: $418 in Tehran versus $287 in Karaj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Karaj pay roughly 12% 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 $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 Tehran 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, Tehran 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 Tehran gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Karaj. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.