Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tehran and Kelachay

For one person, living is cheaper in Kelachay: $551 a month against $627 in Tehran, rent and utilities included – about $910 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Tehran
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Tehran Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Kelachay
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Kelachay Living Index

Jump to prices

Tehran

🇮🇷 Iran

$627

/mo nomad

Kelachay

🇮🇷 Iran

$551

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tehran and in Kelachay

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 Kelachay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $627 per month in Tehran vs $551 in Kelachay, rent included.

Tehran $627
Kelachay $551

A couple spends around $1,074 per month in Tehran vs $840 in Kelachay, rent included.

Tehran $1,074
Kelachay $840

A family of three spends $1,521 per month in Tehran vs $1,128 in Kelachay, rent included.

Tehran $1,521
Kelachay $1,128

Tehran costs about 14% more than Kelachay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tehran and Kelachay are more affordable than the global median – Tehran 54% lower, Kelachay 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 $3.84

$2.95 $2.95

30.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.95 $17.95

$14.55 $14.55

23.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.10 $4.10

-1.95%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

$0.80 $0.80

-8.75%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.25 $1.25

21.60%

Cappuccino

$1.34 $1.34

$1.04 $1.04

28.85%

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

$0.53 $0.53

$0.48 $0.48

10.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$0.87 $0.87

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$0.64 $0.64

9.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 $0.58

$0.52 $0.52

11.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.09 $2.09

65.07%

Eggs

$1.23 $1.23

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$4.51 $4.51

-3.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$3.40 $3.40

2.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.15 $10.15

$10.44 $10.44

-2.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.06 $1.06

26.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.55 $1.55

25.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$0.85 $0.85

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 $0.68

$0.57 $0.57

19.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.58 $0.58

-5.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.50 $0.50

2.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 $0.53

$0.52 $0.52

1.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 $0.28

$0.24 $0.24

16.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.76 $0.76

$0.81 $0.81

-6.17%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.52 $0.52

5.77%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.29 $1.29

62.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.57 $2.57

-1.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.09 $0.09

$0.14 $0.14

-35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.66 $5.66

$10.30 $10.30

-45.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.42 $0.42

14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.27 $0.27

7.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.69 $2.69

13.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

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

$50.5K $50.5K

$54.6K $54.6K

-7.47%

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

$44.2K $44.2K

$48.0K $48.0K

-7.92%

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

$13.03 $13.03

$14.25 $14.25

-8.56%

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

$1.58 $1.58

$1.64 $1.64

-3.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.62 $3.62

$4.24 $4.24

-14.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.77 $24.77

$18.91 $18.91

30.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.60 $13.60

$13.13 $13.13

3.58%

Cinema Ticket

$1.95 $1.95

$1.93 $1.93

1.04%

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

$108 $108

$97.0 $97.0

10.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,628 $2,628

$2,158 $2,158

21.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.05 $27.05

$23.15 $23.15

16.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.32 $37.32

$28.72 $28.72

29.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$91.3 $91.3

28.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.8 $74.8

$76.7 $76.7

-2.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 $424

$248 $248

70.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 $262

$228 $228

14.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 $945

$838 $838

12.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 $625

$340 $340

83.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,247 $1,247

$1,162 $1,162

7.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$723 $723

$616 $616

17.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$210 $210

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.79

24.3

2.02%

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

Last update for Tehran: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kelachay: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tehran

$262 41.7%

Kelachay

$228 41.3% 13% $34

Groceries & Markets

Tehran

$127 20.3%

Kelachay

$115 20.9% 9.2% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Tehran

$115 18.4%

Kelachay

$99 18% 14.3% $17

Eating Out

Tehran

$68 10.8%

Kelachay

$54 9.8% 20.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Tehran

$29 4.6%

Kelachay

$23 4.1% 20.5% $5.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tehran

$18 2.9%

Kelachay

$20 3.7% 10.4% $1.9

Getting Around

Tehran

$8 1.3%

Kelachay

$13 2.3% 58.7% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $424 in Tehran versus $248 in Kelachay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Tehran versus $15.00 in Kelachay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $127 vs $115 – making Kelachay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Tehran

🇮🇷 Kelachay

🕒 Local time

04:50 4:50 AM

Same time as Tehran

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000,000 Capital

12,379

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Tehran Kelachay 180 km

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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 Kelachay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tehran is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $940 per month in Tehran and $827 in Kelachay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kelachay, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 82% less in Kelachay. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $108 per month in Tehran and $97.0 in Kelachay. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $627 in Tehran and $551 in Kelachay, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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