Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tehran and Kerman

For one person, living is cheaper in Kerman: $508 a month against $627 in Tehran, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Tehran
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Tehran Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Kerman
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Kerman Living Index

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Tehran

🇮🇷 Iran

$627

/mo nomad

Kerman

🇮🇷 Iran

$508

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tehran and in Kerman

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

A single person spends $627 per month in Tehran vs $508 in Kerman, rent included.

Tehran $627
Kerman $508

A couple spends around $1,074 per month in Tehran vs $874 in Kerman, rent included.

Tehran $1,074
Kerman $874

A family of three spends $1,521 per month in Tehran vs $1,239 in Kerman, rent included.

Tehran $1,521
Kerman $1,239

Tehran costs about 23% more than Kerman, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tehran and Kerman are more affordable than the global median – Tehran 54% lower, Kerman 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 $3.84

$4.10 $4.10

-6.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.95 $17.95

$17.83 $17.83

0.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.92 $3.92

2.55%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

$0.71 $0.71

2.82%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.06 $1.06

43.40%

Cappuccino

$1.34 $1.34

$1.13 $1.13

18.58%

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

$0.53 $0.53

$0.70 $0.70

-24.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$0.97 $0.97

79.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$0.56 $0.56

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 $0.58

$0.52 $0.52

11.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.71 $2.71

27.31%

Eggs

$1.23 $1.23

$1.15 $1.15

6.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$4.38 $4.38

-0.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$1.99 $1.99

74.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.15 $10.15

$10.11 $10.11

0.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 $1.34

$0.63 $0.63

112.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.02 $2.02

-3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$0.83 $0.83

43.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 $0.68

$0.57 $0.57

19.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.39 $0.39

41.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.39 $0.39

30.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 $0.53

$0.56 $0.56

-5.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 $0.28

$0.20 $0.20

40.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.76 $0.76

$0.84 $0.84

-9.52%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.51 $0.51

7.84%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.33 $1.33

57.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.46 $1.46

73.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.09 $0.09

$0.13 $0.13

-30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.66 $5.66

$9.47 $9.47

-40.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.41 $0.41

17.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.32 $0.32

-9.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.42 $2.42

25.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

$0.08 $0.08

12.50%

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

$50.5K $50.5K

$46.2K $46.2K

9.38%

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

$44.2K $44.2K

$41.7K $41.7K

5.95%

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

$13.03 $13.03

$11.11 $11.11

17.28%

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

$1.58 $1.58

$1.60 $1.60

-1.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.67 $3.67

-1.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.77 $24.77

$12.79 $12.79

93.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.60 $13.60

$13.77 $13.77

-1.23%

Cinema Ticket

$1.95 $1.95

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

$108 $108

$107 $107

0.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,628 $2,628

$2,436 $2,436

7.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.05 $27.05

$22.35 $22.35

21.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.32 $37.32

$65.2 $65.2

-42.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$128 $128

-8.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.8 $74.8

$57.0 $57.0

31.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 $424

$338 $338

25.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 $262

$168 $168

55.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 $945

$835 $835

13.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 $625

$395 $395

58.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,247 $1,247

$914 $914

36.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$723 $723

$507 $507

42.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$210 $210

$201 $201

4.72%

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 Kerman: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tehran

$262 41.7%

Kerman

$168 33.1% 35.8% $94

Groceries & Markets

Tehran

$127 20.3%

Kerman

$108 21.2% 15.1% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Tehran

$115 18.4%

Kerman

$123 24.1% 6.2% $7.2

Eating Out

Tehran

$68 10.8%

Kerman

$65 12.8% 4.6% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Tehran

$29 4.6%

Kerman

$17 3.3% 41.8% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tehran

$18 2.9%

Kerman

$16 3.2% 10.2% $1.9

Getting Around

Tehran

$8 1.3%

Kerman

$12 2.4% 50.8% $4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $424 in Tehran versus $338 in Kerman. 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 5% higher in Tehran, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Tehran versus $18.00 in Kerman. Groceries tell a different story – $127 in Tehran vs $108 in Kerman – so Kerman wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Tehran

🇮🇷 Kerman

🕒 Local time

01:31 1:31 AM

Same time as Tehran

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000,000 Capital

537,718

💱 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 Kerman 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tehran
Kerman

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 Kerman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $627 in Tehran, $508 in Kerman – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $940 per month in Tehran and $762 in Kerman. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Tehran and $18.00 in Kerman. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $627 in Tehran and $508 in Kerman. That's a gap of about 23%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $627 in Tehran and $508 in Kerman, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Kerman – 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 Kerman. 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.