Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tehran and Malayer

For one person, living is cheaper in Malayer: $531 a month against $629 in Tehran, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Tehran
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Tehran Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Malayer
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Malayer Living Index

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Tehran

🇮🇷 Iran

$629

/mo nomad

Malayer

🇮🇷 Iran

$531

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tehran and in Malayer

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $629 in Tehran versus $531 in Malayer.

Tehran $629
Malayer $531

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,066 in Tehran versus $844 in Malayer.

Tehran $1,066
Malayer $844

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,503 in Tehran versus $1,156 in Malayer.

Tehran $1,503
Malayer $1,156

Living in Tehran is roughly 18% more expensive than in Malayer, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tehran 54% lower, Malayer 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 $3.45

$3.41 $3.41

1.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.28 $16.28

$16.23 $16.23

0.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 $4.09

$3.49 $3.49

17.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.66 $0.66

9.09%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.09 $1.09

39.45%

Cappuccino

$1.32 $1.32

$1.17 $1.17

12.82%

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

$0.53 $0.53

$0.52 $0.52

1.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.09 $1.09

57.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 $0.71

$0.69 $0.69

2.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 $0.62

$0.48 $0.48

29.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.08 $2.08

60.58%

Eggs

$1.26 $1.26

$1.18 $1.18

6.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.40 $4.40

2.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.33 $3.33

0.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.13 $10.13

$10.16 $10.16

-0.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.03 $1.03

33.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.54 $1.54

21.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.82 $0.82

39.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 $0.64

$0.55 $0.55

16.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.54 $0.54

1.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 $0.47

$0.51 $0.51

-7.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 $0.53

$0.57 $0.57

-7.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 $0.30

$0.26 $0.26

15.38%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.79 $0.79

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.33 $1.33

58.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.54 $2.54

-0.39%

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

$9.86 $9.86

-44.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.44 $0.44

18.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.33 $0.33

-12.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.37 $2.37

30.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

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

$51.0K $51.0K

$50.6K $50.6K

0.80%

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

$45.1K $45.1K

0.07%

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

$12.88 $12.88

$14.51 $14.51

-11.23%

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

$1.60 $1.60

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.41 $3.41

12.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.27 $24.27

$18.67 $18.67

29.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.15 $13.15

$12.85 $12.85

2.33%

Cinema Ticket

$1.95 $1.95

$1.78 $1.78

9.55%

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

$109 $109

$108 $108

0.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,557 $2,557

$2,196 $2,196

16.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.91 $26.91

$22.38 $22.38

20.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.60 $37.60

$25.93 $25.93

45.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$96.2 $96.2

22.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.7 $71.7

$70.9 $70.9

1.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 $430

$292 $292

47.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 $269

$208 $208

29.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 $961

$789 $789

21.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 $628

$360 $360

74.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,268 $1,268

$1,166 $1,166

8.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$717 $717

$529 $529

35.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$211 $211

$216 $216

-2.63%

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 24, 2026

Last update for Malayer: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tehran

$269 42.8%

Malayer

$208 39.2% 22.7% $61

Groceries & Markets

Tehran

$126 20.1%

Malayer

$114 21.4% 10.2% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Tehran

$114 18.2%

Malayer

$97 18.3% 15.1% $17

Eating Out

Tehran

$65 10.3%

Malayer

$58 11% 10.1% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Tehran

$28 4.5%

Malayer

$22 4.2% 21.1% $5.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tehran

$18 2.9%

Malayer

$20 3.7% 6.5% $1.2

Getting Around

Tehran

$7.8 1.3%

Malayer

$13 2.4% 60.6% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Tehran and $292 in Malayer. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malayer pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $16 in Tehran vs $16 in Malayer. Groceries flip the comparison at $126 vs $114, with Malayer cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Tehran

🇮🇷 Malayer

🕒 Local time

08:49 8:49 AM

Same time as Tehran

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000,000 Capital

170,237

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Tehran Malayer 280 km

From you

Tehran
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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 Malayer: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malayer is about 16% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Tehran. 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: $430 in Tehran versus $292 in Malayer. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Tehran. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $629 per month in Tehran versus $531 in Malayer – Malayer is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Malayer 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.