Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tehran and Qom

For one person, living is cheaper in Qom: $436 a month against $617 in Tehran, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Tehran
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Tehran Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Qom
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Qom Living Index

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Tehran

🇮🇷 Iran

$617

/mo nomad

Qom

🇮🇷 Iran

$436

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tehran and in Qom

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $617 in Tehran versus $436 in Qom.

Tehran $617
Qom $436

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,064 in Tehran versus $847 in Qom.

Tehran $1,064
Qom $847

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,511 in Tehran versus $1,257 in Qom.

Tehran $1,511
Qom $1,257

Living in Tehran is roughly 41% more expensive than in Qom, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tehran 54% lower, Qom 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 $3.45

$3.05 $3.05

13.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.20 $16.20

$15.89 $15.89

1.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.91 $3.91

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.68 $0.68

$0.52 $0.52

30.77%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.48 $1.48

-1.35%

Cappuccino

$1.40 $1.40

$1.01 $1.01

38.61%

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

$0.50 $0.50

$0.41 $0.41

21.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.73 $1.73

-1.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.67 $0.67

$0.53 $0.53

26.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 $0.59

$0.62 $0.62

-4.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.70 $1.70

103.53%

Eggs

$1.26 $1.26

$1.02 $1.02

23.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.81 $2.81

53.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$3.13 $3.13

6.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 $10.44

$7.45 $7.45

40.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$0.79 $0.79

87.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.46 $1.46

36.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.99 $0.99

28.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 $0.63

$0.47 $0.47

34.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.47 $0.47

17.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 $0.47

$0.43 $0.43

9.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.26 $0.26

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 $0.27

$0.26 $0.26

3.85%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.77 $0.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.47 $0.47

8.51%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.48 $1.48

45.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.22 $1.22

101.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.11 $0.11

$0.17 $0.17

-35.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.61 $5.61

$14.48 $14.48

-61.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.26 $0.26

96.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.25 $0.25

16.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.02 $1.02

195.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.10 $0.10

$0.08 $0.08

25.00%

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

$49.6K $49.6K

$50.7K $50.7K

-2.28%

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

$45.6K $45.6K

$46.1K $46.1K

-1.13%

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

$13.23 $13.23

$12.79 $12.79

3.44%

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

$1.60 $1.60

$1.27 $1.27

25.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.97 $3.97

-3.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.30 $24.30

$8.60 $8.60

182.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.26 $13.26

$9.86 $9.86

34.48%

Cinema Ticket

$2.02 $2.02

$0.98 $0.98

106.12%

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

$108 $108

-0.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,533 $2,533

$2,623 $2,623

-3.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.03 $26.03

$15.29 $15.29

70.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.33 $38.33

$12.99 $12.99

195.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$100 $100

15.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.9 $72.9

$49.43 $49.43

47.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 $419

$237 $237

76.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$256 $256

$160 $160

59.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 $940

$578 $578

62.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 $632

$573 $573

10.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,293 $1,293

$885 $885

46.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$727 $727

$611 $611

19.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$210 $210

$216 $216

-2.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.79

20.33

21.94%

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

Last update for Tehran: November 1, 2026

Last update for Qom: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tehran

$256 41.4%

Qom

$160 36.6% 37.4% $96

Groceries & Markets

Tehran

$128 20.7%

Qom

$94 21.6% 26.3% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Tehran

$114 18.4%

Qom

$80 18.4% 29.5% $34

Eating Out

Tehran

$65 10.5%

Qom

$57 13% 12.4% $8.1

Sport & Entertainment

Tehran

$28 4.6%

Qom

$11 2.4% 62.7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tehran

$19 3%

Qom

$18 4.1% 3.5% $0.7

Getting Around

Tehran

$8 1.3%

Qom

$17 3.8% 108% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $419 in Tehran and $237 in Qom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qom 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 Qom. Groceries flip the comparison at $128 vs $94, with Qom cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Tehran

🇮🇷 Qom

🕒 Local time

02:50 2:50 AM

Same time as Tehran

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000,000 Capital

1,075,000

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Tehran Qom 130 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 Qom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qom wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Tehran. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Qom the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

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: $419 in Tehran versus $237 in Qom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $108 in Tehran versus $108 in Qom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Tehran runs roughly 61% less than in Qom. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Qom 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.