Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tehran and Sari

For one person, living is cheaper in Tehran: $629 a month against $874 in Sari, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Tehran
Learn more

Tehran Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Sari
Learn more

Sari Living Index

Jump to prices

Tehran

🇮🇷 Iran

$629

/mo nomad

Sari

🇮🇷 Iran

$874

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tehran and in Sari

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $629 in Tehran versus $874 in Sari.

Tehran $629
Sari $874

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,066 in Tehran versus $1,080 in Sari.

Tehran $1,066
Sari $1,080

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,503 in Tehran versus $1,287 in Sari.

Tehran $1,503
Sari $1,287

Living in Tehran costs roughly 28% less than in Sari, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tehran 54% lower, Sari 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 $3.45

$3.55 $3.55

-2.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.28 $16.28

$11.80 $11.80

37.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 $4.09

$4.08 $4.08

0.25%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.68 $0.68

5.88%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$0.91 $0.91

67.03%

Cappuccino

$1.32 $1.32

$1.23 $1.23

7.32%

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

$0.53 $0.53

$0.48 $0.48

10.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$0.52 $0.52

230.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 $0.71

$0.48 $0.48

47.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 $0.62

$0.60 $0.60

3.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.32 $3.32

0.60%

Eggs

$1.26 $1.26

$1.23 $1.23

2.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.48 $4.48

0.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.46 $3.46

-2.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.13 $10.13

$9.25 $9.25

9.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.32 $1.32

4.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.88 $1.88

-0.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.19 $1.19

-4.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 $0.64

$0.65 $0.65

-1.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.59 $0.59

-6.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 $0.47

$0.51 $0.51

-7.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 $0.53

$0.58 $0.58

-8.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 $0.30

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.79 $0.79

$0.77 $0.77

2.60%

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)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.15 $2.15

-1.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.44 $2.44

3.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.10 $0.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.47 $5.47

$9.87 $9.87

-44.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.51 $0.51

1.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.31 $0.31

-6.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.03 $3.03

1.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

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

$51.0K $51.0K

$50.9K $50.9K

0.02%

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

$45.1K $45.1K

-0.03%

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

$12.88 $12.88

$13.18 $13.18

-2.28%

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

$1.60 $1.60

$1.58 $1.58

1.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.99 $3.99

-3.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.27 $24.27

$49.52 $49.52

-50.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.15 $13.15

$11.93 $11.93

10.23%

Cinema Ticket

$1.95 $1.95

$1.02 $1.02

91.18%

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

$109 $109

$49.24 $49.24

120.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,557 $2,557

$815 $815

213.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.91 $26.91

$26.10 $26.10

3.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.60 $37.60

$37.45 $37.45

0.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$115 $115

2.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.7 $71.7

$73.5 $73.5

-2.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 $430

$794 $794

-45.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 $269

$497 $497

-45.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 $961

$693 $693

38.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 $628

$401 $401

56.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,268 $1,268

$857 $857

47.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$717 $717

$526 $526

36.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$211 $211

$248 $248

-15.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.79

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

Last update for Tehran: October 24, 2026

Last update for Sari: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tehran

$269 42.8%

Sari

$497 56.8% 84.6% $228

Groceries & Markets

Tehran

$126 20.1%

Sari

$122 14% 3.4% $4.3

Clothing & Footwear

Tehran

$114 18.2%

Sari

$113 13% 0.7% $0.8

Eating Out

Tehran

$65 10.3%

Sari

$59 6.8% 8.2% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Tehran

$28 4.5%

Sari

$52 5.9% 83% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tehran

$18 2.9%

Sari

$19 2.1% 2.2% $0.4

Getting Around

Tehran

$7.8 1.3%

Sari

$12 * 1.4% 52.3% $4.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Tehran and $794 in Sari. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sari pays 18% 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: $16 in Tehran vs $12 in Sari for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $126 vs $122 per month, with Sari cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Tehran

🇮🇷 Sari

🕒 Local time

09:37 9:37 AM

Same time as Tehran

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000,000 Capital

300,000

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tehran Sari 180 km

From you

Tehran
Sari

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 Sari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $629 in Tehran and $874 in Sari, so Tehran is about 28% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 15% 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 $794 in Sari. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Sari pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Sari – a meal for two runs $12 versus $16 in Tehran. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Tehran wins on affordability, Sari on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.