Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tehran and Zanjan

For one person, living is cheaper in Zanjan: $428 a month against $629 in Tehran, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Tehran
Learn more

Tehran Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Zanjan
Learn more

Zanjan Living Index

Jump to prices

Tehran

🇮🇷 Iran

$629

/mo nomad

Zanjan

🇮🇷 Iran

$428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tehran and in Zanjan

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

A single person spends $629 per month in Tehran vs $428 in Zanjan, rent included.

Tehran $629
Zanjan $428

A couple spends around $1,066 per month in Tehran vs $768 in Zanjan, rent included.

Tehran $1,066
Zanjan $768

A family of three spends $1,503 per month in Tehran vs $1,108 in Zanjan, rent included.

Tehran $1,503
Zanjan $1,108

Tehran costs about 47% more than Zanjan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tehran and Zanjan are more affordable than the global median – Tehran 54% lower, Zanjan 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 $3.45

$3.07 $3.07

12.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.28 $16.28

$13.14 $13.14

23.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 $4.09

$3.03 $3.03

34.98%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.67 $0.67

7.46%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.01 $1.01

50.50%

Cappuccino

$1.32 $1.32

$0.92 $0.92

43.48%

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

$0.53 $0.53

$0.49 $0.49

8.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.18 $1.18

45.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 $0.71

$0.70 $0.70

1.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 $0.62

$0.57 $0.57

8.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.20 $3.20

4.37%

Eggs

$1.26 $1.26

$1.23 $1.23

2.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.54 $4.54

-0.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.27 $3.27

2.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.13 $10.13

$9.09 $9.09

11.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.06 $1.06

30.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.52 $1.52

23.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.82 $0.82

39.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 $0.64

$0.45 $0.45

42.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.53 $0.53

3.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 $0.47

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 $0.53

$0.40 $0.40

32.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 $0.30

$0.24 $0.24

25.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.79 $0.79

$0.73 $0.73

8.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.52 $1.52

38.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.73 $1.73

46.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.10 $0.10

$0.19 $0.19

-47.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.47 $5.47

$9.85 $9.85

-44.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.31 $0.31

67.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.31 $0.31

-6.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.02 $1.02

202.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

$0.03 $0.03

200.00%

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

$51.0K $51.0K

$49.9K $49.9K

2.18%

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

$45.1K $45.1K

$46.7K $46.7K

-3.38%

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

$12.88 $12.88

$13.19 $13.19

-2.35%

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

$1.60 $1.60

$1.57 $1.57

1.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.85 $3.85

$4.00 $4.00

-3.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.27 $24.27

$12.35 $12.35

96.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.15 $13.15

$12.66 $12.66

3.87%

Cinema Ticket

$1.95 $1.95

$2.04 $2.04

-4.41%

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

$109 $109

$106 $106

2.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,557 $2,557

$2,544 $2,544

0.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.91 $26.91

$26.95 $26.95

-0.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.60 $37.60

$37.23 $37.23

0.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

-0.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.7 $71.7

$74.3 $74.3

-3.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 $430

$136 $136

216.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 $269

$99.0 $99.0

171.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 $961

$384 $384

150.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 $628

$314 $314

99.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,268 $1,268

$809 $809

56.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$717 $717

$473 $473

51.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$211 $211

$285 $285

-26.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.79

7.78%

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

Last update for Tehran: October 24, 2026

Last update for Zanjan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tehran

$269 42.8%

Zanjan

$99 23.1% 63.2% $170

Groceries & Markets

Tehran

$126 20.1%

Zanjan

$115 26.8% 9.3% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Tehran

$114 18.2%

Zanjan

$115 26.9% 0.9% $1

Eating Out

Tehran

$65 10.3%

Zanjan

$51 12% 20.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Tehran

$28 4.5%

Zanjan

$16 3.8% 41.7% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tehran

$18 2.9%

Zanjan

$19 4.4% 2.3% $0.4

Getting Around

Tehran

$7.8 1.3%

Zanjan

$13 2.9% 59.4% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $430 in Tehran versus $136 in Zanjan. 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 35% higher in Zanjan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Tehran versus $13 in Zanjan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $126 vs $115 – making Zanjan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Tehran

🇮🇷 Zanjan

🕒 Local time

09:37 9:37 AM

Same time as Tehran

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000,000 Capital

386,851

💱 Currency

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tehran Zanjan 280 km

From you

Tehran
Zanjan

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 Zanjan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tehran is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $943 per month in Tehran and $642 in Zanjan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zanjan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $136 there versus $430 in Tehran.

Kindergarten costs $109 per month in Tehran and $106 in Zanjan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Tehran, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $629 in Tehran and $428 in Zanjan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Tehran has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $428 in Zanjan to $629 in Tehran. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.