Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Karaj

For one person, living is cheaper in Karaj: $816 a month against $2,561 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Karaj
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Karaj Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Karaj

🇮🇷 Iran

$816

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Karaj

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Toronto and in Karaj actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,561 in Toronto versus $816 in Karaj.

Toronto $2,561
Karaj $816

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,694 in Toronto versus $1,054 in Karaj.

Toronto $3,694
Karaj $1,054

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,826 in Toronto versus $1,292 in Karaj.

Toronto $4,826
Karaj $1,292

Living in Toronto is roughly 214% more expensive than in Karaj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Toronto is 90% above, Karaj is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.29

$3.79 $3.79

353.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CA$107

$17.25 $17.25

340.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.89

$3.92 $3.92

168.88%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.48 $0.48

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 $1.12

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.68

$1.11 $1.11

262.16%

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

$2.12 CA$3.00

$0.46 $0.46

360.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$1.66 $1.66

5.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.83

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 CA$10.02

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$0.70 $0.70

248.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$0.51 $0.51

425.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$2.07 $2.07

8.21%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$1.08 $1.08

229.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 CA$12.85

$4.31 $4.31

110.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$3.30 $3.30

243.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 CA$20.55

$10.38 $10.38

39.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

$0.86 $0.86

320.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.68 $1.68

-27.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.09

$0.75 $0.75

380.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.96

$0.49 $0.49

759.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$0.46 $0.46

289.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.25

$0.47 $0.47

238.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$0.57 $0.57

298.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$0.19 $0.19

557.89%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.76 $0.76

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 $1.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 CA$19.53

$2.52 $2.52

448.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 CA$20.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.10

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.44

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$0.19 $0.19

1157.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

$13.23 $13.23

738.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$0.31 $0.31

838.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$0.29 $0.29

313.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

$2.66 $2.66

703.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$0.08 $0.08

1412.50%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$49.4K $49.4K

-42.97%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$44.9K $44.9K

-54.92%

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

$120 CA$170

$12.86 $12.86

835.85%

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

$32.26 CA$45.60

$1.58 $1.58

1941.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$3.69 $3.69

1198.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.48 CA$54.4

$23.06 $23.06

66.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

$10.06 $10.06

128.23%

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 CA$17.50

$1.12 $1.12

1005.36%

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

$830 CA$1,173

$108 $108

665.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K CA$32.6K

$817 $817

2726.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CA$71.7

$25.45 $25.45

99.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 CA$56.6

$28.36 $28.36

41.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$139

$95.8 $95.8

2.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$171

$74.5 $74.5

61.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 CA$2,251

$291 $291

447.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,994

$480 $480

193.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 CA$3,775

$829 $829

222.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CA$3,042

$467 $467

360.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

$1,249 $1,249

536.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

$528 $528

1139.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 CA$5,269

$245 $245

1424.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

-80.57%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for Karaj: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1%

Karaj

$480 58.8% 66% $930

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.3%

Karaj

$112 13.7% 67% $228

Eating Out

Toronto

$278 10.9%

Karaj

$64 7.8% 77% $214

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.8%

Karaj

$18 2.2% 91% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$139 5.4%

Karaj

$101 12.4% 27.6% $38

Getting Around

Toronto

$129 5.1%

Karaj

$16 1.9% 87.9% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.5%

Karaj

$25 3.1% 60% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,592 in Toronto and $291 in Karaj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 1424% 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: $76.0 in Toronto vs $17.00 in Karaj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $112 per month, with Karaj cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇮🇷 Karaj

🕒 Local time

01:02 1:02 AM

08:32 8:32 AM

7 h 30 min ahead of Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

1,712,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Toronto Karaj 9,850 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Toronto vs Karaj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto and Karaj differ by about 214% in total monthly costs ($2,561 vs $816 including rent). Karaj is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1424% higher in Toronto, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,592 in Toronto versus $291 in Karaj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 203% higher in Toronto. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Karaj – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $76.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $816 in Karaj versus $2,561 in Toronto, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karaj but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Karaj the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Toronto and Karaj are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Karaj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 214% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.