Global CityIntelligence

Iran / Western Asia

Karaj, Iran City Intelligence

Karaj is an indexed city in Iran (Western Asia), with a metropolitan population of about ~1.6M. This profile brings together deterministic city-intelligence indicators for Karaj spanning cost of living, climate, safety and quality of life, economy and jobs, education, and healthcare. Karaj is a western asia city of about ~1.6M in Iran. On the composite city-intelligence score, Karaj sits at an early stage relative to the indexed set (59/100).

Last updated
2026-05-16
Data year
2025
Population
~1.6M
View of Karaj, Iran

Image credit: Image: Civilaut / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Composite profile

Overall score

59/100

Use the Karaj profile to compare affordability, livability, and economic indicators against other indexed cities in Iran and across Western Asia, and to explore nearby nature and weekend destinations.

Overall59/100
Affordability71/100
Air quality51/100
Energy57/100

Overall city intelligence

Constrained

59/100

Composite directional score across affordability, air quality, clean energy, and resilience.

Data confidence

Directional

Directional indicators pending integration of verified city-level data.

Verified utility layers

See country hub

Emergency, healthcare, and transport verification status appears on the country hub.

Karaj data table

The table is part of the initial server-rendered HTML and mirrors the key city score cards.

Karaj city intelligence data table
MetricValueContext
Overall score59/100Composite score across major city intelligence modules.
Cost of Living71/100Karaj's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies.
Air Quality51/100Karaj's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated.
Energy57/100Karaj's energy-readiness profile is a directional indicator that combines national policy framing with city-level adaptation context.
Safety61/100Karaj's safety profile is a directional indicator; verified country-level emergency profiles attach via the country hub where available.
Internet Speed58/100Karaj's connectivity profile is a directional indicator combining national digital-readiness context with widely cited speed-test references.
Climate Risk63/100Karaj's climate-risk profile is a directional indicator combining regional hazard categories with national adaptation capacity.
Resilience63/100Climate adaptation and infrastructure continuity context.

Safety

Deterministic safety estimates from our index — planning signals derived from country priors and city data, not official crime statistics.

Safety

Overall safety57/100
Low crime58/100
Personal safety59/100
Night safety52/100
Road safety59/100

Karaj has a moderate safety estimate (57/100); standard urban precautions are advised, particularly after dark.

Quality of Life

A composite quality-of-life estimate and its component indicators.

Quality of Life

Quality of life68/100
Healthcare64/100
Education70/100
Green space90/100
Cleanliness59/100
Infrastructure68/100
Mobility61/100

Karaj has a high quality-of-life estimate (68/100), with notable strengths in green space.

Family Friendliness

How the city scores for raising a family, with the indicators that drive it.

Family Friendliness

Family friendliness67/100
Education70/100
Green space90/100
Overall safety57/100

Karaj scores moderate for family living (67/100), helped by parks and green space.

Digital Nomad Suitability

Suitability for remote workers, based on connectivity, mobility, and livability.

Digital Nomad Suitability

Digital nomad suitability66/100
Walkability79/100
Cycling58/100
Infrastructure68/100

Karaj is moderate for remote workers (66/100), based on connectivity, affordability and walkability and day-to-day amenities.

Retirement Suitability

Suitability for retirement, weighing healthcare, affordability, climate, and environment.

Retirement Suitability

Retirement suitability67/100
Healthcare64/100
Cleanliness59/100
Outdoor lifestyle56/100

Karaj is moderate for retirement (67/100), appealing for affordability and a comfortable climate.

Emergency and public safety in Karaj

Local public safety guidance for Karaj, with the country-level emergency contacts that apply when calling for police, fire, or ambulance.

Unverified

For the universal emergency contacts that apply in Karaj, including police, fire, and ambulance, see the Iran emergency profile, which currently lists no verified national contacts.

Methodology and the wider source registry are documented on the scoring methodology and data sources pages.

Healthcare and hospitals in Karaj

Healthcare context for Karaj, with national-level information from Iran where city-specific data is not yet verified. This is informational only and does not provide medical advice.

Unverified

For the national healthcare and public-health context that applies in Karaj, see the Iran healthcare profile, which currently lists no verified national healthcare information.

Related sections: emergency and public safety, scoring methodology, and data sources.

Transport and mobility in Karaj

Local mobility context for Karaj, with national-level context from Iran where city-specific data is not yet verified. This is informational only.

Unverified

For national transport authorities and operators that apply in Karaj, see the Iran transport profile, which currently lists no verified national transport information.

Related sections: emergency and public safety, healthcare and hospitals, cities directory, countries directory, scoring methodology, data sources.

Air quality dataset

Source-attributed air-quality dataset for Karaj. Verified measurements are surfaced when published from accepted official datasets; transparent fallback is shown otherwise.

Air quality dataset for Karaj

Verified data unavailableLast updated 2026-05-16 / data year 2025

Verified air-quality measurements are not yet published for this location

Source-attributed values for Karaj will appear here after the platform integrates verified measurements from accepted official publishers. Until then, structured air-quality module context remains available on the dedicated module page.

Karaj air-quality dataset coverage
MetricValueData yearStatus
Air qualityVerified air-quality measurements are not yet published for this location.

Data provenance

Source attribution
  • Global City Intelligence — air-quality dataset

    Verified data unavailable
    Publisher
    Global City Intelligence
    Last verified
    2026-05-16

    The air-quality dataset begins empty by design. Verified city-level measurements appear here only after they are sourced from accepted publishers (WHO, EEA, US EPA, OpenAQ, OECD, or official national/city environmental agencies).

Quick answers

Quick, evidence-based answers about Karaj drawn from this profile's indexed cost, climate, safety, economy, education, healthcare and nearby-nature data. Figures are deterministic estimates for orientation — verify specifics with official sources.

Quick answers about Karaj

Is Karaj worth visiting?

Yes — strong quality of life (68/100), with nearby nature such as Kūh-e Sorūdār, Jahan Nama Forest Park.

Is Karaj good for families?

Strong (67/100) on safety, schools and green space.

Is Karaj affordable?

More affordable than average; about 298,000,000 IRR/month for one person (estimate).

When is the best time to visit Karaj?

Late spring to early autumn; warmest in Jul, coldest in Jan.

What are Karaj's main industries?

Mainly tourism, hospitality, logistics.

What is the climate in Karaj?

A semi-arid climate, averaging about 19.9°C.

Does Karaj have universities?

Higher education is good (60/100).

What is healthcare like in Karaj?

Healthcare access is good (57/100).

Is Karaj good for retirement?

Retirement suitability is strong (66/100).

What nature is near Karaj?

Within ~170 km: Kūh-e Sorūdār, Jahan Nama Forest Park.

Explore Karaj modules

City pages link to module and ranking pages so crawlers can move through the topic cluster naturally.

Cost of Living in Karaj

Karaj's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies.

Air Quality in Karaj

Karaj's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated.

Energy in Karaj

Karaj's energy-readiness profile is a directional indicator that combines national policy framing with city-level adaptation context.

Safety in Karaj

Karaj's safety profile is a directional indicator; verified country-level emergency profiles attach via the country hub where available.

Internet Speed in Karaj

Karaj's connectivity profile is a directional indicator combining national digital-readiness context with widely cited speed-test references.

Climate Risk in Karaj

Karaj's climate-risk profile is a directional indicator combining regional hazard categories with national adaptation capacity.

City rankings

Compare this city against other indexed cities in crawlable ranking tables.

Cost of living in Karaj

Cost of living estimates for Karaj — monthly budgets, rent, food, and transport in the local currency, plus an affordability score for comparison. Planning estimates derived from country baselines, not live prices.

Climate in Karaj

Climate profile for Karaj — Semi-Arid climate, annual average 19.9°C, comfort score 75/100. Month-by-month temperatures, rainfall, sunshine, and the best months to visit. Deterministic planning estimates, not a forecast.

Economy and jobs in Karaj

Economy and jobs profile for Karaj — regional center, economy score 56/100, key industries including tourism, hospitality, logistics. Employment, salary, startup, remote-work, and career indicators. Deterministic planning estimates.

Universities and education in Karaj

Education profile for Karaj — regional education center, education score 57/100, 5 representative universities, plus research, student life, and international-student indicators. Deterministic dataset, not institutional rankings.

Healthcare and retirement in Karaj

Healthcare and retirement profile for Karaj — mixed healthcare profile, healthcare score 57/100, retirement score 66/100. Medical access, specialist and emergency care, affordability, and retirement suitability. Deterministic planning estimates.

Visual guide to Karaj

Source-attributed visual context for Karaj using verified Wikimedia imagery from the existing media catalog, alongside structured city intelligence and planning links. Not a tourism guide or attractions ranking.

Weekend trip planning guide for Karaj

Weekend trip planning checklist for Karaj — links into arrival planning, Summer 2026 travel context, visual orientation, budget tools, transport, public safety, and healthcare context. Not an itinerary, events calendar, hotel-price guide, restaurant guide, or tourism ranking.

Nearby weekend places from Karaj

Source-backed nearby place records for local-first weekend planning, with verification status, official source links, Wikidata identity, and visual context.

Estimate a monthly budget for Karaj

Estimate a monthly budget for Karaj using your own housing, food, transport, healthcare, and lifestyle inputs. Planning estimator only — not an official cost-of-living measurement.

Plan a trip budget for Karaj

Plan a trip budget for Karaj using your own accommodation, food, local transport, activities, travel, healthcare buffer, and emergency buffer inputs. Planning estimator only — not an official travel cost estimate.

Nearby cities from Karaj

Where else nearby you could spend a day or a weekend from Karaj. Links are derived from geographic proximity, shared region, shared natural-recreation areas, transport corridors, and country borders — not popularity or tourism rankings.

Tehran, Iran

Nearby city · about 39 km from Karaj. Explore Tehran's city intelligence profile.

Qazvin, Iran

Same region · about 102 km from Karaj. Explore Qazvin's city intelligence profile.

Qom, Iran

Same region · about 133 km from Karaj. Explore Qom's city intelligence profile.

Sari, Iran

Same region · about 203 km from Karaj. Explore Sari's city intelligence profile.

Rasht, Iran

Same region · about 204 km from Karaj. Explore Rasht's city intelligence profile.

Arak, Iran

Same region · about 226 km from Karaj. Explore Arak's city intelligence profile.

Hamadan, Iran

Same region · about 252 km from Karaj. Explore Hamadan's city intelligence profile.

Isfahan, Iran

Same region · about 359 km from Karaj. Explore Isfahan's city intelligence profile.

Ardabil, Iran

Same region · about 360 km from Karaj. Explore Ardabil's city intelligence profile.

Kermanshah, Iran

Same region · about 395 km from Karaj. Explore Kermanshah's city intelligence profile.

Related collections

Regional discovery collections that include Karaj — named natural regions grouping nearby nature, parks, lakes, coasts, and mountains for local-first day and weekend planning.

Themed collections

Theme-first discovery collections that include Karaj — grouped by outdoor interest (mountains, lakes, coasts, forests, national parks) rather than geography.

Karaj FAQ

Common questions about living in, visiting, working in, studying in and retiring to Karaj, answered from the indexed cost-of-living, climate, safety, economy, education, healthcare and nearby-nature data on this profile.

Frequently asked questions about Karaj

Is Karaj worth visiting?

Karaj has a high quality-of-life estimate (68/100), with notable strengths in green space. Visitors can also reach nature such as Kūh-e Sorūdār, Jahan Nama Forest Park and Kūh-e Dashteh within weekend range.

What is it like to live in Karaj?

Karaj has a high quality-of-life estimate (68/100), with notable strengths in green space. It indexes 68/100 for overall quality of life.

How much does it cost to live in Karaj?

A single resident of Karaj spends roughly 298,000,000 IRR per month, with a one-bedroom rent near 158,000,000 IRR. Overall the city is more affordable than average for Iran. These are modelled estimates, not live quotes — verify locally.

What should I know about moving to Karaj?

Plan for below-average living costs and check current rents before relocating. Karaj is moderate for remote workers (66/100), based on connectivity, affordability and walkability and day-to-day amenities.

What is the job market like in Karaj?

Karaj's labour market is moderate, with opportunities concentrated in tourism and hospitality, education and research and technology. Karaj has a regional economy with strengths in tourism, hospitality and logistics.

Is Karaj good for digital nomads and remote work?

Karaj offers solid infrastructure and amenities for remote professionals, with a remote-work score of 59/100.

What are the education options in Karaj?

Karaj is a regional education center with a mix of universities and research activity in our dataset, spanning fields such as Engineering, Computer Science and Economics.

Is Karaj a good place to study?

Karaj offers a strong student environment, supported by walkable neighborhoods and relatively affordable living.

What is healthcare like in Karaj?

Karaj has a mixed healthcare profile, supported by hospitals, specialist services, and public-health infrastructure, with a healthcare score of 57/100. Residents have solid access to healthcare across primary, specialist, and emergency care.

Is Karaj a good place to retire?

Karaj offers a combination of healthcare access, safety, and amenities that may appeal to retirees, with a retirement score of 66/100. Residents benefit from parks and green space and walkable streets and day-to-day services.

What is the climate like in Karaj?

Karaj has a semi-arid climate, averaging about 19.9°C annually with roughly 248 mm of rain. The hottest month is Jul and the coldest Jan. The driest is typically Jan.

Is Karaj a safe place to live?

Karaj has a moderate safety estimate (57/100); standard urban precautions are advised, particularly after dark.

How easy is it to get around Karaj?

Karaj indexes a walkability score of 79 and a cycling score of 58 out of 100. Check the local operator for live transit routes and fares.

What nature and outdoor places are near Karaj?

Nature destinations within about 170 km of Karaj include Kūh-e Sorūdār, Jahan Nama Forest Park and Kūh-e Dashteh. Each is linked with its official source on the profile.

Is Karaj good for families?

Karaj scores moderate for family living (67/100), helped by parks and green space.

What outdoor activities are there around Karaj?

Karaj rates 56/100 for outdoor lifestyle and 90/100 for green space. Nearby nature such as Kūh-e Sorūdār, Jahan Nama Forest Park and Kūh-e Dashteh supports day hikes, water activities and weekend trips.

Interpretation

Use the Karaj profile to compare affordability, livability, and economic indicators against other indexed cities in Iran and across Western Asia, and to explore nearby nature and weekend destinations. Its standout dimensions are cost of living (71/100) and climate risk (63/100). The area most worth watching is air quality (51/100), where the model registers practical gaps. Data year 2025; last updated 2026-05-16. Drawn from 4 institutional references.

Country context is available on the Iran country page. Related rankings include Overall Intelligence, Quality of Life, Remote Work. See where Karaj appears in global rankings or read the scoring methodology.

Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation. Verified datasets are being integrated; official sources should be used for critical decisions.

Sources

4 institutional references inform this view, listed below with reliability notes. Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation; verified datasets are being integrated and official sources should be used for critical decisions.