Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Abbottabad and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Abbottabad: $316 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

15

Cost of Living Index in Abbottabad
Learn more

Abbottabad Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Abbottabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$316

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Abbottabad and in Istanbul

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

A single person spends $316 per month in Abbottabad vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Abbottabad $316
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $472 per month in Abbottabad vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Abbottabad $472
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $628 per month in Abbottabad vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Abbottabad $628
Istanbul $3,212

Abbottabad is about 79% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Abbottabad sits 77% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.84 PKR 508

$11.81 ₺592

-84.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.13 PKR 2,524

$54.9 ₺2,754

-83.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 PKR 1,492

$9.26 ₺465

-41.68%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 PKR 610

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 PKR 486

Cappuccino

$1.22 PKR 336

$4.30 ₺216

-71.63%

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

$0.34 PKR 95.2

$1.77 ₺89.0

-80.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 PKR 52.1

$0.56 ₺28.32

-66.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 PKR 227

$1.25 ₺62.7

-34.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 PKR 266

$0.88 ₺44.17

9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 PKR 302

$2.20 ₺111

-50.45%

Eggs

$1.19 PKR 327

$2.43 ₺122

-51.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.62 PKR 1,000

$10.48 ₺526

-65.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.36 PKR 653

$5.31 ₺267

-55.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.91 PKR 1,634

$21.10 ₺1,058

-71.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 PKR 304

$1.86 ₺93.1

-40.86%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 PKR 248

$2.30 ₺115

-60.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.81 PKR 224

$1.22 ₺61.0

-33.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.43 PKR 118

$1.80 ₺90.2

-76.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 PKR 65.9

$0.69 ₺34.83

-65.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 PKR 123

$0.64 ₺32.16

-29.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 PKR 157

$1.36 ₺68.0

-58.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 PKR 82.2

$0.58 ₺28.94

-48.28%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.78 PKR 1,322

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 PKR 208

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 PKR 208

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.61 PKR 445

$2.34 ₺117

-31.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 55.4

$0.88 ₺44.07

-77.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 PKR 291

$1.28 ₺64.4

-17.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 PKR 96.5

$0.85 ₺42.80

-58.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 PKR 408

$11.09 ₺556

-86.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 PKR 327

$1.48 ₺74.0

-20.27%

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

$21.6K PKR 6.0M

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-55.66%

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

$23.3K PKR 6.4M

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-44.42%

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

$54.7 PKR 15.1K

$92.7 ₺4,650

-41.00%

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

$3.52 PKR 973

$11.20 ₺562

-68.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.70 PKR 3,511

$15.89 ₺797

-20.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.07 PKR 2,506

$74.7 ₺3,745

-87.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$2.01 PKR 555

$8.05 ₺404

-75.03%

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

$26.97 PKR 7,455

$948 ₺47.6K

-97.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$530 PKR 146.6K

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-98.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$7.06 PKR 1,952

$53.9 ₺2,702

-86.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.18 PKR 1,983

$41.49 ₺2,081

-82.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.6 PKR 14.3K

$101 ₺5,060

-48.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$10.73 PKR 2,966

$91.3 ₺4,580

-88.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$81.9 PKR 22.6K

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-91.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$55.7 PKR 15.4K

$625 ₺31.3K

-91.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$162 PKR 44.6K

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-91.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$83.6 PKR 23.1K

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-92.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$191 PKR 52.9K

$1,136 ₺57.0K

-83.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

-72.79%

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

Last update for Abbottabad: November 3, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Abbottabad

$91 28.8%

Istanbul

$258 17% 184% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Abbottabad

$71 22.4%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 68.9% $49

Accommodation & Living

Abbottabad

$56 17.6%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 1022% $569

Eating Out

Abbottabad

$48 15.1%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 364% $173

Clothing & Footwear

Abbottabad

$34 10.9%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 276% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Abbottabad

$13 4.1%

Istanbul

$91 6% 594% $78

Getting Around

Abbottabad

$3.6 * 1.1%

Istanbul

$75 5% 1988% $72

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $82 in Abbottabad versus $1,014 in Istanbul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Istanbul are about 5.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9 in Abbottabad versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $91 vs $258 – making Abbottabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Abbottabad

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

16:39 4:39 PM

14:39 2:39 PM

2 h behind Abbottabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

208,491

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 276 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Abbottabad Istanbul 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Abbottabad
Istanbul

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

Abbottabad vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul costs about 380% more than Abbottabad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $475 per month in Abbottabad and $2,278 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Abbottabad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $82 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9 in Abbottabad and $55 in Istanbul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 184% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Abbottabad, where all-in costs run around $316, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Abbottabad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Abbottabad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Abbottabad. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.