Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chittagong and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Chittagong: $375 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

18

Cost of Living Index in Chittagong
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Chittagong Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Chittagong

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$375

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chittagong 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 Chittagong and in Istanbul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $375 per month in Chittagong vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Chittagong $375
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $624 per month in Chittagong vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Chittagong $624
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $874 per month in Chittagong vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Chittagong $874
Istanbul $3,272

Chittagong is about 75% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chittagong sits 72% below the global median, while Istanbul is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 ৳254

$11.88 ₺585

-82.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.14 ৳1,492

$55.1 ₺2,714

-77.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.32 ৳653

$9.14 ₺450

-41.79%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 ৳333

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 ৳486

Cappuccino

$1.91 ৳235

$4.24 ₺209

-54.95%

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

$0.37 ৳45.16

$1.75 ₺86.0

-78.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 ৳15.64

$0.54 ₺26.83

-75.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 ৳99.2

$1.26 ₺62.1

-35.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 ৳68.8

$0.95 ₺46.81

-41.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 ৳80.6

$2.31 ₺114

-71.43%

Eggs

$1.13 ৳139

$2.47 ₺122

-54.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.33 ৳900

$10.55 ₺520

-30.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.14 ৳262

$5.60 ₺276

-61.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.33 ৳901

$21.21 ₺1,045

-65.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 ৳280

$1.93 ₺95.1

18.13%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 ৳112

$2.29 ₺113

-60.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 ৳255

$1.28 ₺63.1

61.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.85 ৳105

$1.84 ₺90.8

-53.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.44 ৳53.5

$0.67 ₺32.86

-34.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 ৳94.8

$0.59 ₺29.31

30.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 ৳56.4

$1.33 ₺65.4

-65.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 ৳39.34

$0.59 ₺29.10

-45.76%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.22 ৳519

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ৳97.4

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 ৳175

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ৳372

$2.36 ₺116

28.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ৳28.34

$0.83 ₺40.64

-72.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ৳98.0

$1.35 ₺66.6

-40.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 ৳67.8

$0.85 ₺42.05

-35.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 ৳490

$10.86 ₺535

-63.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ৳141

$1.47 ₺72.3

-21.77%

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

$31.9K ৳3.9M

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-38.21%

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

$44.5K ৳5.5M

$44.4K ₺2.2M

0.13%

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

$29.48 ৳3,622

$89.2 ₺4,395

-66.96%

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

$5.58 ৳685

$11.60 ₺572

-51.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.14 ৳1,492

$16.10 ₺793

-24.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.55 ৳2,401

$77.3 ₺3,805

-74.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.27 ৳1,753

$22.66 ₺1,116

-37.03%

Cinema Ticket

$3.72 ৳457

$8.34 ₺411

-55.40%

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

$35.12 ৳4,314

$974 ₺48.0K

-96.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,439 ৳176.8K

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-94.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.03 ৳2,828

$52.7 ₺2,597

-56.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.37 ৳2,379

$39.16 ₺1,929

-50.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.4 ৳6,925

$103 ₺5,083

-45.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.48 ৳4,358

$96.6 ₺4,759

-63.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$126 ৳15.4K

$994 ₺49.0K

-87.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$61.3 ৳7,524

$629 ₺31.0K

-90.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$272 ৳33.4K

$2,024 ₺99.7K

-86.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 ৳20.6K

$1,155 ₺56.9K

-85.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$800 ৳98.3K

$3,160 ₺155.7K

-74.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$476 ৳58.5K

$1,838 ₺90.5K

-74.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$284 ৳34.9K

$1,203 ₺59.3K

-76.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

41.09

-72.01%

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

Last update for Chittagong: October 5, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chittagong

$113 30.6%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 133% $151

Accommodation & Living

Chittagong

$61 16.5%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 928% $568

Clothing & Footwear

Chittagong

$60 16.3%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 117% $71

Eating Out

Chittagong

$57 15.5%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 280% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chittagong

$47 12.7%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 148% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Chittagong

$27 7.3%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 248% $67

Getting Around

Chittagong

$4.5 * 1.2%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 1582% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $126 in Chittagong versus $994 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 run about 324% higher in Istanbul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Chittagong versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $113 vs $264 – making Chittagong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Chittagong

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

09:35 9:35 AM

06:35 6:35 AM

3 h behind Chittagong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,592,439

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chittagong Istanbul 6,160 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chittagong
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

Chittagong vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $375 in Chittagong, $1,526 in Istanbul – roughly 307% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $562 per month in Chittagong and $2,289 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chittagong, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Chittagong and $55.0 in Istanbul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 133% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chittagong, where all-in costs run around $375, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Chittagong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chittagong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $375 in Chittagong to $1,526 in Istanbul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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