Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Agra

For one person, living is cheaper in Agra: $399 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Agra
Learn more

Agra Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Agra

🇮🇳 India

$399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Agra

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $399 in Agra.

Istanbul $1,550
Agra $399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $610 in Agra.

Istanbul $2,415
Agra $610

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $820 in Agra.

Istanbul $3,281
Agra $820

Living in Istanbul is roughly 288% more expensive than in Agra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 15% above, Agra is 70% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$3.13 ₹297

292.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$15.77 ₹1,497

246.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$3.73 ₹354

147.18%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.00 ₹190

120.00%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.45 ₹42.31

273.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.14 ₹13.10

321.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.06 ₹196

128.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.56 ₹243

130.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.76 ₹72.3

59.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.53 ₹50.3

67.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.78 ₹74.5

180.77%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.09 ₹103

115.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$3.42 ₹325

204.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$4.34 ₹412

30.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.55 ₹147

22.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.58 ₹55.2

298.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.83 ₹78.5

54.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.82 ₹77.4

119.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.36 ₹34.16

80.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.47 ₹44.60

36.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.77 ₹72.9

62.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.30 ₹28.85

86.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$4.88 ₹464

-51.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$7.30 ₹693

83.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.36 ₹129

76.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.55 ₹242

36.47%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$7.20 ₹684

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.30 ₹28.41

196.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$15.91 ₹1,511

323.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.32 ₹30.74

303.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.20 ₹18.95

360.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$1.27 ₹120

762.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.12 ₹106

31.25%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$10.5K ₹994.3K

385.05%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$18.9K ₹1.8M

135.54%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$52.6 ₹4,992

68.56%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$3.40 ₹323

240.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$6.54 ₹621

141.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$17.27 ₹1,640

346.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$12.88 ₹1,223

76.55%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$3.06 ₹290

166.01%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$34.62 ₹3,288

2811.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$1,159 ₹110.0K

2106.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$33.12 ₹3,145

62.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$19.92 ₹1,892

104.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$50.1 ₹4,762

97.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$28.43 ₹2,699

239.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$119 ₹11.3K

725.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$51.4 ₹4,883

1163.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$183 ₹17.4K

980.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$62.8 ₹5,962

1779.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$1,026 ₹97.4K

205.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$165 ₹15.7K

978.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$288 ₹27.4K

318.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

8.33

391.24%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Agra: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Agra

$51 12.9% 92.1% $598

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Agra

$106 26.6% 59.1% $153

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Agra

$78 19.5% 65.1% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Agra

$59 14.8% 54.7% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Agra

$63 15.7% 46.1% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Agra

$23 5.9% 75% $70

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Agra

$18 4.6% 76% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $119 in Agra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 318% 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: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $16.00 in Agra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $106 per month, with Agra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇳 Agra

🕒 Local time

03:22 3:22 AM

05:52 5:52 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,500,000

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Agra 4,700 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Agra

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

Istanbul vs Agra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Agra wins on cost – living expenses run 288% lower than in Istanbul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Agra the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 318% higher in Istanbul, 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: $985 in Istanbul versus $119 in Agra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 145% higher in Istanbul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Agra – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $55.0 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $399 in Agra versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Agra but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Agra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Agra delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $399 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Agra hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Agra 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 Agra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 288% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.