Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Aizawl

For one person, living is cheaper in Aizawl: $365 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Aizawl
Learn more

Aizawl Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Aizawl

🇮🇳 India

$365

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Aizawl

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 Aizawl actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $365 in Aizawl, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Aizawl $365

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $592 in Aizawl, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Aizawl $592

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $818 in Aizawl, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Aizawl $818

Istanbul costs about 325% more than Aizawl, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Aizawl is 73% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$2.13 ₹202

477.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$10.34 ₹982

429.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$3.68 ₹350

150.54%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.67 ₹158

163.47%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.36 ₹33.76

366.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.13 ₹12.63

353.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.40 ₹228

95.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.89 ₹274

104.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.71 ₹67.2

70.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.50 ₹47.87

78.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.61 ₹58.4

259.02%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$0.90 ₹85.3

161.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$3.99 ₹379

161.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$3.92 ₹372

44.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$4.02 ₹381

-52.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.63 ₹60.2

266.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.95 ₹90.0

34.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.45 ₹42.94

300.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.55 ₹52.6

18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.36 ₹34.59

77.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.40 ₹38.06

212.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.16 ₹14.73

250.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$5.00 ₹475

-52.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$6.65 ₹631

101.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.65 ₹157

45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.99 ₹284

16.39%

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

$4.81 ₹456

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.26 ₹24.37

242.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$7.08 ₹673

852.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.80 ₹76.3

61.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.25 ₹23.67

268.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$1.78 ₹169

515.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.09 ₹104

34.86%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$12.5K ₹1.2M

306.34%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$18.1K ₹1.7M

146.48%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$31.58 ₹2,999

180.59%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$3.74 ₹355

209.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$6.48 ₹616

143.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$14.09 ₹1,338

447.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$6.57 ₹624

246.12%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$2.61 ₹247

211.88%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$46.59 ₹4,424

2063.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$1,237 ₹117.5K

1965.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$21.90 ₹2,080

146.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$23.34 ₹2,216

74.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$37.93 ₹3,602

160.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$28.02 ₹2,661

244.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$100 ₹9,508

883.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$62.8 ₹5,966

934.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$262 ₹24.9K

657.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$163 ₹15.5K

624.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$864 ₹82.1K

263.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$456 ₹43.3K

290.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$261 ₹24.8K

362.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

8.86

361.85%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Aizawl: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Aizawl

$63 17.2% 90.3% $587

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Aizawl

$113 31% 56.5% $147

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Aizawl

$68 18.6% 69.6% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Aizawl

$50 13.7% 61.7% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Aizawl

$42 11.5% 64% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Aizawl

$19 5.3% 79.3% $74

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Aizawl

$10 2.8% 86.8% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $100 in Aizawl. 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 362% 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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $10.00 in Aizawl. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $113 – making Aizawl the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇳 Aizawl

🕒 Local time

21:58 9:58 PM

00:28 12:28 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

291,822

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Aizawl 6,150 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Aizawl

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 Aizawl: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 325%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $547 in Aizawl. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aizawl, 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 $55.0 in Istanbul and $10.00 in Aizawl. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,550 in Istanbul and $365 in Aizawl. That's a gap of about 325%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Aizawl, where all-in costs run around $365, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Aizawl it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Aizawl. 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.