Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Ajmer

For one person, living is cheaper in Ajmer: $298 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 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
14

Cost of Living Index in Ajmer
Learn more

Ajmer Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Ajmer

🇮🇳 India

$298

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Ajmer

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $298 in Ajmer.

Istanbul $1,550
Ajmer $298

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $459 in Ajmer.

Istanbul $2,415
Ajmer $459

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $619 in Ajmer.

Istanbul $3,281
Ajmer $619

Living in Istanbul is roughly 421% more expensive than in Ajmer, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 15% above, Ajmer is 78% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$1.61 ₹153

663.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$7.89 ₹749

593.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$2.34 ₹222

294.02%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$0.60 ₹57.2

633.33%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.35 ₹33.68

380.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.13 ₹11.96

353.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.53 ₹145

207.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.48 ₹235

138.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.66 ₹62.8

83.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.36 ₹34.63

147.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.71 ₹67.1

208.45%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$0.75 ₹71.1

213.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$4.78 ₹454

117.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$2.07 ₹196

172.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.04 ₹98.7

82.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.47 ₹44.47

391.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.67 ₹63.5

91.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.51 ₹48.00

252.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.31 ₹29.79

109.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.31 ₹29.12

106.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.43 ₹40.77

190.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.29 ₹27.49

93.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.70 ₹351

-35.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$10.65 ₹1,012

26.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.46 ₹139

64.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.70 ₹162

104.71%

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

$4.54 ₹431

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.32 ₹30.70

178.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$7.80 ₹741

764.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.86 ₹81.3

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.14 ₹13.39

557.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$2.68 ₹255

308.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.05 ₹99.7

40.00%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$11.8K ₹1.1M

330.03%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$20.9K ₹2.0M

112.57%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$27.85 ₹2,645

218.17%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$2.80 ₹266

313.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$7.65 ₹727

106.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$17.22 ₹1,635

348.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$6.44 ₹611

253.11%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$2.41 ₹229

237.76%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$50.6 ₹4,807

1891.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$1,572 ₹149.2K

1526.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$12.04 ₹1,143

348.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$15.86 ₹1,506

157.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$20.66 ₹1,962

378.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$19.26 ₹1,829

401.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$82.0 ₹7,788

1100.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$61.7 ₹5,858

953.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$164 ₹15.6K

1107.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$127 ₹12.0K

832.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$958 ₹90.9K

227.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$510 ₹48.4K

249.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$407 ₹38.7K

196.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

11.67

250.64%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ajmer: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Ajmer

$62 20.7% 90.5% $588

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Ajmer

$93 31.2% 64.3% $167

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Ajmer

$42 14% 81.3% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Ajmer

$31 10.3% 76.6% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Ajmer

$38 12.9% 67% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Ajmer

$22 7.4% 76.4% $71

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Ajmer

$11 3.6% 86.1% $66

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $82.0 in Ajmer. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 196% 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 $8.00 in Ajmer for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $93.0 per month, with Ajmer cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇳 Ajmer

🕒 Local time

08:28 8:28 AM

10:58 10:58 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

542,600

💱 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 Ajmer 4,460 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Ajmer

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 Ajmer: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul and Ajmer differ by about 421% in total monthly costs ($1,550 vs $298 including rent). Ajmer is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 196% 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 $82.0 in Ajmer. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ajmer runs roughly 764% less than in Istanbul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,008 in Istanbul versus $50.6 in Ajmer. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $298 in Ajmer versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ajmer but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Ajmer the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Ajmer 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 Ajmer gentler on the wallet – expenses run 421% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.