Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Akola

For one person, living is cheaper in Akola: $356 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 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
17

Cost of Living Index in Akola
Learn more

Akola Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Akola

🇮🇳 India

$356

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Akola

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $356 in Akola, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Akola $356

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $558 in Akola, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Akola $558

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $760 in Akola, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Akola $760

Istanbul costs about 335% more than Akola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Akola is 74% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$0.87 ₹82.9

1313.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$6.26 ₹594

773.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$3.09 ₹293

198.38%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.35 ₹128

225.93%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.36 ₹34.58

366.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.13 ₹12.61

353.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.85 ₹175

154.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.68 ₹255

120.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.63 ₹60.3

92.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.44 ₹41.84

102.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.50 ₹47.54

338.00%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$0.72 ₹68.7

226.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$5.00 ₹475

108.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$2.08 ₹197

171.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.79 ₹170

6.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.59 ₹55.7

291.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.90 ₹85.2

42.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.45 ₹42.26

300.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.32 ₹30.37

103.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.30 ₹28.30

113.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.54 ₹51.5

131.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.30 ₹28.60

86.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$2.14 ₹203

10.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$4.06 ₹385

230.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.84 ₹175

30.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$3.23 ₹306

7.74%

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

$2.12 ₹202

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.25 ₹23.55

256.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$7.52 ₹714

796.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.54 ₹51.0

138.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.30 ₹28.33

206.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$1.03 ₹97.7

964.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.11 ₹105

32.43%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$15.8K ₹1.5M

221.10%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$17.5K ₹1.7M

154.87%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$35.34 ₹3,355

150.74%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$3.90 ₹370

197.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$8.37 ₹794

88.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$14.34 ₹1,362

438.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$6.39 ₹607

255.87%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$2.15 ₹204

278.60%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$39.22 ₹3,724

2470.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$1,723 ₹163.6K

1383.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$23.48 ₹2,230

129.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$37.98 ₹3,606

7.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$53.9 ₹5,114

83.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$36.35 ₹3,452

165.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$123 ₹11.6K

703.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$71.8 ₹6,814

805.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$267 ₹25.4K

641.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$172 ₹16.4K

584.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$986 ₹93.7K

218.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$513 ₹48.7K

246.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$311 ₹29.6K

287.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

9.7

321.86%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Akola: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Akola

$72 20.1% 89% $578

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Akola

$90 25.4% 65.2% $169

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Akola

$49 13.8% 78% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Akola

$68 19.2% 47.7% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Akola

$48 13.4% 59% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Akola

$19 5.2% 80.1% $75

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Akola

$11 3% 86.3% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $123 in Akola. 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 287% 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 $6.00 in Akola. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $90.0 – making Akola the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇳 Akola

🕒 Local time

18:42 6:42 PM

21:12 9:12 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

425,800

💱 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.67 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 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 Akola 5,030 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Akola

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 Akola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 335%, 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 $534 in Akola. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,550 in Istanbul and $356 in Akola. That's a gap of about 335%.

Public transport costs about 797% less in Akola. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Akola, where all-in costs run around $356, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Akola it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Akola – 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 Akola. 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.