Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Begusarai

For one person, living is cheaper in Begusarai: $266 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 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
13

Cost of Living Index in Begusarai
Learn more

Begusarai Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Begusarai

🇮🇳 India

$266

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Begusarai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $266 in Begusarai.

Istanbul $1,550
Begusarai $266

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $475 in Begusarai.

Istanbul $2,415
Begusarai $475

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $684 in Begusarai.

Istanbul $3,281
Begusarai $684

Living in Istanbul is roughly 482% more expensive than in Begusarai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 15% above, Begusarai is 80% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$2.13 ₹202

477.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,709

$7.50 ₹713

629.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺457

$3.11 ₹295

196.46%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.54 ₹147

185.71%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.32 ₹30.55

425.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.41

$0.09 ₹8.25

555.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.97 ₹187

138.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺293

$5.96 ₹566

-0.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.50 ₹47.26

142.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.11

$0.40 ₹37.97

122.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.57 ₹53.7

284.21%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$0.88 ₹83.2

167.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$2.04 ₹193

410.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$2.28 ₹216

147.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.42 ₹135

33.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.57 ₹54.0

305.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.2

$0.91 ₹86.4

40.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.44 ₹41.45

309.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.17

$0.22 ₹20.92

195.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.92

$0.32 ₹30.13

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.22 ₹20.92

468.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.59

$0.28 ₹26.83

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.81 ₹362

-37.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$6.33 ₹602

112.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.55 ₹147

54.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.12 ₹201

64.15%

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

$6.39 ₹607

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.85

$0.26 ₹24.27

242.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,339

$7.21 ₹685

835.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.35 ₹128

-4.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.71

$0.15 ₹13.96

513.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺543

$1.55 ₹148

607.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺73.0

$1.11 ₹106

32.43%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$12.5K ₹1.2M

306.78%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$10.5K ₹997.0K

324.12%

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

$88.6 ₺4,388

$11.33 ₹1,076

682.08%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$2.35 ₹223

393.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$6.34 ₹602

149.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,821

$4.20 ₹399

1737.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$6.61 ₹627

244.02%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$1.08 ₹102

653.70%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$55.2 ₹5,244

1725.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$617 ₹58.6K

4045.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,672

$24.11 ₹2,290

123.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,022

$26.48 ₹2,514

54.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,897

$23.91 ₹2,271

313.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,784

$27.58 ₹2,619

250.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.8K

$52.0 ₹4,942

1791.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$36.78 ₹3,492

1666.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$261 ₹24.8K

660.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$182 ₹17.2K

549.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$848 ₹80.5K

270.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$444 ₹42.1K

301.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,062 ₹100.8K

13.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

9.46

332.56%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Begusarai: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Begusarai

$37 13.8% 94.3% $613

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Begusarai

$79 29.6% 69.7% $181

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Begusarai

$68 25.6% 69.4% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Begusarai

$46 17.2% 64.8% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Begusarai

$20 7.5% 82.7% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Begusarai

$6.4 2.4% 93.2% $87

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Begusarai

$10 3.9% 86.6% $67

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $52.0 in Begusarai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 14% 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 Begusarai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $79.0 per month, with Begusarai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇳 Begusarai

🕒 Local time

21:04 9:04 PM

23:34 11:34 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

250,000

💱 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 = 9.39 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 49.52 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.54 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.39 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Begusarai 5,490 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Begusarai

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 Begusarai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Begusarai is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 482% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 14% 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 $52.0 in Begusarai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Begusarai – a meal for two runs $8.00 versus $55.0 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,550 per month in Istanbul versus $266 in Begusarai – a 482% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $266 in Begusarai versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Begusarai but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Begusarai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Begusarai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Istanbul, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Begusarai 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 Begusarai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 482% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.