Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Bhaktapur

For one person, living is cheaper in Bhaktapur: $294 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
14

Cost of Living Index in Bhaktapur
Learn more

Bhaktapur Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Bhaktapur

🇳🇵 Nepal

$294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Bhaktapur

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $294 in Bhaktapur, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Bhaktapur $294

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $492 in Bhaktapur, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Bhaktapur $492

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $691 in Bhaktapur, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Bhaktapur $691

Istanbul costs about 428% more than Bhaktapur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Bhaktapur is 78% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$1.94 NPR 295

534.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$20.29 NPR 3,083

169.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$3.23 NPR 491

185.45%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$0.88 NPR 134

400.00%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.50 NPR 76.1

236.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.13 NPR 20.17

353.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.64 NPR 250

186.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$1.62 NPR 245

264.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.69 NPR 104

75.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.48 NPR 73.0

85.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.87 NPR 132

151.72%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.74 NPR 264

35.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$3.34 NPR 508

211.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$3.05 NPR 464

85.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$5.86 NPR 891

257.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.99 NPR 302

-4.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.14 NPR 174

102.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.33 NPR 202

-3.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.54 NPR 82.4

233.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.39 NPR 59.1

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.50 NPR 76.6

28.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.38 NPR 57.0

228.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.19 NPR 28.64

194.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$2.44 NPR 371

-2.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$5.69 NPR 865

135.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$2.28 NPR 347

5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.64 NPR 250

112.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.74 NPR 264

-25.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.14 NPR 173

-19.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$3.36 NPR 510

226.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.33 NPR 202

10.53%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$29.1K NPR 4.4M

74.74%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$35.7K NPR 5.4M

24.88%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$31.29 NPR 4,755

183.19%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$3.46 NPR 525

234.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$9.25 NPR 1,405

70.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$3.00 NPR 455

171.33%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$65.1 NPR 9,895

1447.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,556 NPR 844.2K

360.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$25.05 NPR 3,807

115.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$26.38 NPR 4,008

54.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$63.3 NPR 9,624

56.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$28.55 NPR 4,338

238.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

9.72

320.99%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bhaktapur: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Bhaktapur

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Bhaktapur

$122 41.5% 53.1% $138

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Bhaktapur

$50 17% 77.7% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Bhaktapur

$64 22% 50.6% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Bhaktapur

$44 15% 62.1% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Bhaktapur

$6 * 2% 93.6% $87

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Bhaktapur

$7.4 * 2.5% 90.3% $69

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $20.00 in Bhaktapur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $122 – making Bhaktapur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇵 Bhaktapur

🕒 Local time

23:56 11:56 PM

02:41 2:41 AM

2 h 45 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NPR, 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 = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD). 1 EUR = 171 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Bhaktapur 5,300 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Bhaktapur

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 Bhaktapur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 428%, 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 $440 in Bhaktapur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,550 in Istanbul and $294 in Bhaktapur. That's a gap of about 428%.

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $65.1 in Bhaktapur. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bhaktapur, where all-in costs run around $294, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Bhaktapur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bhaktapur – 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 Bhaktapur. 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.