Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Bhimdatta

For one person, living is cheaper in Bhimdatta: $252 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Bhimdatta
Learn more

Bhimdatta Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Bhimdatta

🇳🇵 Nepal

$252

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Bhimdatta

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $252 in Bhimdatta, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Bhimdatta $252

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $362 in Bhimdatta, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Bhimdatta $362

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $472 in Bhimdatta, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Bhimdatta $472

Istanbul costs about 515% more than Bhimdatta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Bhimdatta is 81% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$0.67 NPR 102

1735.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$0.75 NPR 115

486.67%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.32 NPR 48.02

425.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.18 NPR 27.53

227.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.06 NPR 161

343.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.57 NPR 86.5

112.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.25 NPR 37.74

256.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.32 NPR 48.47

584.37%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.20 NPR 183

95.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.67 NPR 254

13.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.74 NPR 113

212.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.75 NPR 114

70.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.24 NPR 36.67

650.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.24 NPR 36.65

170.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.38 NPR 57.6

68.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.28 NPR 42.18

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$3.18 NPR 483

322.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$0.94 NPR 142

155.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.98 NPR 453

16.78%

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.32 NPR 48.14

187.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$98.5 NPR 15.0K

-10.02%

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

$11.59 ₺574

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$6.52 NPR 990

142.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$16.55 NPR 2,514

366.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$1.99 NPR 302

309.05%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$19.62 NPR 2,981

174.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$19.48 NPR 2,960

407.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$13.29 NPR 2,019

626.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$32.26 NPR 4,902

2951.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$26.50 NPR 4,027

2351.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$129 NPR 19.6K

1434.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$111 NPR 16.9K

963.12%

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

$332 NPR 50.4K

263.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

718.40%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bhimdatta: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Bhimdatta

$27 10.5% 95.9% $623

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Bhimdatta

$53 * 21.1% 79.5% $207

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Bhimdatta

$22 * 8.6% 90.3% $202

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Bhimdatta

$24 * 9.4% 81.9% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Bhimdatta

$105 * 41.7% 9.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Bhimdatta

$21 8.1% 78% $73

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Bhimdatta

$1.6 * 0.6% 97.9% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $32.26 in Bhimdatta. 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 263% higher in Istanbul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇵 Bhimdatta

🕒 Local time

04:00 4:00 AM

06:45 6:45 AM

2 h 45 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

104,444

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Bhimdatta 4,780 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Bhimdatta

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 Bhimdatta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul, $252 in Bhimdatta – roughly 515% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $378 in Bhimdatta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bhimdatta, 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 $252 in Bhimdatta. That's a gap of about 515%.

Groceries cost about 389% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bhimdatta, where all-in costs run around $252, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Bhimdatta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $252 in Bhimdatta to $1,550 in Istanbul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Bhimdatta. 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.