Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Biratnagar

For one person, living is cheaper in Biratnagar: $317 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
15

Cost of Living Index in Biratnagar
Learn more

Biratnagar Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Biratnagar

🇳🇵 Nepal

$317

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Biratnagar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $317 in Biratnagar.

Istanbul $1,550
Biratnagar $317

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $523 in Biratnagar.

Istanbul $2,415
Biratnagar $523

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $728 in Biratnagar.

Istanbul $3,281
Biratnagar $728

Living in Istanbul is roughly 388% more expensive than in Biratnagar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 15% above, Biratnagar is 76% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$1.56 NPR 237

688.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$14.08 NPR 2,140

288.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.58 NPR 1,152

21.64%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.16 NPR 176

279.31%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.34 NPR 52.2

394.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.43 NPR 217

228.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.09 NPR 318

182.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.58 NPR 87.9

108.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.35 NPR 53.6

154.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.64 NPR 97.3

242.19%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.22 NPR 185

92.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$4.46 NPR 677

133.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$2.68 NPR 408

110.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$3.14 NPR 477

566.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.97 NPR 300

-3.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.82 NPR 124

181.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.30 NPR 197

-1.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.52 NPR 78.6

246.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.39 NPR 59.4

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.44 NPR 66.7

45.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.25 NPR 37.64

400.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.28 NPR 42.41

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$2.63 NPR 400

-9.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.65 NPR 250

45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.30 NPR 349

51.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.16 NPR 24.67

456.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$11.72 NPR 1,781

475.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.93 NPR 293

-33.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$2.30 NPR 350

376.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.19 NPR 181

23.53%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$21.1K NPR 3.2M

140.81%

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

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

$11.59 ₺574

$4.17 NPR 634

177.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$9.22 NPR 1,401

71.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$28.24 NPR 4,291

173.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$1.93 NPR 294

1078.24%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$3.07 NPR 466

165.15%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$47.46 NPR 7,211

2023.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$1,712 NPR 260.1K

1393.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$20.07 NPR 3,049

168.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$32.33 NPR 4,912

26.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$24.72 NPR 3,756

300.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$28.85 NPR 4,384

234.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$45.10 NPR 6,853

2082.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$51.2 NPR 7,775

1169.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$130 NPR 19.8K

1424.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$98.5 NPR 15.0K

1097.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$395 NPR 60.0K

695.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$262 NPR 39.8K

579.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$165 NPR 25.0K

631.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

192.29%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Biratnagar: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Biratnagar

$51 16.1% 92.1% $599

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Biratnagar

$95 * 29.8% 63.5% $165

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Biratnagar

$62 * 19.5% 72.3% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Biratnagar

$48 15% 63.5% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Biratnagar

$13 * 4.2% 88.5% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Biratnagar

$34 10.8% 63.2% $59

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Biratnagar

$14 * 4.5% 81.4% $63

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $45.10 in Biratnagar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 632% 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 $14.00 in Biratnagar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $95.0 per month, with Biratnagar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇵 Biratnagar

🕒 Local time

20:32 8:32 PM

23:17 11:17 PM

2 h 45 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

166,674

💱 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 = 55.67 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Biratnagar 5,520 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Biratnagar

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 Biratnagar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Biratnagar is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 388% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 632% 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 $45.10 in Biratnagar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 174% higher in Istanbul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Biratnagar – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $55.0 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $317 in Biratnagar versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Biratnagar but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Biratnagar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Biratnagar 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 Biratnagar 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 Biratnagar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 388% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.