Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Birgunj

For one person, living is cheaper in Birgunj: $353 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Birgunj
Learn more

Birgunj Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Birgunj

🇳🇵 Nepal

$353

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Birgunj

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $353 in Birgunj.

Istanbul $1,550
Birgunj $353

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $575 in Birgunj.

Istanbul $2,415
Birgunj $575

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $797 in Birgunj.

Istanbul $3,281
Birgunj $797

Living in Istanbul is roughly 340% more expensive than in Birgunj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 15% above, Birgunj is 74% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$1.35 NPR 205

811.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$20.58 NPR 3,127

165.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.63 NPR 1,159

20.84%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.50 NPR 228

193.33%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.50 NPR 75.8

236.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.13 NPR 19.49

353.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.34 NPR 356

100.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.21 NPR 488

84.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.68 NPR 103

77.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.23 NPR 34.72

286.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.61 NPR 92.2

259.02%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.59 NPR 242

47.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$7.39 NPR 1,123

41.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$2.25 NPR 341

151.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$5.87 NPR 892

256.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.06 NPR 313

-7.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.91 NPR 139

153.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.27 NPR 193

0.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.58 NPR 87.6

210.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.39 NPR 58.7

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.53 NPR 80.6

20.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.14 NPR 21.90

792.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.18 NPR 28.09

211.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$1.61 NPR 245

47.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$7.65 NPR 1,162

75.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$2.31 NPR 350

3.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.91 NPR 442

19.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.12 NPR 17.63

641.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.75 NPR 266

-26.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.15 NPR 175

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$3.33 NPR 507

229.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.11 NPR 168

32.43%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$29.0K NPR 4.4M

75.10%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$35.9K NPR 5.4M

24.18%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$31.86 NPR 4,841

178.12%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$3.18 NPR 484

264.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$9.01 NPR 1,368

75.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$12.82 NPR 1,948

501.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$1.98 NPR 301

311.11%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$64.8 NPR 9,843

1456.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,586 NPR 848.8K

357.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$25.37 NPR 3,855

112.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$26.79 NPR 4,071

52.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$25.77 NPR 3,916

283.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$16.46 NPR 2,501

486.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$33.84 NPR 5,141

2809.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$38.56 NPR 5,859

1585.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$123 NPR 18.8K

1506.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$77.2 NPR 11.7K

1427.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$661 NPR 100.4K

375.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$481 NPR 73.1K

270.14%

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 Birgunj: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Birgunj

$39 10.9% 94.1% $611

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Birgunj

$130 37% 49.8% $129

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Birgunj

$72 20.5% 67.6% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Birgunj

$42 12.1% 67.5% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Birgunj

$44 12.5% 62% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Birgunj

$17 4.8% 82% $77

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Birgunj

$8 * 2.3% 89.6% $69

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 $33.84 in Birgunj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $21.00 in Birgunj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $130 per month, with Birgunj cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇵 Birgunj

🕒 Local time

01:27 1:27 AM

04:12 4:12 AM

2 h 45 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

135,904

💱 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 Birgunj 5,290 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Birgunj

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 Birgunj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Birgunj wins on cost – living expenses run 340% lower than in Istanbul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Birgunj the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,325 in Istanbul and $529 in Birgunj to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Istanbul versus $33.84 in Birgunj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,008 in Istanbul versus $64.8 in Birgunj. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Birgunj – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $55.0 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $353 in Birgunj versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Birgunj but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Birgunj the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Birgunj delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $353 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Birgunj hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Birgunj 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 Birgunj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 340% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.