Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Burewala

For one person, living is cheaper in Burewala: $454 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Burewala
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Burewala Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Burewala

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$454

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Burewala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,519 in Istanbul versus $454 in Burewala.

Istanbul $1,519
Burewala $454

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,365 in Istanbul versus $684 in Burewala.

Istanbul $2,365
Burewala $684

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,212 in Istanbul versus $913 in Burewala.

Istanbul $3,212
Burewala $913

Living in Istanbul is roughly 234% more expensive than in Burewala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 12% above, Burewala is 66% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺591

$2.12 PKR 585

457.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,748

$10.76 PKR 2,976

410.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺463

$5.55 PKR 1,534

66.85%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 PKR 711

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 PKR 1,443

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺215

$1.61 PKR 445

167.08%

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

$1.77 ₺88.8

$0.34 PKR 94.6

420.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.26

$0.20 PKR 54.2

180.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺234

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺356

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.6

$0.85 PKR 236

47.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.64 PKR 177

37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺110

$1.10 PKR 303

100.00%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.20 PKR 332

102.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺524

$5.82 PKR 1,609

80.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺266

$2.52 PKR 697

110.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,056

$4.91 PKR 1,358

329.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺92.9

$1.11 PKR 307

67.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$0.57 PKR 159

303.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺60.8

$0.72 PKR 200

69.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.0

$0.56 PKR 156

221.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.75

$0.28 PKR 76.8

146.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.09

$0.36 PKR 98.4

77.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺67.8

$0.44 PKR 121

209.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.88

$0.37 PKR 103

56.76%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.87 PKR 517

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 PKR 294

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 PKR 649

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$1.96 PKR 541

19.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺652

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺43.97

$0.18 PKR 50.6

388.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,309

$9.98 PKR 2,762

562.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.3

$1.11 PKR 307

15.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.70

$0.73 PKR 203

16.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺555

$1.59 PKR 439

597.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺73.9

$1.23 PKR 340

20.33%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$21.8K PKR 6.0M

122.89%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

81.79%

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

$92.7 ₺4,639

$102 PKR 28.2K

-8.93%

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

$11.20 ₺560

$5.61 PKR 1,552

99.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺795

$14.35 PKR 3,969

10.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,737

$14.72 PKR 4,072

407.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,149

$7.97 PKR 2,203

187.95%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺403

$4.27 PKR 1,181

88.52%

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

$948 ₺47.5K

$42.54 PKR 11.8K

2129.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.8M

$1,035 PKR 286.2K

3468.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,696

$17.01 PKR 4,706

216.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,076

$22.81 PKR 6,311

81.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,049

$66.6 PKR 18.4K

51.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,570

$33.39 PKR 9,235

173.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.7K

$135 PKR 37.4K

649.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$84.5 PKR 23.4K

639.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.4K

$263 PKR 72.7K

662.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.3K

$177 PKR 49.1K

534.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.5K

$832 PKR 230.0K

259.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.6K

$506 PKR 140.0K

241.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺56.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

210.92%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Burewala: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Burewala

$84 18.6% 86.5% $540

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Burewala

$91 20.1% 64.6% $167

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Burewala

$55 12.1% 75.1% $166

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Burewala

$63 13.9% 51.4% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Burewala

$122 26.8% 1.6% $2

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Burewala

$23 5.1% 74.4% $68

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Burewala

$16 3.4% 79.4% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Istanbul and $135 in Burewala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55 in Istanbul vs $11 in Burewala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $91 per month, with Burewala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇵🇰 Burewala

🕒 Local time

02:46 2:46 AM

04:46 4:46 AM

2 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

231,797

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 50.04 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.18 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Burewala 4,090 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Burewala

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 Burewala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burewala wins on cost – living expenses run 70% lower than in Istanbul. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Burewala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,278 in Istanbul and $681 in Burewala 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: $1,014 in Istanbul versus $135 in Burewala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Burewala runs roughly 85% less than in Istanbul. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $948 in Istanbul versus $43 in Burewala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $454 in Burewala versus $1,519 in Istanbul, a $800 budget is realistic in Burewala but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Burewala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Burewala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.