Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Cuttack

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuttack: $354 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Cuttack
Learn more

Cuttack Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Cuttack

🇮🇳 India

$354

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Cuttack

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $354 in Cuttack.

Istanbul $1,550
Cuttack $354

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $547 in Cuttack.

Istanbul $2,415
Cuttack $547

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $740 in Cuttack.

Istanbul $3,281
Cuttack $740

Living in Istanbul is roughly 338% more expensive than in Cuttack, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$0.88 ₹83.3

1297.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$7.95 ₹755

588.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$4.11 ₹390

124.33%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.39 ₹132

216.55%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.44 ₹41.76

281.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.15 ₹14.06

293.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.30 ₹123

261.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.33 ₹221

153.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.54 ₹51.8

124.07%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.43 ₹40.58

106.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.57 ₹54.3

284.21%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$0.83 ₹79.2

183.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$3.19 ₹302

226.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$2.60 ₹247

117.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.11 ₹201

-9.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.73 ₹69.8

216.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.29 ₹123

-0.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.40 ₹38.06

350.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.23 ₹21.72

182.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.37 ₹34.76

72.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.49 ₹46.31

155.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.32 ₹30.44

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$2.85 ₹270

-16.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$6.39 ₹607

110.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.76 ₹168

36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.25 ₹214

54.67%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.93 ₹658

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.22 ₹20.92

304.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$11.64 ₹1,105

479.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.02 ₹97.2

26.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.22 ₹20.91

318.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$2.13 ₹203

414.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.10 ₹105

33.64%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$10.4K ₹987.1K

388.57%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$21.0K ₹2.0M

112.18%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$38.93 ₹3,697

127.61%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$3.27 ₹310

254.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$6.31 ₹599

150.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$19.13 ₹1,817

303.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$1.54 ₹146

1376.62%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$2.41 ₹229

237.76%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$20.73 ₹1,969

4762.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$2,334 ₹221.6K

995.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$14.56 ₹1,382

270.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$9.04 ₹858

351.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$45.02 ₹4,275

119.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$18.95 ₹1,800

409.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$135 ₹12.9K

626.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$84.2 ₹7,996

671.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$282 ₹26.8K

603.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$188 ₹17.9K

527.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$393 ₹37.3K

698.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$234 ₹22.2K

661.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$447 ₹42.4K

169.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

8.1

405.19%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cuttack: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Cuttack

$84 23.8% 87% $566

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Cuttack

$93 26.4% 64.1% $166

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Cuttack

$50 14% 77.8% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Cuttack

$39 11.1% 69.8% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Cuttack

$49 13.7% 58.2% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Cuttack

$24 6.8% 74.4% $69

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Cuttack

$15 4.1% 81% $62

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $135 in Cuttack. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 170% 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 $8.00 in Cuttack for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $93.0 per month, with Cuttack cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇳 Cuttack

🕒 Local time

15:34 3:34 PM

18:04 6:04 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

610,189

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, 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).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Cuttack 5,780 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Cuttack

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 Cuttack: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuttack is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 338% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 170% 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 $135 in Cuttack. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,550 per month in Istanbul versus $354 in Cuttack – a 338% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cuttack runs roughly 479% less than in Istanbul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $354 in Cuttack versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuttack but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Cuttack the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuttack 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 Cuttack 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 Cuttack gentler on the wallet – expenses run 338% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.