Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Daska

For one person, living is cheaper in Daska: $533 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Daska
Learn more

Daska Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Daska

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$533

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Daska

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $533 in Daska, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Daska $533

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $824 in Daska, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Daska $824

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $1,115 in Daska, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Daska $1,115

Istanbul costs about 185% more than Daska, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Daska is 61% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺591

$3.66 PKR 1,011

222.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,748

$24.69 PKR 6,830

122.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺463

$5.44 PKR 1,506

70.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 PKR 1,019

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 PKR 1,950

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺215

$2.67 PKR 739

61.05%

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

$0.22 PKR 60.8

154.55%

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

$0.95 PKR 261

31.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.75 PKR 209

17.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺110

$1.31 PKR 364

67.94%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.26 PKR 348

92.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺524

$6.07 PKR 1,679

72.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺266

$2.93 PKR 810

81.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,056

$5.53 PKR 1,529

281.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺92.9

$1.33 PKR 367

39.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$0.88 PKR 244

161.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺60.8

$1.04 PKR 287

17.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.0

$0.54 PKR 148

233.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.75

$0.28 PKR 76.7

146.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.09

$0.37 PKR 102

72.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺67.8

$0.30 PKR 83.9

353.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.88

$0.39 PKR 108

48.72%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.87 PKR 518

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 PKR 342

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 PKR 677

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$2.25 PKR 621

4.00%

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

$0.17 PKR 48.03

417.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,309

$9.56 PKR 2,643

591.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.3

$1.25 PKR 346

2.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.70

$0.70 PKR 194

21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺555

$1.61 PKR 446

588.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺73.9

$1.39 PKR 385

6.47%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$22.1K PKR 6.1M

120.08%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

78.74%

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

$92.7 ₺4,639

$103 PKR 28.4K

-9.58%

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

$11.20 ₺560

$6.10 PKR 1,688

83.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺795

$17.23 PKR 4,767

-7.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,737

$14.80 PKR 4,095

404.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,149

$9.23 PKR 2,554

148.65%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺403

$4.90 PKR 1,354

64.29%

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

$948 ₺47.5K

$43.41 PKR 12.0K

2084.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.8M

$1,053 PKR 291.2K

3406.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,696

$26.38 PKR 7,297

104.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,076

$35.39 PKR 9,790

17.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,049

$97.8 PKR 27.1K

3.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,570

$41.36 PKR 11.4K

120.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.7K

$117 PKR 32.4K

765.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$94.6 PKR 26.2K

559.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.4K

$308 PKR 85.2K

551.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.3K

$160 PKR 44.1K

605.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.5K

$734 PKR 202.9K

307.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.6K

$507 PKR 140.1K

241.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺56.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

13.08

209.02%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Daska: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Daska

$95 17.7% 84.8% $530

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Daska

$103 19.3% 60.1% $155

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Daska

$80 15% 63.8% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Daska

$90 17% 30.1% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Daska

$126 23.6% 5.1% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Daska

$25 4.6% 72.9% $66

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Daska

$15 2.8% 80% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $117 in Daska. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $25 in Daska. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $103 – making Daska the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇵🇰 Daska

🕒 Local time

06:45 6:45 AM

08:45 8:45 AM

2 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

175,170

💱 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 6, 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 6, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Daska 4,110 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Daska

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 Daska: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul costs about 185% more than Daska, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $800 in Daska. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Daska, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $117 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Groceries cost about 151% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $25 in Daska. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Daska, where all-in costs run around $533, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Daska it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Daska – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Daska is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 65% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.