Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Dera Ghazi Khan

For one person, living is cheaper in Dera Ghazi Khan: $429 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Istanbul, Turkey
Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakistan
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,519
/mo nomad
Dera Ghazi Khan
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$429
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Dera Ghazi Khan

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 Dera Ghazi Khan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,519 in Istanbul versus $429 in Dera Ghazi Khan.

  • Istanbul $1,519
  • Dera Ghazi Khan $429

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,365 in Istanbul versus $661 in Dera Ghazi Khan.

  • Istanbul $2,365
  • Dera Ghazi Khan $661

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,212 in Istanbul versus $893 in Dera Ghazi Khan.

  • Istanbul $3,212
  • Dera Ghazi Khan $893

Living in Istanbul is roughly 254% more expensive than in Dera Ghazi Khan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 12% above, Dera Ghazi Khan is 68% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Dera Ghazi Khan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.81 ₺592
$1.76 PKR 488
571.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.9 ₺2,754
$10.65 PKR 2,943
415.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.26 ₺465
$5.39 PKR 1,489
71.80%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.59 PKR 716
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.20 PKR 609
-
Cappuccino
$4.30 ₺216
$1.51 PKR 418
184.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 ₺89.0
$0.48 PKR 131
268.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺28.32
$0.33 PKR 89.9
69.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.69 ₺235
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.12 ₺357
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Dera Ghazi Khan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 ₺62.7
$0.82 PKR 227
52.44%
White Bread (500g)
$0.88 ₺44.17
$0.61 PKR 167
44.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 ₺111
$1.25 PKR 346
76.00%
Eggs
$2.43 ₺122
$1.25 PKR 345
94.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.48 ₺526
$8.71 PKR 2,407
20.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.31 ₺267
$2.56 PKR 707
107.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.10 ₺1,058
$4.02 PKR 1,110
424.88%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 ₺93.1
$1.06 PKR 292
75.47%
Banana (1kg)
$2.30 ₺115
$0.67 PKR 184
243.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.22 ₺61.0
$0.57 PKR 157
114.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺90.2
$0.59 PKR 163
205.08%
Potato (1kg)
$0.69 ₺34.83
$0.28 PKR 76.2
146.43%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺32.16
$0.47 PKR 130
36.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 ₺68.0
$0.44 PKR 120
209.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 ₺28.94
$0.44 PKR 121
31.82%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$0.53 PKR 146
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.52 PKR 143
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.75 PKR 206
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.34 ₺117
$1.41 PKR 390
65.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 ₺653
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.36 ₺118
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 ₺166
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Dera Ghazi Khan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 ₺44.07
$0.18 PKR 50.5
388.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.1 ₺3,316
$9.74 PKR 2,691
578.85%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 ₺64.4
$1.10 PKR 303
16.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 ₺42.80
$1.10 PKR 305
-22.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.09 ₺556
$2.92 PKR 807
279.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 ₺74.0
$0.93 PKR 258
59.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.6K ₺2.4M
$23.8K PKR 6.6M
104.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.0K ₺2.1M
$23.2K PKR 6.4M
81.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Dera Ghazi Khan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.7 ₺4,650
$68.2 PKR 18.8K
35.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.20 ₺562
$5.48 PKR 1,515
104.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.89 ₺797
$14.66 PKR 4,051
8.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Dera Ghazi Khan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.7 ₺3,745
$14.86 PKR 4,106
402.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.95 ₺1,151
$8.21 PKR 2,270
179.54%
Cinema Ticket
$8.05 ₺404
$7.16 PKR 1,978
12.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Dera Ghazi Khan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$948 ₺47.6K
$26.90 PKR 7,433
3425.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$36.9K ₺1.9M
$1,996 PKR 551.7K
1749.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Dera Ghazi Khan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₺2,702
$19.13 PKR 5,288
181.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.49 ₺2,081
$26.18 PKR 7,236
58.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 ₺5,060
$53.9 PKR 14.9K
87.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.3 ₺4,580
$29.54 PKR 8,165
209.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Dera Ghazi Khan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,014 ₺50.8K
$136 PKR 37.6K
644.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$625 ₺31.3K
$86.4 PKR 23.9K
622.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,005 ₺100.6K
$271 PKR 74.8K
641.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,126 ₺56.5K
$180 PKR 49.7K
525.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,988 ₺149.8K
$826 PKR 228.2K
261.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,730 ₺86.8K
$503 PKR 139.1K
243.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Dera Ghazi Khan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,136 ₺57.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.42
11.83
241.67%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Dera Ghazi Khan: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$625
Dera Ghazi Khan
$86 86.2% $538
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$258
Dera Ghazi Khan
$99 61.9% $160
Eating Out
Istanbul
$221
Dera Ghazi Khan
$52 76.6% $169
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Dera Ghazi Khan
$58 55.2% $71
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$120
Dera Ghazi Khan
$88 26.3% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$91
Dera Ghazi Khan
$29 67.9% $62
Getting Around
Istanbul
$75
Dera Ghazi Khan
$17 77.3% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Istanbul and $136 in Dera Ghazi Khan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55 in Istanbul vs $11 in Dera Ghazi Khan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $99 per month, with Dera Ghazi Khan cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇵🇰 Dera Ghazi Khan
🕒 Local time
11:51 11:51 AM
13:51 1:51 PM
2 h ahead of Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
399,064
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 276 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Dera Ghazi Khan 3,920 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Dera Ghazi Khan

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 Dera Ghazi Khan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Istanbul and in Dera Ghazi Khan?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,519 in Istanbul and $429 in Dera Ghazi Khan, so Dera Ghazi Khan is about 72% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Istanbul compared to Dera Ghazi Khan?
You’d need roughly $2,278 in Istanbul and $644 in Dera Ghazi Khan 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Istanbul and in Dera Ghazi Khan?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Istanbul versus $136 in Dera Ghazi Khan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Istanbul and in Dera Ghazi Khan?
A monthly transit pass in Dera Ghazi Khan runs roughly 85% less than in Istanbul. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Istanbul and Dera Ghazi Khan?
Childcare runs $948 in Istanbul versus $27 in Dera Ghazi Khan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $429 in Dera Ghazi Khan versus $1,519 in Istanbul, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Dera Ghazi Khan but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Dera Ghazi Khan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Istanbul and Dera Ghazi Khan?
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.
Where should expats move: Istanbul or Dera Ghazi Khan?
Expats usually find Dera Ghazi Khan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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