Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Dhaka

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,526 in Istanbul versus $426 in Dhaka.

Istanbul $1,526
Dhaka $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,399 in Istanbul versus $735 in Dhaka.

Istanbul $2,399
Dhaka $735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,272 in Istanbul versus $1,043 in Dhaka.

Istanbul $3,272
Dhaka $1,043

Living in Istanbul is roughly 258% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 14% above, Dhaka is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$2.49 ৳306

377.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,715

$13.06 ৳1,605

321.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$4.83 ৳594

89.23%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$2.34 ৳287

81.20%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.30 ৳37.39

483.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.84

$0.16 ৳19.96

237.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$0.80 ৳98.1

57.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.82

$0.65 ৳79.3

46.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.71 ৳87.3

225.35%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$1.21 ৳149

104.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$8.67 ৳1,065

21.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$3.21 ৳395

74.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$6.70 ৳823

216.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$2.73 ৳335

-29.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$0.88 ৳109

160.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.37 ৳291

-45.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$0.65 ৳79.6

183.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.87

$0.24 ৳29.20

179.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.49 ৳60.7

20.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$0.32 ৳38.88

315.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.11

$0.30 ৳37.31

96.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.07 ৳1,483

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.51 ৳677

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 ৳819

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$3.23 ৳396

-26.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.65

$0.42 ৳52.1

97.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,274

$22.54 ৳2,770

194.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$1.19 ৳147

13.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.06

$0.40 ৳48.60

112.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$3.35 ৳411

224.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.15 ৳141

27.83%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$30.3K ৳3.7M

70.42%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$33.0K ৳4.1M

34.55%

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

$89.2 ₺4,396

$46.32 ৳5,692

92.62%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$4.33 ৳532

167.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$10.63 ৳1,306

51.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,806

$16.37 ৳2,012

371.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$16.14 ৳1,983

40.40%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$4.13 ৳508

101.94%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$90.7 ৳11.1K

973.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$2,649 ৳325.5K

873.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$16.48 ৳2,025

219.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,930

$21.00 ৳2,580

86.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,084

$50.3 ৳6,175

105.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,760

$36.46 ৳4,480

164.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$152 ৳18.6K

555.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$73.6 ৳9,044

755.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$436 ৳53.6K

364.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$214 ৳26.3K

440.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$1,622 ৳199.3K

94.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$761 ৳93.5K

141.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$249 ৳30.6K

383.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

10.48

292.08%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Dhaka

$74 17.1% 88.3% $556

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Dhaka

$123 28.5% 53.6% $141

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Dhaka

$64 15% 70.5% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Dhaka

$56 13% 57.4% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Dhaka

$61 14.3% 47.6% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Dhaka

$25 5.7% 73.8% $69

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Dhaka

$27 6.4% 63.6% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Istanbul and $152 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 383% 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 $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

06:01 6:01 AM

09:01 9:01 AM

3 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.27 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.26 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Dhaka 5,950 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Dhaka

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 Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 258% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 383% 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: $994 in Istanbul versus $152 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,526 per month in Istanbul versus $426 in Dhaka – a 258% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 195% less than in Istanbul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $1,526 in Istanbul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dhaka 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 Dhaka 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 Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 258% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.