Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Gaighat

For one person, living is cheaper in Gaighat: $302 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
15

Cost of Living Index in Gaighat
Learn more

Gaighat Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Gaighat

🇳🇵 Nepal

$302

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Gaighat

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $302 in Gaighat.

Istanbul $1,550
Gaighat $302

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $497 in Gaighat.

Istanbul $2,415
Gaighat $497

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $693 in Gaighat.

Istanbul $3,281
Gaighat $693

Living in Istanbul is roughly 414% more expensive than in Gaighat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 15% above, Gaighat is 78% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$1.94 NPR 294

534.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$20.22 NPR 3,072

170.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.62 NPR 1,158

21.00%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.55 NPR 235

183.87%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.54 NPR 82.3

211.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.16 NPR 24.46

268.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$3.07 NPR 466

53.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.30 NPR 502

79.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.51 NPR 77.5

137.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.23 NPR 34.37

286.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.35 NPR 52.5

525.71%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.03 NPR 157

128.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$7.37 NPR 1,120

41.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$1.98 NPR 301

185.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$2.64 NPR 401

693.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.60 NPR 243

18.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.15 NPR 175

100.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.63 NPR 95.3

103.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.35 NPR 52.5

414.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.34 NPR 52.3

91.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.35 NPR 52.6

82.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.49 NPR 74.9

155.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.14 NPR 21.46

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$1.98 NPR 301

19.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$3.95 NPR 601

239.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.29 NPR 195

86.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.89 NPR 439

20.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.75 NPR 266

-26.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.20 NPR 182

-23.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$3.25 NPR 494

237.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.34 NPR 204

9.70%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$29.9K NPR 4.5M

69.64%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$36.4K NPR 5.5M

22.45%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$31.44 NPR 4,777

181.84%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$3.57 NPR 543

224.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$9.17 NPR 1,394

72.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$3.00 NPR 456

171.33%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$64.9 NPR 9,865

1452.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,459 NPR 829.5K

368.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$25.57 NPR 3,885

110.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$26.40 NPR 4,011

54.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$62.8 NPR 9,546

57.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$29.01 NPR 4,407

232.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

9.72

320.99%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Gaighat: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Gaighat

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Gaighat

$97 32.3% 62.5% $162

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Gaighat

$82 27.1% 63.4% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Gaighat

$65 21.5% 50.5% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Gaighat

$44 14.6% 61.9% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Gaighat

$6 * 2% 93.6% $87

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Gaighat

$7.8 * 2.6% 89.9% $69

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $20.00 in Gaighat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $97.0 per month, with Gaighat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇵 Gaighat

🕒 Local time

05:03 5:03 AM

07:48 7:48 AM

2 h 45 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NPR, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD). 1 EUR = 171 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

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Between locations

Istanbul Gaighat 4,930 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
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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 Gaighat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul and Gaighat differ by about 414% in total monthly costs ($1,550 vs $302 including rent). Gaighat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,325 in Istanbul and $453 in Gaighat 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 167% higher in Istanbul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,550 per month in Istanbul versus $302 in Gaighat – a 414% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $302 in Gaighat versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gaighat but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Gaighat 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.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Gaighat 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 Gaighat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 414% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.