Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Gilgit

For one person, living is cheaper in Gilgit: $447 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 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
22

Cost of Living Index in Gilgit
Learn more

Gilgit Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Gilgit

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$447

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Gilgit

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $447 in Gilgit, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Gilgit $447

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $670 in Gilgit, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Gilgit $670

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $894 in Gilgit, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Gilgit $894

Istanbul costs about 240% more than Gilgit, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Gilgit is 67% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺591

$1.49 PKR 411

692.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,748

$10.71 PKR 2,962

412.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺463

$5.32 PKR 1,473

74.06%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 PKR 690

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 PKR 1,407

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺215

$1.59 PKR 441

170.44%

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

$1.77 ₺88.8

$0.32 PKR 88.2

453.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.26

$0.23 PKR 62.7

143.48%

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

$0.81 PKR 223

54.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.62 PKR 172

41.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺110

$1.13 PKR 312

94.69%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.15 PKR 317

111.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺524

$5.63 PKR 1,557

86.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺266

$2.46 PKR 681

115.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,056

$4.84 PKR 1,339

335.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺92.9

$1.12 PKR 309

66.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$0.58 PKR 160

296.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺60.8

$0.78 PKR 216

56.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.0

$0.52 PKR 143

246.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.75

$0.28 PKR 77.3

146.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.09

$0.38 PKR 106

68.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺67.8

$0.43 PKR 119

216.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.88

$0.38 PKR 104

52.63%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.89 PKR 522

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 PKR 303

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 PKR 674

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$1.97 PKR 545

18.78%

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

$0.16 PKR 43.69

450.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,309

$10.05 PKR 2,781

557.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.3

$1.07 PKR 295

19.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.70

$0.71 PKR 196

19.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺555

$1.62 PKR 448

584.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺73.9

$1.17 PKR 325

26.50%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$22.0K PKR 6.1M

121.35%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$23.2K PKR 6.4M

80.72%

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

$92.7 ₺4,639

$101 PKR 27.8K

-7.81%

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

$11.20 ₺560

$5.66 PKR 1,567

97.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺795

$14.23 PKR 3,936

11.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,737

$14.85 PKR 4,107

402.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,149

$7.85 PKR 2,173

192.36%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺403

$4.25 PKR 1,176

89.41%

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

$948 ₺47.5K

$42.28 PKR 11.7K

2143.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.8M

$1,047 PKR 289.7K

3424.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,696

$16.72 PKR 4,625

222.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,076

$22.58 PKR 6,246

83.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,049

$67.5 PKR 18.7K

49.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,570

$32.35 PKR 8,948

182.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.7K

$134 PKR 37.2K

653.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$86.0 PKR 23.8K

626.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.4K

$272 PKR 75.2K

637.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.3K

$178 PKR 49.2K

533.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.5K

$810 PKR 224.2K

268.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.6K

$499 PKR 138.0K

246.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺56.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

210.92%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Gilgit: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Gilgit

$86 19.3% 86.2% $539

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Gilgit

$90 20.1% 65.3% $169

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Gilgit

$49 11% 77.7% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Gilgit

$63 14% 51.6% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Gilgit

$120 27% 0.6% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Gilgit

$23 5.2% 74.3% $67

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Gilgit

$15 3.4% 79.7% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $134 in Gilgit. 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 $11 in Gilgit. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $90 – making Gilgit the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇵🇰 Gilgit

🕒 Local time

21:36 9:36 PM

23:36 11:36 PM

2 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

216,760

💱 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 50.04 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.23 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 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

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Between locations

Istanbul Gilgit 3,940 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Gilgit

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 Gilgit: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul costs about 240% more than Gilgit, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $670 in Gilgit. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gilgit, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $134 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Groceries cost about 188% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $11 in Gilgit. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Gilgit, where all-in costs run around $447, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Gilgit it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gilgit – 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, Gilgit is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 71% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.