Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Guwahati

For one person, living is cheaper in Guwahati: $367 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Guwahati
Learn more

Guwahati Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Guwahati

🇮🇳 India

$367

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Guwahati

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $367 in Guwahati, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Guwahati $367

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $623 in Guwahati, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Guwahati $623

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $879 in Guwahati, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Guwahati $879

Istanbul costs about 316% more than Guwahati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Guwahati is 73% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$2.89 ₹279

311.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$11.51 ₹1,114

378.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$5.31 ₹514

72.13%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$2.51 ₹243

68.92%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.40 ₹38.75

337.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.18 ₹17.02

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$1.28 ₹124

266.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$3.44 ₹333

73.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$0.65 ₹62.8

93.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.43 ₹41.45

120.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.56 ₹53.9

312.50%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$0.98 ₹94.4

152.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$3.94 ₹382

167.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$3.37 ₹326

66.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$2.27 ₹220

-14.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$0.67 ₹64.6

241.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.96 ₹93.1

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$0.60 ₹58.4

206.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$0.32 ₹30.78

109.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.36 ₹34.97

63.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$0.31 ₹29.68

329.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.28 ₹27.35

110.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$4.86 ₹470

-51.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$7.11 ₹688

89.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.68 ₹163

44.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$2.47 ₹239

43.32%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$4.73 ₹458

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.22 ₹21.33

277.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$5.24 ₹507

1168.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$0.67 ₹65.3

101.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$0.28 ₹26.89

203.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$1.27 ₹123

755.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.06 ₹103

38.68%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$12.4K ₹1.2M

317.59%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$16.1K ₹1.6M

176.26%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$33.92 ₹3,283

163.03%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$3.17 ₹307

265.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$6.19 ₹599

160.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$11.76 ₹1,138

556.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$10.01 ₹969

126.37%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$3.19 ₹308

161.44%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$27.54 ₹2,665

3436.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$2,177 ₹210.7K

1083.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$17.17 ₹1,662

206.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$31.20 ₹3,019

25.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$37.53 ₹3,632

174.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$27.07 ₹2,620

256.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$137 ₹13.2K

627.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$67.7 ₹6,556

829.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$287 ₹27.7K

606.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$229 ₹22.2K

403.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$632 ₹61.2K

399.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$410 ₹39.7K

347.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$335 ₹32.4K

259.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

7.38

456.78%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Guwahati: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Guwahati

$68 18.1% 89.2% $562

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Guwahati

$102 27.1% 61.5% $162

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Guwahati

$85 22.6% 61.1% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Guwahati

$51 13.6% 61.3% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Guwahati

$43 11.6% 63% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Guwahati

$18 4.8% 80.7% $76

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Guwahati

$8.2 2.2% 89.1% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $137 in Guwahati. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 260% higher in Istanbul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $12.00 in Guwahati. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $102 – making Guwahati the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇳 Guwahati

🕒 Local time

14:30 2:30 PM

17:00 5:00 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,000,000

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.2 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 108 INR (1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Guwahati 5,910 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Guwahati

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 Guwahati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 316%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $550 in Guwahati. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guwahati, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 1168% less in Guwahati. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $974 per month in Istanbul and $27.54 in Guwahati. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Guwahati, where all-in costs run around $367, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Guwahati it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Guwahati. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.