Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Haroonabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Haroonabad: $511 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Haroonabad
Learn more

Haroonabad Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Haroonabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Haroonabad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,519 in Istanbul versus $511 in Haroonabad.

Istanbul $1,519
Haroonabad $511

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,365 in Istanbul versus $767 in Haroonabad.

Istanbul $2,365
Haroonabad $767

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,212 in Istanbul versus $1,023 in Haroonabad.

Istanbul $3,212
Haroonabad $1,023

Living in Istanbul is roughly 197% more expensive than in Haroonabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 12% above, Haroonabad is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$2.47 PKR 684

378.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$14.39 PKR 3,979

281.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$5.73 PKR 1,585

61.61%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 PKR 989

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.47 PKR 1,513

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$2.49 PKR 689

72.69%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$0.41 PKR 113

331.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.26 PKR 72.5

115.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$0.96 PKR 265

30.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.78 PKR 217

12.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.23 PKR 339

78.86%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.15 PKR 318

111.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$6.19 PKR 1,711

69.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$2.48 PKR 687

114.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$4.91 PKR 1,358

329.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.23 PKR 340

51.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$0.66 PKR 183

248.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$0.83 PKR 229

46.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$0.59 PKR 164

205.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.29 PKR 79.9

137.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.36 PKR 99.3

77.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$0.47 PKR 130

189.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.35 PKR 96.1

65.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.10 PKR 305

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 PKR 177

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 PKR 458

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$2.22 PKR 615

5.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

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 ₺44.07

$0.16 PKR 43.33

450.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$10.20 PKR 2,821

548.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$0.88 PKR 245

45.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.69 PKR 190

23.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$1.76 PKR 486

530.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.35 PKR 375

9.63%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$18.4K PKR 5.1M

164.58%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$24.2K PKR 6.7M

73.74%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$129 PKR 35.6K

-28.04%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$5.57 PKR 1,540

101.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$16.63 PKR 4,600

-4.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$15.09 PKR 4,173

394.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$8.22 PKR 2,273

179.20%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$4.41 PKR 1,219

82.54%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$75.9 PKR 21.0K

1149.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$2,059 PKR 569.5K

1692.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$18.18 PKR 5,027

196.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$28.21 PKR 7,802

47.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$74.7 PKR 20.7K

35.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$33.27 PKR 9,201

174.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$136 PKR 37.7K

644.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$85.1 PKR 23.5K

634.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$265 PKR 73.3K

656.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$183 PKR 50.6K

515.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$809 PKR 223.8K

269.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$504 PKR 139.3K

243.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

14.05

187.69%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Haroonabad: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Haroonabad

$85 16.7% 86.4% $539

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Haroonabad

$97 18.9% 62.6% $162

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Haroonabad

$70 13.6% 68.5% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Haroonabad

$69 13.6% 46.3% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Haroonabad

$151 29.6% 26.1% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Haroonabad

$24 4.7% 73.7% $67

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Haroonabad

$15 3% 79.8% $60

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $55 in Istanbul vs $14 in Haroonabad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $97 per month, with Haroonabad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇵🇰 Haroonabad

🕒 Local time

15:56 3:56 PM

17:56 5:56 PM

2 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

11,624,219

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 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 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 = 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Haroonabad 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Haroonabad

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 Haroonabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Haroonabad wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Istanbul. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Haroonabad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,278 in Istanbul and $766 in Haroonabad 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Istanbul versus $136 in Haroonabad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $948 in Istanbul versus $76 in Haroonabad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $511 in Haroonabad versus $1,519 in Istanbul, a $800 budget is realistic in Haroonabad but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Haroonabad 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.

Expats usually find Haroonabad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.