Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kabul

For one person, living is cheaper in Kabul: $511 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Kabul
Learn more

Kabul Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Kabul

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kabul

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $511 in Kabul, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Kabul $511

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $684 in Kabul, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Kabul $684

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $857 in Kabul, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Kabul $857

Istanbul costs about 198% more than Kabul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Kabul is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$2.70 ؋175

340.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$7.89 ؋511

598.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$4.51 ؋292

102.66%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 ؋148

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 ؋122

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$1.09 ؋70.5

288.99%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.45 ؋28.95

288.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.17 ؋10.83

217.65%

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

$0.81 ؋52.4

55.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.25 ؋16.23

280.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.86 ؋121

24.19%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$1.54 ؋99.7

60.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$4.46 ؋289

136.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$4.03 ؋261

38.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$6.71 ؋434

216.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$0.70 ؋45.11

175.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$0.89 ؋57.4

157.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.95 ؋61.5

34.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$0.55 ؋35.47

234.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$0.61 ؋39.34

9.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.51 ؋32.74

15.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$0.30 ؋19.48

343.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.37 ؋23.89

59.46%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.81 ؋117

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ؋52.0

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 ؋65.8

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$2.42 ؋157

-2.48%

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 ₺40.64

$0.13 ؋8.60

538.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$21.08 ؋1,366

215.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$2.12 ؋138

-36.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$0.45 ؋29.02

88.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$2.77 ؋179

292.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.08 ؋69.9

36.11%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$8,341 ؋540.2K

518.92%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$33.8K ؋2.2M

31.62%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$42.09 ؋2,726

111.97%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$13.12 ؋850

-11.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$95.3 ؋6,174

-83.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$11.15 ؋722

592.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$4.11 ؋266

451.34%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$2.34 ؋152

256.41%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$20.64 ؋1,337

4618.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$1,045 ؋67.7K

2365.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$10.71 ؋694

392.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$15.93 ؋1,032

145.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$57.8 ؋3,741

78.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$25.51 ؋1,652

278.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$125 ؋8,092

695.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$109 ؋7,043

478.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$219 ؋14.2K

825.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$115 ؋7,463

902.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$675 ؋43.7K

368.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$363 ؋23.5K

405.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$339 ؋21.9K

255.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Kabul: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Kabul

$109 21.6% 82.7% $521

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Kabul

$102 20.2% 61.5% $162

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Kabul

$51 10.1% 76.8% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Kabul

$49 9.8% 62.3% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Kabul

$151 29.9% 28.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Kabul

$16 3.2% 83.1% $78

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Kabul

$26 5.2% 65.5% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $125 in Kabul. 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 255% 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 $8.00 in Kabul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $102 – making Kabul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇦🇫 Kabul

🕒 Local time

13:08 1:08 PM

14:38 2:38 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

3,289,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AFN, 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).

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 64.76 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.57 AFN (100 AFN = 1.38 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Kabul 3,570 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Kabul

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 Kabul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 198%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $767 in Kabul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $974 per month in Istanbul and $20.64 in Kabul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 160% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kabul, where all-in costs run around $511, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Kabul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kabul – 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 Kabul. 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.