Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kawasoti

For one person, living is cheaper in Kawasoti: $330 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
16

Cost of Living Index in Kawasoti
Learn more

Kawasoti Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Kawasoti

🇳🇵 Nepal

$330

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kawasoti

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $330 in Kawasoti, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Kawasoti $330

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $540 in Kawasoti, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Kawasoti $540

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $750 in Kawasoti, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Kawasoti $750

Istanbul costs about 369% more than Kawasoti, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Kawasoti is 76% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$1.93 NPR 294

537.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$20.30 NPR 3,085

169.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.80 NPR 1,185

18.21%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.54 NPR 234

185.71%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.54 NPR 82.1

211.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.17 NPR 25.11

247.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$3.16 NPR 481

48.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.24 NPR 493

82.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.73 NPR 110

65.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.54 NPR 81.5

64.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.93 NPR 142

135.48%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.72 NPR 261

36.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$7.46 NPR 1,134

39.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$2.65 NPR 403

113.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$6.16 NPR 936

239.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.07 NPR 315

-8.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.75 NPR 114

208.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.62 NPR 93.9

106.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.48 NPR 72.5

275.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.31 NPR 47.71

109.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.45 NPR 68.2

42.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.32 NPR 48.12

290.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.22 NPR 33.24

154.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$2.44 NPR 371

-2.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$2.54 NPR 387

428.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$2.22 NPR 337

8.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.59 NPR 393

34.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.15 NPR 23.24

493.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.64 NPR 97.2

101.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.82 NPR 125

12.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$1.92 NPR 292

470.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.13 NPR 171

30.09%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$29.9K NPR 4.5M

69.97%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$36.0K NPR 5.5M

23.69%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$16.26 NPR 2,470

444.96%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$3.29 NPR 499

252.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$6.68 NPR 1,015

136.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$19.31 NPR 2,933

299.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$6.42 NPR 975

254.21%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$1.59 NPR 241

411.95%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$65.7 NPR 9,980

1434.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,561 NPR 845.0K

359.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$13.18 NPR 2,003

309.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$9.90 NPR 1,504

312.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$19.20 NPR 2,917

415.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$9.97 NPR 1,515

868.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$64.8 NPR 9,844

1419.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$45.81 NPR 6,961

1318.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$96.0 NPR 14.6K

1965.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$65.9 NPR 10.0K

1690.14%

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

$230 NPR 34.9K

424.48%

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 Kawasoti: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Kawasoti

$46 13.9% 92.9% $604

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Kawasoti

$124 37.6% 52.2% $135

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Kawasoti

$82 25% 63.1% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Kawasoti

$24 7.1% 82% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Kawasoti

$26 8% 77.4% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Kawasoti

$22 6.8% 75.9% $71

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Kawasoti

$5.4 * 1.6% 93% $72

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $64.8 in Kawasoti. 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 424% 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 $20.00 in Kawasoti. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $124 – making Kawasoti the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇵 Kawasoti

🕒 Local time

02:08 2:08 AM

04:53 4:53 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 17, 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 17, 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 Kawasoti 5,190 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Kawasoti

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 Kawasoti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 369%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $495 in Kawasoti. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $20.00 in Kawasoti. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 109% 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 Kawasoti, where all-in costs run around $330, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Kawasoti it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kawasoti – 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 Kawasoti. 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.