Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kirtipur

For one person, living is cheaper in Kirtipur: $347 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Kirtipur
Learn more

Kirtipur Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Kirtipur

🇳🇵 Nepal

$347

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kirtipur

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $347 in Kirtipur, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Kirtipur $347

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $569 in Kirtipur, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Kirtipur $569

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $791 in Kirtipur, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Kirtipur $791

Istanbul costs about 347% more than Kirtipur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Kirtipur is 74% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$2.01 NPR 305

511.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$20.13 NPR 3,058

171.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.66 NPR 1,164

20.37%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.49 NPR 226

195.30%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.50 NPR 75.3

236.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.16 NPR 24.82

268.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$3.09 NPR 470

52.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.17 NPR 482

86.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.67 NPR 102

80.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.63 NPR 95.5

41.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.90 NPR 137

143.33%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.66 NPR 251

41.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$7.21 NPR 1,096

44.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$3.07 NPR 466

84.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$5.93 NPR 902

253.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.99 NPR 303

-4.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.19 NPR 181

94.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.45 NPR 220

-11.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.54 NPR 82.6

233.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.42 NPR 63.4

54.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.51 NPR 77.3

25.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.49 NPR 73.8

155.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.22 NPR 33.34

154.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$2.45 NPR 373

-3.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$8.01 NPR 1,217

67.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$2.19 NPR 333

9.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$3.02 NPR 459

15.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.74 NPR 265

-25.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.14 NPR 174

-19.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$3.25 NPR 493

237.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.35 NPR 205

8.89%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$29.3K NPR 4.5M

73.29%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$36.3K NPR 5.5M

22.67%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$31.53 NPR 4,791

181.03%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$3.54 NPR 538

227.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$9.12 NPR 1,386

73.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$2.91 NPR 441

179.73%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$65.8 NPR 9,991

1433.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,377 NPR 817.0K

375.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$24.72 NPR 3,756

118.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$26.50 NPR 4,026

54.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$63.0 NPR 9,567

57.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$28.42 NPR 4,319

239.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

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

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 Kirtipur: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Kirtipur

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Kirtipur

$144 41.4% 44.7% $116

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Kirtipur

$81 23.5% 63.6% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Kirtipur

$64 18.5% 50.9% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Kirtipur

$44 12.8% 61.9% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Kirtipur

$5.8 * 1.7% 93.8% $88

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Kirtipur

$7.5 * 2.2% 90.3% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $20.00 in Kirtipur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $144 – making Kirtipur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇵 Kirtipur

🕒 Local time

05:04 5:04 AM

07:49 7:49 AM

2 h 45 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

65,602

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Kirtipur 5,280 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Kirtipur

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 Kirtipur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 347%, 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 $520 in Kirtipur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 81% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kirtipur, where all-in costs run around $347, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Kirtipur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kirtipur – 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 Kirtipur. 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.