Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Moulvibazar

For one person, living is cheaper in Moulvibazar: $304 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
15

Cost of Living Index in Moulvibazar
Learn more

Moulvibazar Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Moulvibazar

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$304

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Moulvibazar

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $304 in Moulvibazar, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Moulvibazar $304

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $491 in Moulvibazar, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Moulvibazar $491

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $678 in Moulvibazar, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Moulvibazar $678

Istanbul costs about 410% more than Moulvibazar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Moulvibazar is 78% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$1.60 ৳197

668.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$6.45 ৳797

748.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$4.77 ৳589

93.29%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 ৳322

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 ৳496

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.45 ৳179

203.45%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.29 ৳35.45

479.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.15 ৳18.38

293.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.77 ৳95.4

57.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.52 ৳64.4

71.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.51 ৳62.5

329.41%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.15 ৳142

104.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$7.49 ৳926

39.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$2.14 ৳264

164.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$7.27 ৳898

188.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.31 ৳286

-17.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.83 ৳103

178.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.94 ৳240

-34.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.55 ৳68.1

227.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.38 ৳46.62

71.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.68 ৳84.1

-5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.43 ৳52.5

190.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.30 ৳36.49

86.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.31 ৳533

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ৳105

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 ৳176

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.01 ৳372

-21.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.39 ৳48.19

128.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$14.89 ৳1,840

352.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.84 ৳104

53.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.21 ৳26.15

338.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$0.83 ৳103

1220.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.07 ৳133

37.38%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$31.9K ৳3.9M

59.18%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$44.4K ৳5.5M

0.20%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$24.73 ৳3,056

258.31%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$4.01 ৳495

189.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$12.36 ৳1,528

27.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$6.16 ৳762

1152.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$5.92 ৳732

284.12%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$3.57 ৳442

128.01%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$28.66 ৳3,541

3417.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$1,466 ৳181.1K

1644.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$16.04 ৳1,982

236.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$19.82 ৳2,449

106.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$39.29 ৳4,855

151.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$30.97 ৳3,826

211.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$45.24 ৳5,590

2076.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$27.67 ৳3,419

2248.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$99.2 ৳12.3K

1898.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$63.7 ৳7,871

1752.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$598 ৳73.9K

424.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$173 ৳21.3K

597.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

11.5

255.83%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Moulvibazar: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Moulvibazar

$28 9.1% 95.7% $622

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Moulvibazar

$109 36% 57.9% $150

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Moulvibazar

$46 15.2% 79.3% $177

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Moulvibazar

$48 15.7% 63.4% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Moulvibazar

$41 13.5% 64.6% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Moulvibazar

$13 4.4% 85.8% $80

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Moulvibazar

$18 6% 76.1% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $45.24 in Moulvibazar. 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 598% 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 $6.00 in Moulvibazar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $109 – making Moulvibazar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇩 Moulvibazar

🕒 Local time

07:23 7:23 AM

10:23 10:23 AM

3 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

57,441

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, 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).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Moulvibazar 6,020 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Moulvibazar

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 Moulvibazar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 410%, 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 $456 in Moulvibazar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $28.66 in Moulvibazar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 137% 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 Moulvibazar, where all-in costs run around $304, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Moulvibazar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Moulvibazar – 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 Moulvibazar. 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.