Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Multan

For one person, living is cheaper in Multan: $561 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 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
27

Cost of Living Index in Multan
Learn more

Multan Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Multan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Multan

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $561 in Multan, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Multan $561

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $773 in Multan, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Multan $773

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $986 in Multan, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Multan $986

Istanbul costs about 171% more than Multan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Multan is 59% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺591

$2.56 PKR 708

361.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,748

$11.05 PKR 3,055

396.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺463

$5.31 PKR 1,468

74.39%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.78 PKR 768

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 PKR 1,456

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺215

$1.80 PKR 497

138.89%

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

$1.77 ₺88.8

$0.28 PKR 77.2

532.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.26

$0.20 PKR 54.2

180.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺234

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺356

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.6

$0.69 PKR 191

81.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.55 PKR 152

60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺110

$1.03 PKR 284

113.59%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.09 PKR 303

122.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺524

$6.66 PKR 1,843

57.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺266

$2.42 PKR 669

119.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,056

$4.46 PKR 1,235

373.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺92.9

$0.93 PKR 257

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$0.49 PKR 136

369.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺60.8

$0.67 PKR 186

82.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.0

$0.62 PKR 171

190.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.75

$0.40 PKR 110

72.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.09

$0.42 PKR 117

52.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺67.8

$0.49 PKR 136

177.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.88

$0.35 PKR 96.7

65.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.88 PKR 519

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 PKR 790

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$2.21 PKR 610

5.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺652

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 ₺43.97

$0.16 PKR 43.13

450.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,309

$8.46 PKR 2,339

681.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.3

$1.43 PKR 394

-10.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.70

$0.35 PKR 95.6

142.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺555

$0.94 PKR 261

1079.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺73.9

$1.29 PKR 357

14.73%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$25.0K PKR 6.9M

94.23%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

78.29%

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

$92.7 ₺4,639

$146 PKR 40.4K

-36.60%

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

$11.20 ₺560

$4.97 PKR 1,374

125.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺795

$19.24 PKR 5,323

-17.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,737

$24.14 PKR 6,677

209.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,149

$3.57 PKR 988

542.86%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺403

$4.37 PKR 1,209

84.21%

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

$948 ₺47.5K

$41.84 PKR 11.6K

2166.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.8M

$1,017 PKR 281.3K

3530.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,696

$18.25 PKR 5,047

195.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,076

$19.03 PKR 5,265

118.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,049

$93.3 PKR 25.8K

8.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,570

$25.72 PKR 7,114

255.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.7K

$189 PKR 52.2K

437.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$127 PKR 35.2K

390.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.4K

$239 PKR 66.1K

739.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.3K

$174 PKR 48.2K

546.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.5K

$760 PKR 210.2K

293.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.6K

$526 PKR 145.5K

228.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺56.9K

$185 PKR 51.2K

514.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

210.92%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Multan: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Multan

$127 22.7% 79.6% $497

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Multan

$88 15.7% 66% $170

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Multan

$60 10.7% 72.9% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Multan

$70 12.5% 45.6% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Multan

$170 30.4% 42.3% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Multan

$33 5.9% 63.8% $58

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Multan

$12 2.2% 83.7% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $189 in Multan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Istanbul are about 6.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $11 in Multan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $88 – making Multan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇵🇰 Multan

🕒 Local time

23:03 11:03 PM

01:03 1:03 AM

2 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,871,843

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 50.04 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.18 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Multan 3,980 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Multan

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 Multan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 171%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $842 in Multan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Multan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $189 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $42 in Multan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 194% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Multan, where all-in costs run around $561, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Multan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Multan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Multan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.