Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Mumbai (Bombay)

For one person, living is cheaper in Mumbai (Bombay): $769 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Mumbai (Bombay)
Learn more

Mumbai (Bombay) Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 India

$769

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Mumbai (Bombay)

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 Mumbai (Bombay) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $769 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Mumbai (Bombay) $769

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $1,281 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Mumbai (Bombay) $1,281

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $1,793 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Mumbai (Bombay) $1,793

Istanbul costs about 99% more than Mumbai (Bombay), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Mumbai (Bombay) is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$5.29 ₹512

124.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$21.16 ₹2,048

160.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$4.08 ₹394

124.02%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$2.61 ₹253

62.45%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.36 ₹35.00

386.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.13 ₹12.56

315.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$2.63 ₹255

78.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$4.12 ₹398

44.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$0.73 ₹70.5

72.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.50 ₹48.39

90.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.76 ₹73.6

203.95%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$1.00 ₹96.9

147.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$5.56 ₹538

89.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$3.60 ₹349

55.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$2.15 ₹208

-10.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$0.72 ₹69.8

218.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.24 ₹120

3.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$0.50 ₹48.21

268.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$0.34 ₹32.59

97.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.37 ₹35.51

59.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$0.44 ₹42.60

202.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.28 ₹26.87

110.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$5.08 ₹491

-53.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$8.32 ₹805

61.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.94 ₹188

24.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$3.07 ₹297

15.31%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.16 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.22 ₹21.29

277.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$5.61 ₹543

1084.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$0.31 ₹29.53

335.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$0.33 ₹31.47

157.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$1.54 ₹149

605.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.15 ₹111

27.83%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$15.7K ₹1.5M

228.22%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$21.8K ₹2.1M

103.65%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$60.7 ₹5,877

46.94%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$4.39 ₹425

164.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$8.80 ₹852

82.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$26.08 ₹2,525

196.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$13.19 ₹1,277

71.80%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$4.49 ₹434

85.75%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$114 ₹11.0K

755.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$5,082 ₹491.9K

407.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$36.13 ₹3,497

45.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$39.96 ₹3,867

-2.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$54.5 ₹5,270

89.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$47.98 ₹4,644

101.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$598 ₹57.9K

66.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$344 ₹33.3K

82.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$1,797 ₹173.9K

12.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$866 ₹83.8K

33.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$5,811 ₹562.3K

-45.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$2,418 ₹234.0K

-23.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$768 ₹74.4K

56.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

8.29

395.66%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$344 44.9% 45.3% $285

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$116 15.1% 56.1% $148

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$109 14.2% 49.9% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$80 10.5% 38.8% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$74 9.6% 36.8% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$35 4.6% 62.7% $59

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$8.4 1.1% 88.8% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $598 in Mumbai (Bombay). 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 57% 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 $21.00 in Mumbai (Bombay). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $116 – making Mumbai (Bombay) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)

🕒 Local time

09:32 9:32 AM

12:02 12:02 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

12,442,373

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, 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 = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Mumbai (Bombay) 4,810 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Mumbai (Bombay)

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 Mumbai (Bombay): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 99%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $1,153 in Mumbai (Bombay). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mumbai (Bombay), 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 $114 in Mumbai (Bombay). For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 128% 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 Mumbai (Bombay), where all-in costs run around $769, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Mumbai (Bombay) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mumbai (Bombay) – 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 Mumbai (Bombay). 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.