Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Narayanganj

For one person, living is cheaper in Narayanganj: $268 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Narayanganj
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$268
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Narayanganj

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $268 in Narayanganj, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,550
  • Narayanganj $268

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $441 in Narayanganj, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,415
  • Narayanganj $441

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $615 in Narayanganj, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,281
  • Narayanganj $615

Istanbul costs about 478% more than Narayanganj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Narayanganj is 80% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Narayanganj
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 ₺607
$1.64 ৳202
650.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,700
$9.54 ৳1,174
473.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.22 ₺455
$5.36 ৳659
72.01%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.59 ৳319
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.12 ৳507
-
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺217
$1.21 ৳149
263.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₺82.8
$0.25 ৳30.79
572.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₺29.31
$0.12 ৳14.63
391.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.70 ₺232
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 ₺292
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Narayanganj
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ₺59.8
$0.76 ৳93.2
59.21%
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 ₺43.97
$0.35 ৳43.50
154.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 ₺108
$0.54 ৳66.8
305.56%
Eggs
$2.35 ₺116
$1.12 ৳138
109.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.42 ₺514
$7.30 ৳898
42.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 ₺279
$2.05 ৳253
175.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.94 ₺1,033
$5.69 ৳700
268.01%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₺93.8
$2.32 ৳286
-18.10%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 ₺114
$0.83 ৳102
178.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.0
$2.01 ৳248
-36.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺88.7
$0.85 ৳105
111.76%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ₺32.07
$0.21 ৳26.24
209.52%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺31.82
$0.39 ৳48.23
64.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 ₺61.9
$0.47 ৳57.8
165.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.50
$0.26 ৳31.71
115.38%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$4.22 ৳519
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.80 ৳98.3
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.49 ৳184
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.37 ₺117
$3.03 ৳373
-21.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 ₺662
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₺119
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 ₺172
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Narayanganj
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 ₺43.70
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.4 ₺3,328
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺63.9
$0.83 ৳102
55.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 ₺45.56
$0.59 ৳72.6
55.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.96 ₺541
$4.02 ৳495
172.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ₺72.7
$1.12 ৳137
31.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.8K ₺2.5M
$33.1K ৳4.1M
53.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.5K ₺2.2M
$44.8K ৳5.5M
-0.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Narayanganj
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 ₺4,374
$30.55 ৳3,760
190.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 ₺572
$3.97 ৳489
191.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.81 ₺781
$5.94 ৳731
166.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Narayanganj
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.2 ₺3,809
$15.96 ৳1,965
383.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.74 ₺1,122
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.14 ₺402
$2.88 ৳354
182.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Narayanganj
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,008 ₺49.8K
$35.28 ৳4,343
2757.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K ₺1.3M
$1,490 ৳183.5K
1615.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Narayanganj
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.0 ₺2,663
$8.33 ৳1,026
547.66%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.83 ₺2,015
$6.51 ৳802
527.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.9 ₺4,881
$27.92 ৳3,437
254.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 ₺4,768
$24.25 ৳2,986
298.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Narayanganj
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$985 ₺48.6K
$41.02 ৳5,049
2300.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$650 ₺32.1K
$24.58 ৳3,025
2543.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,983 ₺97.9K
$122 ৳15.0K
1524.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,180 ₺58.2K
$64.9 ৳7,983
1719.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,138 ₺154.9K
$1,325 ৳163.1K
136.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,780 ₺87.9K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Narayanganj
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,205 ₺59.5K
-
-
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 Narayanganj: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$650
Narayanganj
$25 96.2% $625
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$260
Narayanganj
$102 60.6% $157
Eating Out
Istanbul
$223
Narayanganj
$45 79.8% $178
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$131
Narayanganj
$30 76.9% $100
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$116
Narayanganj
$40 65.1% $76
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Narayanganj
$22 76.8% $72
Getting Around
Istanbul
$77
Narayanganj
$3.8 * 95.1% $73

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 $41.02 in Narayanganj. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $10.00 in Narayanganj. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $102 – making Narayanganj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇧🇩 Narayanganj
🕒 Local time
06:09 6:09 AM
09:09 9:09 AM
3 h ahead of Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
286,330
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 49.36 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.24 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.12 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Narayanganj 5,970 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Narayanganj

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 Narayanganj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Narayanganj cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 478%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $402 in Narayanganj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Narayanganj, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Istanbul or in Narayanganj?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $10.00 in Narayanganj. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Istanbul and in Narayanganj?
Groceries cost about 154% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Istanbul or in Narayanganj?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Narayanganj, where all-in costs run around $268, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Narayanganj it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Istanbul or Narayanganj more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Narayanganj – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Istanbul or Narayanganj?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Narayanganj. 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.

Istanbul vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?