Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Nawabshah

For one person, living is cheaper in Nawabshah: $488 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Nawabshah
Learn more

Nawabshah Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Nawabshah

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Nawabshah

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $488 in Nawabshah, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Nawabshah $488

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $734 in Nawabshah, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Nawabshah $734

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $981 in Nawabshah, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Nawabshah $981

Istanbul costs about 212% more than Nawabshah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Nawabshah is 64% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺591

$2.15 PKR 594

449.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,748

$12.43 PKR 3,439

341.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺463

$5.33 PKR 1,475

73.73%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 PKR 613

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 PKR 1,950

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺215

$2.09 PKR 579

105.74%

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

$1.77 ₺88.8

$0.38 PKR 106

365.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.26

$0.23 PKR 63.5

143.48%

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

$0.90 PKR 248

38.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.53 PKR 146

66.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺110

$1.19 PKR 329

84.87%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.29 PKR 357

88.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺524

$5.93 PKR 1,639

76.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺266

$3.11 PKR 860

70.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,056

$6.40 PKR 1,771

229.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺92.9

$1.28 PKR 355

45.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$0.58 PKR 160

296.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺60.8

$1.01 PKR 280

20.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.0

$0.51 PKR 142

252.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.75

$0.34 PKR 94.3

102.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.09

$0.35 PKR 95.6

82.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺67.8

$0.43 PKR 120

216.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.88

$0.40 PKR 111

45.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.30 PKR 358

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PKR 379

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 PKR 673

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$1.84 PKR 510

27.17%

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

$0.19 PKR 52.8

363.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,309

$9.67 PKR 2,675

583.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.3

$0.87 PKR 241

47.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.70

$0.75 PKR 206

13.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺555

$2.15 PKR 594

415.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺73.9

$1.38 PKR 381

7.25%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$17.9K PKR 4.9M

171.89%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$25.6K PKR 7.1M

63.96%

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

$92.7 ₺4,639

$115 PKR 31.9K

-19.52%

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

$11.20 ₺560

$6.09 PKR 1,684

83.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺795

$12.98 PKR 3,589

22.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,737

$14.67 PKR 4,058

409.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,149

$8.29 PKR 2,293

176.84%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺403

$4.20 PKR 1,162

91.67%

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

$948 ₺47.5K

$66.3 PKR 18.3K

1330.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.8M

$1,950 PKR 539.2K

1793.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,696

$18.12 PKR 5,012

197.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,076

$22.71 PKR 6,283

82.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,049

$67.0 PKR 18.5K

50.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,570

$39.58 PKR 10.9K

130.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.7K

$133 PKR 36.8K

662.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$86.8 PKR 24.0K

619.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.4K

$268 PKR 74.0K

649.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.3K

$181 PKR 50.0K

523.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.5K

$825 PKR 228.3K

261.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.6K

$505 PKR 139.7K

242.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺56.9K

$125 PKR 34.5K

810.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

13.21

205.98%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Nawabshah: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Nawabshah

$87 17.8% 86.1% $538

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Nawabshah

$101 20.8% 60.7% $157

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Nawabshah

$61 12.5% 72.5% $160

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Nawabshah

$66 13.6% 48.8% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Nawabshah

$134 27.6% 12.1% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Nawabshah

$23 4.7% 74.6% $68

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Nawabshah

$15 3.1% 80% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $133 in Nawabshah. 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 9.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $12 in Nawabshah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $101 – making Nawabshah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇵🇰 Nawabshah

🕒 Local time

02:26 2:26 AM

04:26 4:26 AM

2 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

263,102

💱 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 Nawabshah 3,960 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Nawabshah

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 Nawabshah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 212%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $731 in Nawabshah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nawabshah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $133 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $66 in Nawabshah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 155% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Nawabshah, where all-in costs run around $488, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Nawabshah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nawabshah – 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 Nawabshah. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.