Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Nepalgunj

For one person, living is cheaper in Nepalgunj: $167 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Nepalgunj
Learn more

Nepalgunj Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Nepalgunj

🇳🇵 Nepal

$167

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Nepalgunj

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $167 in Nepalgunj, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Nepalgunj $167

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $281 in Nepalgunj, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Nepalgunj $281

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $395 in Nepalgunj, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Nepalgunj $395

Istanbul costs about 811% more than Nepalgunj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Nepalgunj is 88% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$3.22 NPR 498

268.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$7.88 NPR 1,219

599.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$6.52 NPR 1,009

40.18%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$1.67 NPR 258

153.89%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.54 NPR 83.5

224.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.12 NPR 19.18

350.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$2.21 NPR 342

112.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$3.21 NPR 498

85.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$0.62 NPR 96.2

103.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.53 NPR 82.0

335.85%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$0.81 NPR 125

204.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$1.93 NPR 299

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$0.63 NPR 97.9

263.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.67 NPR 103

91.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$0.63 NPR 97.0

192.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$0.21 NPR 33.08

219.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.27 NPR 42.09

118.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.17 NPR 25.78

247.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.34 NPR 51.9

144.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

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

$11.60 ₺572

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$9.53 NPR 1,476

710.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$2.53 NPR 392

229.64%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$19.77 NPR 3,060

166.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$25.96 NPR 4,018

50.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$12.81 NPR 1,982

705.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$19.40 NPR 3,002

397.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$98.0 NPR 15.2K

1128.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nepalgunj: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Nepalgunj

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Nepalgunj

$34 * 19.9% 87.1% $230

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Nepalgunj

$85 50.1% 60.8% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Nepalgunj

$35 20.6% 73.3% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Nepalgunj

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Nepalgunj

$15 8.6% 84.5% $79

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Nepalgunj

$1.3 * 0.8% 98.2% $74

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 1128% 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 $8.00 in Nepalgunj. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $34.00 – making Nepalgunj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇵 Nepalgunj

🕒 Local time

05:55 5:55 AM

08:40 8:40 AM

2 h 45 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

72,503

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.46 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NPR, 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).

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 155 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.46 USD). 1 EUR = 174 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.76 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Nepalgunj 4,950 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Nepalgunj

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 Nepalgunj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 811%, 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 $251 in Nepalgunj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 677% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $8.00 in Nepalgunj. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Nepalgunj, where all-in costs run around $167, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Nepalgunj it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nepalgunj – 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 Nepalgunj. 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.