Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Nowshera

For one person, living is cheaper in Nowshera: $521 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Nowshera
Learn more

Nowshera Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Nowshera

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$521

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Nowshera

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $521 in Nowshera, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Nowshera $521

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $821 in Nowshera, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Nowshera $821

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $1,121 in Nowshera, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Nowshera $1,121

Istanbul costs about 192% more than Nowshera, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Nowshera is 61% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$3.51 PKR 971

236.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$22.94 PKR 6,339

139.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$5.53 PKR 1,527

67.45%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 PKR 976

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.02 PKR 1,940

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$2.54 PKR 701

69.29%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$0.32 PKR 87.6

453.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.23 PKR 63.8

143.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.00 PKR 275

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.78 PKR 215

12.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.25 PKR 344

76.00%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.26 PKR 349

92.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$6.19 PKR 1,710

69.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$3.04 PKR 841

74.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$5.46 PKR 1,509

286.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.27 PKR 351

46.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$0.87 PKR 239

164.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.03 PKR 284

18.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$0.52 PKR 144

246.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.29 PKR 80.9

137.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.36 PKR 99.0

77.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$0.28 PKR 76.5

385.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.39 PKR 109

48.72%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.79 PKR 496

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 PKR 343

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 PKR 665

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$2.33 PKR 645

0.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

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 ₺44.07

$0.19 PKR 53.1

363.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$10.07 PKR 2,784

556.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$1.29 PKR 356

-0.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.70 PKR 195

21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$1.59 PKR 439

597.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.37 PKR 378

8.03%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$21.8K PKR 6.0M

123.41%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$22.9K PKR 6.3M

83.05%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$100 PKR 27.8K

-7.70%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$6.17 PKR 1,705

81.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$17.15 PKR 4,740

-7.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$14.99 PKR 4,144

398.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$8.30 PKR 2,292

176.51%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$4.76 PKR 1,315

69.12%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$42.78 PKR 11.8K

2117.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$1,060 PKR 292.9K

3383.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$25.97 PKR 7,178

107.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$35.24 PKR 9,740

17.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$96.2 PKR 26.6K

4.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$41.07 PKR 11.4K

122.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$136 PKR 37.7K

642.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$86.5 PKR 23.9K

621.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$263 PKR 72.6K

663.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$182 PKR 50.3K

518.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$826 PKR 228.3K

261.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$511 PKR 141.2K

238.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

13.08

209.02%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Nowshera: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Nowshera

$87 16.6% 86.1% $538

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Nowshera

$104 19.9% 59.9% $155

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Nowshera

$77 14.8% 65% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Nowshera

$89 17.2% 31% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Nowshera

$124 23.8% 3.3% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Nowshera

$25 4.7% 73% $66

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Nowshera

$16 3% 79.2% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $136 in Nowshera. 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 in Istanbul versus $23 in Nowshera. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $104 – making Nowshera the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇵🇰 Nowshera

🕒 Local time

07:19 7:19 AM

09:19 9:19 AM

2 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

120,131

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 276 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Nowshera 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Nowshera

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 Nowshera: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 192%, 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 $781 in Nowshera. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nowshera, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $136 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $43 in Nowshera. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 149% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Nowshera, where all-in costs run around $521, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Nowshera it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Nowshera is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 66% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.