Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Siliguri

For one person, living is cheaper in Siliguri: $304 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
15

Cost of Living Index in Siliguri
Learn more

Siliguri Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Siliguri

🇮🇳 India

$304

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Siliguri

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $304 in Siliguri, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Siliguri $304

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $502 in Siliguri, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Siliguri $502

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $700 in Siliguri, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Siliguri $700

Istanbul costs about 410% more than Siliguri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Siliguri is 78% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$1.88 ₹178

554.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$14.25 ₹1,353

283.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$6.33 ₹601

45.66%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.42 ₹134

209.86%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.38 ₹36.22

342.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.17 ₹15.68

247.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.37 ₹130

243.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.08 ₹197

184.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.54 ₹51.7

124.07%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.29 ₹27.82

206.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.50 ₹47.86

338.00%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$0.79 ₹75.4

197.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$4.58 ₹435

127.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$2.15 ₹204

162.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.68 ₹160

13.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.63 ₹59.5

266.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.95 ₹89.9

34.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.36 ₹34.33

400.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.21 ₹19.84

209.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.36 ₹33.91

77.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.36 ₹34.19

247.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.31 ₹29.66

80.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.60 ₹342

-34.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$4.21 ₹400

218.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.34 ₹127

79.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$3.17 ₹301

9.78%

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

$7.11 ₹676

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.22 ₹20.94

304.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$7.77 ₹738

767.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.06 ₹101

21.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.10 ₹9.08

820.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$1.61 ₹152

580.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.12 ₹106

31.25%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$12.4K ₹1.2M

308.60%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$19.3K ₹1.8M

130.72%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$34.94 ₹3,318

153.61%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$2.85 ₹271

306.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$6.31 ₹599

150.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$5.81 ₹551

1228.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$5.35 ₹508

325.05%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$3.07 ₹291

165.15%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$28.50 ₹2,706

3436.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$1,646 ₹156.3K

1453.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$23.03 ₹2,187

134.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$14.36 ₹1,364

184.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$32.23 ₹3,060

206.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$29.31 ₹2,783

229.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$134 ₹12.7K

634.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$44.79 ₹4,253

1350.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$328 ₹31.2K

504.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$128 ₹12.1K

822.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$741 ₹70.4K

323.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$415 ₹39.4K

328.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$373 ₹35.4K

223.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

10.03

307.98%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Siliguri: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Siliguri

$45 14.8% 93.1% $605

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Siliguri

$84 27.6% 67.7% $176

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Siliguri

$64 21.1% 71.3% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Siliguri

$45 14.7% 65.9% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Siliguri

$44 14.5% 62% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Siliguri

$12 3.9% 87.2% $82

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Siliguri

$10 3.4% 86.7% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $134 in Siliguri. 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 224% 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 $14.00 in Siliguri. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $84.0 – making Siliguri the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇳 Siliguri

🕒 Local time

18:18 6:18 PM

20:48 8:48 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,572,000

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.67 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Siliguri 5,600 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Siliguri

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 Siliguri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 410%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $455 in Siliguri. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Siliguri, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $28.50 in Siliguri. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 210% 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 Siliguri, where all-in costs run around $304, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Siliguri it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Siliguri – 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 Siliguri. 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.