Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Wah

For one person, living is cheaper in Wah: $420 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 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
20

Cost of Living Index in Wah
Learn more

Wah Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Wah

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$420

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Wah

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $420 in Wah, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Wah $420

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $652 in Wah, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Wah $652

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $883 in Wah, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Wah $883

Istanbul costs about 261% more than Wah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Wah is 69% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$1.77 PKR 489

567.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$10.72 PKR 2,964

412.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$5.40 PKR 1,492

71.48%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 PKR 718

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 PKR 592

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$1.23 PKR 341

249.59%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$0.32 PKR 88.3

453.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.24 PKR 66.2

133.33%

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

$0.78 PKR 216

60.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.61 PKR 169

44.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.26 PKR 348

74.60%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.21 PKR 334

100.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$8.64 PKR 2,389

21.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$2.47 PKR 682

114.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$4.16 PKR 1,151

407.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.10 PKR 304

69.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$0.61 PKR 169

277.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$0.60 PKR 167

103.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$0.60 PKR 166

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.30 PKR 83.7

130.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.48 PKR 133

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$0.41 PKR 113

231.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.40 PKR 112

45.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.52 PKR 143

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 PKR 146

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 PKR 191

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$1.42 PKR 392

64.79%

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

$0.18 PKR 49.72

388.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$10.05 PKR 2,779

557.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$1.09 PKR 302

17.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$1.10 PKR 305

-22.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$2.85 PKR 786

289.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.17 PKR 322

26.50%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

103.80%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$23.3K PKR 6.4M

80.23%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$66.3 PKR 18.3K

39.90%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$5.43 PKR 1,502

106.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$14.56 PKR 4,023

9.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$14.81 PKR 4,093

404.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$7.95 PKR 2,197

188.68%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$7.08 PKR 1,957

13.70%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$26.82 PKR 7,412

3436.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$2,009 PKR 555.1K

1737.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$18.75 PKR 5,183

187.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$26.39 PKR 7,294

57.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$54.6 PKR 15.1K

84.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$29.43 PKR 8,132

210.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$135 PKR 37.2K

653.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$84.8 PKR 23.4K

636.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$268 PKR 74.1K

648.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$181 PKR 50.1K

521.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$820 PKR 226.6K

264.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$512 PKR 141.5K

237.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

11.83

241.67%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Wah: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Wah

$85 20.2% 86.4% $540

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Wah

$97 23.2% 62.3% $161

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Wah

$47 11.3% 78.5% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Wah

$58 13.8% 55.1% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Wah

$86 20.5% 28% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Wah

$29 6.9% 68.1% $62

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Wah

$17 4.1% 76.9% $58

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $135 in Wah. 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 $11 in Wah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $97 – making Wah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇵🇰 Wah

🕒 Local time

09:23 9:23 AM

11:23 11:23 AM

2 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

400,733

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Wah 3,910 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Wah

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 Wah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 261%, 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 $631 in Wah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $135 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $27 in Wah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 165% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Wah, where all-in costs run around $420, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Wah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Wah is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 72% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.