Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Waling

For one person, living is cheaper in Waling: $325 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
16

Cost of Living Index in Waling
Learn more

Waling Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Waling

🇳🇵 Nepal

$325

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Waling

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $325 in Waling, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Waling $325

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $532 in Waling, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Waling $532

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $739 in Waling, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Waling $739

Istanbul costs about 376% more than Waling, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Waling is 76% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$2.01 NPR 305

511.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$19.99 NPR 3,038

173.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.98 NPR 1,212

15.54%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.54 NPR 234

185.71%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.54 NPR 81.3

211.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.15 NPR 23.24

293.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$3.14 NPR 476

49.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.19 NPR 484

85.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.76 NPR 115

59.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.44 NPR 67.3

102.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.86 NPR 131

154.65%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.33 NPR 202

76.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$6.67 NPR 1,014

56.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$2.69 NPR 408

110.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$3.18 NPR 483

558.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.98 NPR 301

-4.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.75 NPR 114

208.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.34 NPR 204

-4.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.53 NPR 80.9

239.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.35 NPR 52.4

85.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.38 NPR 57.7

68.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.48 NPR 73.6

160.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.19 NPR 28.35

194.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$2.46 NPR 373

-3.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$5.25 NPR 797

155.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$2.21 NPR 336

8.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.92 NPR 443

19.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.81 NPR 275

-28.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.19 NPR 181

-22.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$3.21 NPR 488

241.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.39 NPR 212

5.76%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$29.1K NPR 4.4M

74.54%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$36.4K NPR 5.5M

22.49%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$31.49 NPR 4,784

181.39%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$3.42 NPR 520

238.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$9.30 NPR 1,413

70.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$2.89 NPR 439

181.66%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$67.2 NPR 10.2K

1400.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,498 NPR 835.3K

364.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$25.08 NPR 3,811

115.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$27.13 NPR 4,122

50.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$63.4 NPR 9,625

56.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$28.38 NPR 4,312

240.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$1,051 NPR 159.8K

198.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,240 NPR 188.5K

43.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

9.72

320.99%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Waling: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Waling

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Waling

$120 36.8% 53.9% $140

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Waling

$83 25.6% 62.7% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Waling

$65 19.9% 50.4% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Waling

$44 13.6% 61.9% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Waling

$5.8 * 1.8% 93.8% $88

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Waling

$7.8 * 2.4% 89.9% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $20.00 in Waling. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $120 – making Waling the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇵 Waling

🕒 Local time

05:28 5:28 AM

08:13 8:13 AM

2 h 45 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

21,867

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.85 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD). 1 EUR = 171 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Waling 5,140 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Waling

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 Waling: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 376%, 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 $488 in Waling. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $20.00 in Waling. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 117% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Waling, where all-in costs run around $325, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Waling it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Waling – 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 Waling. 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.