Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mardan and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Mardan: $502 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Mardan
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Mardan Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Mardan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$502

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mardan and in Istanbul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mardan and in Istanbul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $502 per month in Mardan vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Mardan $502
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $788 per month in Mardan vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Mardan $788
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $1,075 per month in Mardan vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Mardan $1,075
Istanbul $3,212

Mardan is about 67% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mardan sits 63% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.55 PKR 981

$11.81 ₺592

-69.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.04 PKR 6,643

$54.9 ₺2,754

-56.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.30 PKR 1,465

$9.26 ₺465

-42.76%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 PKR 1,017

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 PKR 1,923

Cappuccino

$2.65 PKR 731

$4.30 ₺216

-38.37%

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

$0.34 PKR 94.1

$1.77 ₺89.0

-80.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 PKR 60.6

$0.56 ₺28.32

-60.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 PKR 245

$1.25 ₺62.7

-28.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 PKR 205

$0.88 ₺44.17

-15.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 343

$2.20 ₺111

-43.64%

Eggs

$1.15 PKR 319

$2.43 ₺122

-52.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.88 PKR 795

$10.48 ₺526

-72.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.98 PKR 823

$5.31 ₺267

-43.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.74 PKR 1,033

$21.10 ₺1,058

-82.27%

Apples (1kg)

$0.91 PKR 253

$1.86 ₺93.1

-51.08%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 PKR 202

$2.30 ₺115

-68.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 PKR 286

$1.22 ₺61.0

-15.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 104

$1.80 ₺90.2

-78.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 PKR 83.3

$0.69 ₺34.83

-56.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 PKR 101

$0.64 ₺32.16

-42.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 PKR 83.7

$1.36 ₺68.0

-77.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 PKR 95.3

$0.58 ₺28.94

-41.38%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.80 PKR 497

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 332

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 PKR 666

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.77 PKR 490

$2.34 ₺117

-24.36%

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)

$0.16 PKR 45.44

$0.88 ₺44.07

-81.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.28 PKR 2,565

$66.1 ₺3,316

-85.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 344

$1.28 ₺64.4

-3.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 PKR 190

$0.85 ₺42.80

-18.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 PKR 457

$11.09 ₺556

-85.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 PKR 279

$1.48 ₺74.0

-31.76%

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

$21.6K PKR 6.0M

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-55.64%

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

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-44.98%

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

$102 PKR 28.3K

$92.7 ₺4,650

10.35%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,645

$11.20 ₺562

-46.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.03 PKR 4,706

$15.89 ₺797

7.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.14 PKR 4,460

$74.7 ₺3,745

-78.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.66 PKR 2,118

$22.95 ₺1,151

-66.62%

Cinema Ticket

$5.02 PKR 1,387

$8.05 ₺404

-37.64%

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

$41.83 PKR 11.6K

$948 ₺47.6K

-95.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,045 PKR 288.8K

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-97.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.92 PKR 7,162

$53.9 ₺2,702

-51.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.23 PKR 9,735

$41.49 ₺2,081

-15.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 PKR 26.6K

$101 ₺5,060

-4.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.90 PKR 11.3K

$91.3 ₺4,580

-55.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$138 PKR 38.0K

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-86.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$85.4 PKR 23.6K

$625 ₺31.3K

-86.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$265 PKR 73.3K

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-86.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 PKR 49.5K

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-84.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$896 PKR 247.5K

$2,988 ₺149.8K

-70.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$432 PKR 119.4K

$1,730 ₺86.8K

-75.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

40.42

-67.64%

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

Last update for Mardan: November 1, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mardan

$125 25%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 4.4% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

Mardan

$89 17.8%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 45% $40

Accommodation & Living

Mardan

$85 17%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 631% $539

Groceries & Markets

Mardan

$83 16.5%

Istanbul

$258 17% 213% $176

Eating Out

Mardan

$78 15.6%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 182% $143

Sport & Entertainment

Mardan

$26 5.2%

Istanbul

$91 6% 247% $65

Getting Around

Mardan

$15 2.9%

Istanbul

$75 5% 414% $61

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $138 in Mardan versus $1,014 in Istanbul. 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 $24 in Mardan versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $83 vs $258 – making Mardan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Mardan

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

15:18 3:18 PM

13:18 1:18 PM

2 h behind Mardan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

358,604

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

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).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mardan Istanbul 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Mardan
Istanbul

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

Mardan vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 203%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $752 per month in Mardan and $2,278 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mardan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $138 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $42 per month in Mardan and $948 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 213% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mardan, where all-in costs run around $502, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Mardan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Mardan is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 67% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.