Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Multan and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Multan: $561 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Multan, Pakistan
Istanbul, Turkey
Multan
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$561
/mo nomad
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,519
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Multan 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 Multan and in Istanbul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $561 per month in Multan vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Multan $561
  • Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $773 per month in Multan vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Multan $773
  • Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $986 per month in Multan vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Multan $986
  • Istanbul $3,212

Multan is about 63% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Multan sits 59% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Multan
Istanbul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.56 PKR 707
$11.81 ₺591
-78.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$11.05 PKR 3,053
$54.9 ₺2,747
-79.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.31 PKR 1,467
$9.26 ₺463
-42.66%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.78 PKR 767
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.27 PKR 1,455
-
-
Cappuccino
$1.80 PKR 496
$4.30 ₺215
-58.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.28 PKR 77.1
$1.77 ₺88.8
-84.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.20 PKR 54.2
$0.56 ₺28.25
-64.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$4.69 ₺234
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$7.12 ₺356
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Multan
Istanbul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.69 PKR 191
$1.25 ₺62.6
-44.80%
White Bread (500g)
$0.55 PKR 151
$0.88 ₺44.05
-37.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.03 PKR 284
$2.20 ₺110
-53.18%
Eggs
$1.09 PKR 302
$2.43 ₺122
-55.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.66 PKR 1,841
$10.48 ₺524
-36.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.42 PKR 669
$5.31 ₺266
-54.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.46 PKR 1,234
$21.10 ₺1,056
-78.86%
Apples (1kg)
$0.93 PKR 257
$1.86 ₺92.8
-50.00%
Banana (1kg)
$0.49 PKR 136
$2.30 ₺115
-78.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.67 PKR 186
$1.22 ₺60.8
-45.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.62 PKR 171
$1.80 ₺89.9
-65.56%
Potato (1kg)
$0.40 PKR 110
$0.69 ₺34.74
-42.03%
Onion (1kg)
$0.42 PKR 116
$0.64 ₺32.08
-34.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.49 PKR 136
$1.36 ₺67.8
-63.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.35 PKR 96.6
$0.58 ₺28.87
-39.66%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$1.88 PKR 519
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 PKR 790
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.21 PKR 610
$2.34 ₺117
-5.56%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$13.03 ₺652
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.36 ₺118
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.32 ₺166
-
🚌 Getting Around
Multan
Istanbul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.16 PKR 43.09
$0.88 ₺43.96
-81.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.46 PKR 2,337
$66.1 ₺3,307
-87.21%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.43 PKR 394
$1.28 ₺64.3
11.72%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.35 PKR 95.6
$0.85 ₺42.69
-58.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$0.94 PKR 261
$11.09 ₺555
-91.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 PKR 356
$1.48 ₺73.8
-12.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.0K PKR 6.9M
$48.6K ₺2.4M
-48.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K PKR 6.5M
$42.0K ₺2.1M
-43.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Multan
Istanbul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$146 PKR 40.4K
$92.7 ₺4,638
57.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.97 PKR 1,373
$11.20 ₺560
-55.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.24 PKR 5,319
$15.89 ₺795
21.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Multan
Istanbul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.14 PKR 6,672
$74.7 ₺3,736
-67.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.57 PKR 987
$22.95 ₺1,148
-84.44%
Cinema Ticket
$4.37 PKR 1,208
$8.05 ₺403
-45.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Multan
Istanbul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$41.84 PKR 11.6K
$948 ₺47.4K
-95.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,017 PKR 281.0K
$36.9K ₺1.8M
-97.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Multan
Istanbul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$18.25 PKR 5,043
$53.9 ₺2,695
-66.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.03 PKR 5,261
$41.49 ₺2,075
-54.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.3 PKR 25.8K
$101 ₺5,047
-7.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$25.72 PKR 7,109
$91.3 ₺4,568
-71.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Multan
Istanbul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$189 PKR 52.1K
$1,014 ₺50.7K
-81.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$127 PKR 35.2K
$625 ₺31.2K
-79.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$239 PKR 66.1K
$2,005 ₺100.3K
-88.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$174 PKR 48.2K
$1,126 ₺56.3K
-84.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$760 PKR 210.0K
$2,988 ₺149.5K
-74.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$526 PKR 145.4K
$1,730 ₺86.5K
-69.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Multan
Istanbul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$185 PKR 51.1K
$1,136 ₺56.8K
-83.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13
40.42
-67.84%

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

Last update for Multan: November 2, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Multan
$170
Istanbul
$120 29.7% $51
Accommodation & Living
Multan
$127
Istanbul
$625 390% $497
Groceries & Markets
Multan
$88
Istanbul
$258 194% $170
Clothing & Footwear
Multan
$70
Istanbul
$129 84% $59
Eating Out
Multan
$60
Istanbul
$221 269% $161
Sport & Entertainment
Multan
$33
Istanbul
$91 176% $58
Getting Around
Multan
$12
Istanbul
$75 515% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $189 in Multan 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.

Salaries in Istanbul are about 6.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Multan versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $88 vs $258 – making Multan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇰 Multan
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🕒 Local time
00:32 12:32 AM
22:32 10:32 PM
2 h behind Multan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,871,843
15,701,602
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 50.02 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.16 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Multan Istanbul 3,980 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Multan
  • 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
Multan vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Multan cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 171%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $842 per month in Multan and $2,278 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Multan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $189 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $42 per month in Multan and $948 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Multan and in Istanbul?
Groceries cost about 194% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Multan or in Istanbul?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Multan, where all-in costs run around $561, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Multan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Multan or Istanbul more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Multan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Multan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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