Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nepalgunj and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Nepalgunj: $167 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Nepalgunj
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Nepalgunj Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Nepalgunj

🇳🇵 Nepal

$167

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $167 per month in Nepalgunj vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Nepalgunj $167
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $281 per month in Nepalgunj vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Nepalgunj $281
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $395 per month in Nepalgunj vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Nepalgunj $395
Istanbul $3,272

Nepalgunj is about 89% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nepalgunj sits 88% below the global median, while Istanbul is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.22 NPR 498

$11.88 ₺585

-72.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.88 NPR 1,219

$55.1 ₺2,714

-85.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 NPR 1,009

$9.14 ₺450

-28.67%

Cappuccino

$1.67 NPR 258

$4.24 ₺209

-60.61%

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

$0.54 NPR 83.5

$1.75 ₺86.0

-69.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 NPR 19.18

$0.54 ₺26.83

-77.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 NPR 342

$4.69 ₺231

-52.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 NPR 498

$5.97 ₺294

-46.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 NPR 96.2

$1.26 ₺62.1

-50.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.53 NPR 82.0

$2.31 ₺114

-77.06%

Eggs

$0.81 NPR 125

$2.47 ₺122

-67.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 NPR 299

$1.93 ₺95.1

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 NPR 97.9

$2.29 ₺113

-72.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.67 NPR 103

$1.28 ₺63.1

-47.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 NPR 97.0

$1.84 ₺90.8

-65.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.21 NPR 33.08

$0.67 ₺32.86

-68.66%

Onion (1kg)

$0.27 NPR 42.09

$0.59 ₺29.31

-54.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.17 NPR 25.78

$0.59 ₺29.10

-71.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 NPR 51.9

$0.83 ₺40.64

-59.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

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

$11.60 ₺572

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.53 NPR 1,476

$77.3 ₺3,805

-87.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

Cinema Ticket

$2.53 NPR 392

$8.34 ₺411

-69.66%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.77 NPR 3,060

$52.7 ₺2,597

-62.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.96 NPR 4,018

$39.16 ₺1,929

-33.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$12.81 NPR 1,982

$103 ₺5,083

-87.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$19.40 NPR 3,002

$96.6 ₺4,759

-79.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$98.0 NPR 15.2K

$1,203 ₺59.3K

-91.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

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

Last update for Nepalgunj: October 5, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

Nepalgunj

$85 50.1%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 155% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Nepalgunj

$35 20.6%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 274% $96

Groceries & Markets

Nepalgunj

$34 * 19.9%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 677% $230

Sport & Entertainment

Nepalgunj

$15 8.6%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 543% $79

Getting Around

Nepalgunj

$1.3 * 0.8%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 5525% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nepalgunj

- * 0%

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Accommodation & Living

Nepalgunj

- * 0%

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 1128% 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 $8.00 in Nepalgunj versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $34.00 vs $264 – making Nepalgunj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Nepalgunj

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

08:42 8:42 AM

05:57 5:57 AM

2 h 45 min behind Nepalgunj

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,503

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 NPR = 6.46 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.76 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to NPR – Nepalese Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇵 Nepalese Rupee (रु)

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 155 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.46 USD). 1 EUR = 174 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.76 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to NPR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nepalgunj Istanbul 4,950 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nepalgunj
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

Nepalgunj vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 811%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $251 per month in Nepalgunj and $2,289 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 677% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $8.00 in Nepalgunj and $55.0 in Istanbul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Nepalgunj, where all-in costs run around $167, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Nepalgunj it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nepalgunj – 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 Nepalgunj. 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.