Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okara and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Okara: $506 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 Okara
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Okara Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Okara

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$506

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $506 per month in Okara vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Okara $506
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $757 per month in Okara vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Okara $757
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $1,008 per month in Okara vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Okara $1,008
Istanbul $3,212

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.60 PKR 719

$11.81 ₺592

-77.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.64 PKR 4,045

$54.9 ₺2,754

-73.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.69 PKR 1,573

$9.26 ₺465

-38.55%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 PKR 979

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.49 PKR 1,517

Cappuccino

$2.52 PKR 696

$4.30 ₺216

-41.40%

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

$0.37 PKR 103

$1.77 ₺89.0

-79.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 72.0

$0.56 ₺28.32

-53.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 PKR 172

$1.25 ₺62.7

-50.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 PKR 213

$0.88 ₺44.17

-12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 PKR 339

$2.20 ₺111

-44.55%

Eggs

$1.15 PKR 319

$2.43 ₺122

-52.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.18 PKR 1,709

$10.48 ₺526

-41.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.54 PKR 702

$5.31 ₺267

-52.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.90 PKR 1,354

$21.10 ₺1,058

-76.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 PKR 330

$1.86 ₺93.1

-36.02%

Banana (1kg)

$0.66 PKR 183

$2.30 ₺115

-71.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 PKR 249

$1.22 ₺61.0

-26.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 PKR 163

$1.80 ₺90.2

-67.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 86.5

$0.69 ₺34.83

-55.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 107

$0.64 ₺32.16

-39.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 PKR 132

$1.36 ₺68.0

-64.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 PKR 103

$0.58 ₺28.94

-36.21%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.11 PKR 306

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 PKR 167

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 PKR 478

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 PKR 617

$2.34 ₺117

-4.70%

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)

$0.19 PKR 51.4

$0.88 ₺44.07

-78.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.03 PKR 2,773

$66.1 ₺3,316

-84.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 PKR 240

$1.28 ₺64.4

-32.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 PKR 202

$0.85 ₺42.80

-14.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 PKR 515

$11.09 ₺556

-83.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 PKR 263

$1.48 ₺74.0

-35.81%

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

$18.0K PKR 5.0M

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-62.98%

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

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-44.01%

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

$127 PKR 35.1K

$92.7 ₺4,650

37.10%

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

$5.44 PKR 1,505

$11.20 ₺562

-51.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.18 PKR 4,472

$15.89 ₺797

1.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.85 PKR 4,103

$74.7 ₺3,745

-80.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.26 PKR 2,282

$22.95 ₺1,151

-64.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 PKR 1,172

$8.05 ₺404

-47.33%

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

$14.49 PKR 4,003

$948 ₺47.6K

-98.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,024 PKR 559.4K

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-94.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.09 PKR 5,000

$53.9 ₺2,702

-66.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.86 PKR 7,699

$41.49 ₺2,081

-32.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 PKR 20.1K

$101 ₺5,060

-27.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.42 PKR 8,959

$91.3 ₺4,580

-64.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$135 PKR 37.3K

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-86.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.5 PKR 23.9K

$625 ₺31.3K

-86.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$265 PKR 73.3K

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-86.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 PKR 49.1K

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-84.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$833 PKR 230.3K

$2,988 ₺149.8K

-72.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$500 PKR 138.0K

$1,730 ₺86.8K

-71.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.05

40.42

-65.24%

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

Last update for Okara: 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

Okara

$149 29.4%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 19.5% $29

Groceries & Markets

Okara

$94 18.6%

Istanbul

$258 17% 175% $164

Accommodation & Living

Okara

$86 17.1%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 622% $538

Eating Out

Okara

$71 14%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 213% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Okara

$68 13.4%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 90.3% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Okara

$23 4.6%

Istanbul

$91 6% 289% $67

Getting Around

Okara

$15 3%

Istanbul

$75 5% 391% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $135 in Okara 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 $15 in Okara versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $94 vs $258 – making Okara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Okara

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

14:07 2:07 PM

12:07 12:07 PM

2 h behind Okara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

357,935

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

Okara Istanbul 4,120 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Okara
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

Okara vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 200%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $760 per month in Okara 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 Okara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $135 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $14.49 per month in Okara 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 175% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Okara, where all-in costs run around $506, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Okara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Okara 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.