Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Peshawar and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Peshawar: $525 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Peshawar
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Peshawar Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Peshawar

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$525

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $525 per month in Peshawar vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Peshawar $525
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $717 per month in Peshawar vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Peshawar $717
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $908 per month in Peshawar vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Peshawar $908
Istanbul $3,212

Peshawar is about 65% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Peshawar sits 61% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.39 PKR 661

$11.81 ₺592

-79.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.97 PKR 2,480

$54.9 ₺2,754

-83.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.50 PKR 1,521

$9.26 ₺465

-40.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 604

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 PKR 795

Cappuccino

$2.59 PKR 715

$4.30 ₺216

-39.77%

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

$0.32 PKR 87.8

$1.77 ₺89.0

-81.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 PKR 52.2

$0.56 ₺28.32

-66.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 PKR 278

$1.25 ₺62.7

-19.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 PKR 218

$0.88 ₺44.17

-10.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 289

$2.20 ₺111

-52.73%

Eggs

$1.11 PKR 307

$2.43 ₺122

-54.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.49 PKR 964

$10.48 ₺526

-66.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.00 PKR 829

$5.31 ₺267

-43.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.72 PKR 1,028

$21.10 ₺1,058

-82.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 PKR 330

$1.86 ₺93.1

-36.02%

Banana (1kg)

$0.57 PKR 156

$2.30 ₺115

-75.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.62 PKR 171

$1.22 ₺61.0

-49.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 PKR 162

$1.80 ₺90.2

-67.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.28 PKR 76.7

$0.69 ₺34.83

-59.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.2

$0.64 ₺32.16

-46.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 PKR 84.0

$1.36 ₺68.0

-77.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.4

$0.58 ₺28.94

-55.17%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.92 PKR 530

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 PKR 193

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 PKR 193

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.83 PKR 506

$2.34 ₺117

-21.79%

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)

$0.21 PKR 57.0

$0.88 ₺44.07

-76.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.56 PKR 3,470

$66.1 ₺3,316

-81.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 PKR 294

$1.28 ₺64.4

-17.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 PKR 203

$0.85 ₺42.80

-14.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 PKR 393

$11.09 ₺556

-87.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 PKR 337

$1.48 ₺74.0

-17.57%

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

$22.6K PKR 6.2M

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-53.60%

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

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-44.86%

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

$102 PKR 28.2K

$92.7 ₺4,650

10.18%

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

$6.08 PKR 1,680

$11.20 ₺562

-45.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.33 PKR 3,961

$15.89 ₺797

-9.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.51 PKR 4,286

$74.7 ₺3,745

-79.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.01 PKR 1,662

$22.95 ₺1,151

-73.81%

Cinema Ticket

$1.97 PKR 546

$8.05 ₺404

-75.53%

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

$46.84 PKR 12.9K

$948 ₺47.6K

-95.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K PKR 6.3M

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-38.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$7.12 PKR 1,967

$53.9 ₺2,702

-86.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.19 PKR 4,475

$41.49 ₺2,081

-60.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 PKR 13.9K

$101 ₺5,060

-50.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.47 PKR 11.5K

$91.3 ₺4,580

-54.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$227 PKR 62.8K

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-77.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$161 PKR 44.4K

$625 ₺31.3K

-74.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 PKR 73.6K

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-86.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 PKR 55.0K

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-82.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$151 PKR 41.9K

$1,136 ₺57.0K

-86.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

-72.79%

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

Last update for Peshawar: November 2, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Peshawar

$161 30.6%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 289% $464

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Peshawar

$123 23.3%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 2.3% $2.8

Groceries & Markets

Peshawar

$84 16%

Istanbul

$258 17% 208% $174

Eating Out

Peshawar

$69 13.1%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 222% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Peshawar

$52 9.9%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 150% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Peshawar

$19 3.7%

Istanbul

$91 6% 367% $71

Getting Around

Peshawar

$18 3.5%

Istanbul

$75 5% 315% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $227 in Peshawar 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 7.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9 in Peshawar versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $84 vs $258 – making Peshawar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Peshawar

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

10:38 10:38 AM

08:38 8:38 AM

2 h behind Peshawar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,970,042

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 = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Peshawar Istanbul 3,800 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Peshawar
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

Peshawar vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 189%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $788 per month in Peshawar 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 Peshawar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $227 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $47 per month in Peshawar 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 208% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Peshawar, where all-in costs run around $525, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Peshawar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Peshawar. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.