Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tongi and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Tongi: $329 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

16

Cost of Living Index in Tongi
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Tongi Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Tongi

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$329

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $329 per month in Tongi vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Tongi $329
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $536 per month in Tongi vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Tongi $536
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $743 per month in Tongi vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Tongi $743
Istanbul $3,281

Tongi is about 79% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tongi sits 76% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ৳257

$12.30 ₺609

-83.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.21 ৳1,137

$54.7 ₺2,708

-83.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.29 ৳530

$9.22 ₺456

-53.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 ৳311

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 ৳512

Cappuccino

$1.77 ৳219

$4.40 ₺218

-59.77%

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

$0.34 ৳41.41

$1.68 ₺83.1

-79.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 ৳15.66

$0.59 ₺29.40

-77.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 ৳92.7

$1.21 ₺60.0

-38.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ৳61.0

$0.89 ₺44.10

-44.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.58 ৳71.7

$2.19 ₺108

-73.52%

Eggs

$1.16 ৳144

$2.35 ₺116

-50.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.57 ৳935

$10.42 ₺516

-27.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.21 ৳273

$5.65 ₺280

-60.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.06 ৳749

$20.94 ₺1,037

-71.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 ৳310

$1.90 ₺94.1

32.11%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 ৳96.7

$2.31 ₺114

-66.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ৳294

$1.28 ₺63.1

85.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.54 ৳66.2

$1.80 ₺89.0

-70.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.25 ৳31.23

$0.65 ₺32.16

-61.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳61.2

$0.64 ₺31.91

-23.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 ৳60.8

$1.25 ₺62.1

-60.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.23 ৳28.27

$0.56 ₺27.58

-58.93%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.46 ৳922

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 ৳350

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 ৳497

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.90 ৳358

$2.37 ₺118

22.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ৳56.6

$0.89 ₺43.84

-48.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ৳97.4

$1.29 ₺64.1

-38.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳47.78

$0.92 ₺45.70

-57.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 ৳361

$10.96 ₺542

-73.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ৳147

$1.47 ₺72.9

-19.05%

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

$32.5K ৳4.0M

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-35.92%

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

$32.3K ৳4.0M

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-27.46%

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

$29.47 ৳3,641

$88.6 ₺4,387

-66.74%

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

$4.24 ৳523

$11.59 ₺574

-63.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.04 ৳994

$15.81 ₺783

-49.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.89 ৳1,716

$77.2 ₺3,820

-82.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$3.61 ৳446

$8.14 ₺403

-55.65%

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

$26.09 ৳3,223

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-97.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,540 ৳190.3K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-93.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.94 ৳2,711

$54.0 ₺2,671

-59.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.70 ৳2,928

$40.83 ₺2,021

-41.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$32.92 ৳4,068

$98.9 ₺4,895

-66.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.47 ৳4,259

$96.6 ₺4,783

-64.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$90.0 ৳11.1K

$985 ₺48.7K

-90.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$50.9 ৳6,287

$650 ₺32.2K

-92.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$167 ৳20.7K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-91.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$117 ৳14.5K

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-90.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$671 ৳82.9K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-78.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$103 ৳12.7K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

-91.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

40.92

-74.39%

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

Last update for Tongi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tongi

$107 32.6%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 142% $152

Eating Out

Tongi

$53 16%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 325% $171

Accommodation & Living

Tongi

$51 15.5%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 1177% $599

Clothing & Footwear

Tongi

$51 15.5%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 157% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tongi

$42 12.7%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 178% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Tongi

$21 6.4%

Istanbul

$93 6% 343% $72

Getting Around

Tongi

$4.6 * 1.4%

Istanbul

$77 5% 1590% $72

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $90.0 in Tongi versus $985 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 run about 1075% 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 $9.00 in Tongi versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $107 vs $260 – making Tongi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Tongi

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

02:23 2:23 AM

23:23 11:23 PM

3 h behind Tongi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

406,420

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.67 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tongi Istanbul 5,940 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Tongi
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

Tongi vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 371%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $493 per month in Tongi and $2,325 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tongi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9.00 in Tongi and $55.0 in Istanbul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 142% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tongi, where all-in costs run around $329, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Tongi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tongi – 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 Tongi. 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.