Which place is cheaper, Kathmandu or Istanbul?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Istanbul or Kathmandu?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Istanbul or Kathmandu, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Istanbul or Kathmandu?
Istanbul
Istanbul is strategically located on the Bosphorus and is split between Europe and Asia. It truly is a city where east meets west. Istanbul is the cultural and financial hub of Turkey, and also the most populous city. The sites are countless and there's something for everybody, whether you're interested in art, music, food, or adventure. You can pass many days exploring both the residential and commercial pockets of this city. Much of the appeal is hidden away along back alleys or within corner shops.
Kathmandu
Kathmandu is the capital and largest city in the country of Nepal. Its metropolitan area forms one large urban area that includes the area of Patan to the south. As of 2011 there were 2.5 million residents in the Kathmandu metropolis and over 3 million in the entire metropolitan area. Kathmandu is likely to be your entry point into Nepal and is a great place to pick up supplies and arrange the details for any treks you hope to do. Many travelers rush through Kathmandu, turned off by the pollution and crowds, but to skip Kathmandu is to miss a major cultural, financial, and influential part of what defines the country of Nepal. The city itself is quite fun to explore if you allow it enough time and an open mind.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Turkey, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Turkey, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Nepal, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Nepal.
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Istanbul Prices
Turkey PricesKathmandu Prices
Nepal Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayIstanbul $159Kathmandu $56
The average daily cost (per person) in Istanbul is $159, while the average daily cost in Kathmandu is $56. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Istanbul and Kathmandu in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personIstanbul $74Kathmandu $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomIstanbul $148Kathmandu $70
Compare Hotels in Istanbul and Kathmandu
Looking for a hotel in Istanbul or Kathmandu? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Istanbul Hotel Prices and Kathmandu Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Istanbul $35Kathmandu $6.14
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Istanbul
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Istanbul are as follows:
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Metro Cards$4.59
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Istanbul
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Istanbul:
- Fast & Luxury VIP Private Transfer | IST Airport & Hotel pickup: $8.11
- Sapanca & Masukiye Day Tour from Istanbul with Lunch & Transfer: $15
- Istanbul Princes Island Tour with Lunch & Hotel Transfer: $20
- Full Day Sapanca Tour with Lunch and Transfer From Istanbul: $23
- Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gokcen Private Airport Transfers: $25
- Istanbul Airport Private Arrival Transfer: $29
- Reliable & Safe Istanbul Airport Taxi Transfer – VIP Service: $30
- Istanbul Airport Private Departure Transfer: $31
- Istanbul Airport Private Transfer: $32
- Private Minivan Transfer from Istanbul Airport: $33
- Istanbul Airports Arrival or Departure Private Transfers: $34
- Istanbul to Istanbul Airport (IST) - Departure Private Transfer: $35
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Kathmandu
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Kathmandu:
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Taxi Ride$1.33
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kathmandu
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kathmandu:
- Tribhuvan International Airport Transfer Service: $12
- Kathmandu - Arrival transfer from airport to hotel: $12
- Kathmandu Airport Private Transfer: Arrival or Departure Service: $15
- Private car transfer from Kathmandu Airport to hotels in Kathmandu: $15
- Kathmandu Airport Private Transfers: $16
- Private Transfer: Kathmandu Domestic Airport to Hotel Vehicle: $20
- Private Transfer: Kathmandu Hotels to Domestic Airport Vehicle: $20
- Deluxe Toyota Coaster Mini Bus Transfer From Kathmandu to Pokhara or V. V.: $22
- Tribhuvan International Airport KTM Private Transfer to Kathmandu: $28
- Private Transfer to Bhaktapur from Kathmandu: $65
- From Everest Flight with Window Seat and Transfer: $69
- Kathmandu to Manthali Ramechhap Transfer by Private AC Car: $70
Is it cheaper to fly into Istanbul or Kathmandu?
Prices for flights to both Kathmandu and Istanbul change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayIstanbul $59Kathmandu $14
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Istanbul
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Istanbul.
- Istanbul Dinner Cruise Show: $20
- Istanbul Bosphorus Dinner Cruise Tour: $22
- Dinner and Turkish Night Show in Bosphorus Strait: $29
- Budget Evening Cruise: Dinner, Live Shows & Party: $29
- Istanbul Bosphorus Dinner Cruise with Turkish Show Private Table: $29
- Bosphorus Dinner Cruise with Shows and Drinks: $30
- Mega Lüfer Dinner Cruise Bosphorus and Show with Private Table: $30
- Bosphorus Turkish Night Show and Dinner Cruise with Private Table: $30
- Istanbul Night Life : Bosphorus Dinner Cruise - Unlimited Drinks: $31
- Bosphorus Evening Cruise: Dinner, Live Shows & Private Table: $31
- Bosphorus Dinner Cruise & Night Show: $32
- Istanbul Turkish Coffee Cooking and Tasting with Locals at Home: $33
Typical Food Prices in Kathmandu
Some typical examples of dining costs in Kathmandu are as follows:
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Dessert$1.19
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Dinner for Two$2.65
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kathmandu
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Kathmandu.
- Dinner with Cultural Show Kathmandu: $17
- Cultural Stay in Kathmandu and experience dinner with family: $18
- Home Made Authentic Nepali Dinner (veg/non vegg): $18
- Local Women Lead Nepali Cooking & Momo-Making Class: $20
- Cook and Eat: Cooking Class in Kathmandu near Thamel: $24
- Local Women Lead Nepali Cooking Class: $30
- Best Nepali Cooking Class in Thamel with Local Market Trip: $30
- Secret Food Tour - Food Bites and Sights Kathmandu 14+ Tastings: $35
- Momo Cooking Class -The Art Of Making MoMo with Home Chef: $35
- Patan Food Tour Walking and Food Testing: $35
- Walking Food Tour in Hidden Local Eateries of Kathmandu: $36
- Everest Eats Kathmandu Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $39
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Istanbul $39Kathmandu $7.09
Tours and Activities in Istanbul
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Istanbul are as follows:
- Istanbul Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $3.46
- Self Guided Walking Tour of Istanbul with Audio Guide: $4.64
- Daily Bursa and Uludag Tour from Istanbul with lunch: $5.00
- Istanbul Sites: Peel back the layers of Turkish history a self-guided audio tour: $5.40
- Princess Islands Tour With Lunch and Guide: $5.79
- Istanbul Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.00
- Kadikoy's history, theatres and sweet shops: a self-guided audio tour: $6.31
- Istanbul Scavenger Hunt & Highlights Self-Guided Walking Tour: $6.94
- Walking Tour in Istanbul with Audio and Written Guide Balat&Asia: $8.00
- Walking Tour in Istanbul with Audio and Written Guide Pera: $8.00
- Istanbul's Old Town Through Time: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.99
- Enjoy Istanbul’s Bosphorus:2-Hour Daytime, Sunset & Night Cruises: $12
Typical Entertainment Prices in Kathmandu
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Kathmandu are as follows:
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Monkey Temple for Two$1.33
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Patan Durbar Square Entrance for Two$3.32
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Swayambhunath Stupa$1.33
Tours and Activities in Kathmandu
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Kathmandu are as follows:
- Private Chandragiri Cable Car and The Monkey Temple Tour: $5.00
- Full Day Guided Tour in Kathmandu: $5.00
- Kathmandu Full Day Sightseeing Tour: $5.00
- Women Thamel Walking Tour: $7.50
- Full Day 7 UNESCO Tour with Lunch - Private/Group: $8.00
- Private Full Day Kathmandu Day Tour | Top 4 UNESCO Heritage Sites: $9.50
- Tourist Bus Kathmandu to Chitwan: $9.50
- Full Day 7 UNESCO Heritage Private Tour with Lunch.: $10
- Dhulikhel to Namo Buddha Hike & Tour - Private/Group: $10
- Full Day Top 4 UNESCO Tour with Lunch - Private/Group: $10
- Private World Heritage Sites Tour/ 4 UNESCO Tour.: $10
- Patan and Bhaktapur Durbar Square Day Tour with Lunch.: $10
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayIstanbul $11Kathmandu $5.06
Sample the Local Flavors in Istanbul
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Istanbul:
- Istanbul Party Pub Crawl with Party Bus in Sultanahmet and Taksim: $30
- Pub Crawl Original Istanbul Pub Crawl with Party Bus: $30
- Istanbul Private Wine Tasting Tour Through 3 City Wineries: $207
Sample the Local Flavors in Kathmandu
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Kathmandu:
- Bar Tour & Pub Crawl -Sip, Stroll, Repeat Thamel's Night: $75
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Istanbul and Kathmandu, we can see that Istanbul is more expensive. And not only is Kathmandu much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Istanbul is in Europe and Kathmandu is in Asia, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Kathmandu would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kathmandu and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Istanbul would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Istanbul than you might in Kathmandu.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Istanbul Expensive? and Is Kathmandu Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Istanbul or Kathmandu?
Istanbul has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of Kathmandu. When comparing the sizes of Istanbul and Kathmandu, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.