Which place is cheaper, Varanasi 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 Varanasi?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Istanbul or Varanasi, 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 Varanasi?
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.
Varanasi
Known to be one of India's holiest cities, many come to Varanasi on a spiritual pilgrimage looking to bathe in the sacred waters of the Ganges River. Dating back to the 11th Century BC, it is also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Centuries old temples make up the backdrop, as many come and come again to perform their holy rights at the edge of the historic river.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Turkey, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Turkey, The Best Bicycle Tours in India, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in India.
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Istanbul Prices
Turkey PricesVaranasi Prices
India Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayIstanbul $149Varanasi $31
The average daily cost (per person) in Istanbul is $149, while the average daily cost in Varanasi is $31. 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 Varanasi in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personIstanbul $69Varanasi $14
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomIstanbul $138Varanasi $28
Compare Hotels in Istanbul and Varanasi
Looking for a hotel in Istanbul or Varanasi? 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 Varanasi Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Istanbul $32Varanasi $4.35
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Istanbul
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Istanbul are as follows:
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Metro Cards$4.29
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Istanbul
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Istanbul:
- İstanbul Private Arrival Transfer: $68
- İstanbul Airports Transfer Services (Ceyhan Arslan Travel Agency): $61
- İstanbul Airport Transfer: $51
- istanbul airport transfer: $23
- istanbul Airport Transfer: $69
- Vip Airport Transfer to/from Istanbul City Center: $63
- Viaport Theme Park Ticket with Optional Hotel Transfer: $45
- Viaport Aquarium Ticket with Optional Hotel Transfer: $35
- Viaport Aquapark Ticket with Optional Hotel Transfer: $65
- VIP Experience: Transfers from Istanbul Airport to Anywhere: $75
- VIP Daily Transfer from the Istanbul Airport to Istanbul City: $91
- VIP Airport Transfer: $91
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Varanasi
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Varanasi:
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Tuk Tuk Through Town$0.84
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Rickshaw Ride$0.53
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Varanasi
Also for Varanasi, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer: Varanasi Station to Hotel: $10
- Varanasi Airport to Varanasi Hotels drop: Private Transfers: $11
- Varanasi Hotels to Varanasi Airport drop: Private Transfers: $11
- Varanasi Airport to Varanasi Hotels drop: Private Transfers: $11
- Varanasi Airport : Transfer to Hotel / To Airport: $13
- Varanasi Airport : Transfer To Hotel / To Airport: $21
- 3-hours Temple hopping with transfers: $35
- Airport Pickup/Drop Transfer Service: $53
- Smooth transfer from Varanasi Airport to Hotel: $60
- Private transfer from Varanasi to Allahabad: $67
- Sarnath Tour with Guide & Car Including Hotel transfers: $70
- Sunrise Boat Tour and Heritage Walk with transfers: $72
Is it cheaper to fly into Istanbul or Varanasi?
Prices for flights to both Varanasi 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 $55Varanasi $11
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Istanbul
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Istanbul.
- Istanbul Food Tour 30 Tasting Stops with Audio Maps Written Guide: $8.00
- Bosphorus Sightseeing Cruise with Optional 4 Course Dinner: $25
- Istanbul Bosphorus Dinner Cruise with Turkish Night Show: $28
- Istanbul Bosphorus Dinner Cruise with Turkish Show Private Table: $29
- Dinner and Turkish Night Show in Bosphorus Strait: $29
- Budget Evening Cruise: Dinner, Live Shows & Party: $29
- Bosphorus Night Cruise Dinner and Dance Show,Transfer included: $30
- Bosphorus Turkish Night Show and Dinner Cruise with Private Table: $30
- Istanbul Bosphorus Dinner Cruise and Show with Private Table: $30
- Istanbul Bosphorus Dinner Cruise: Turkish Night Show Experience: $30
- Istanbul Night Life : Bosphorus Dinner Cruise - Unlimited Drinks: $30
- Bosphorus Dinner Cruise & Night Show: $31
Typical Food Prices in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dinner In Town$3.63
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Food Tour: Highlights Tour with Tasting &Sunset in Varanasi: $14
- Cooking Class with Sona: $29
- Night Boat Ride, Aarti Ceremony and Dinner: $29
- Ganga Aarti with Street Food Tour of Varanasi: $40
- Half-Day Varanasi Village Tour with Cooking Class & Local Dining: $40
- Varanasi Cooking Classes with Shobha: $40
- Traditional Indian Cooking Class with Dinner: $42
- Private Street Food Tour with 8+ Tastings & Pickup: $44
- Private Food Tour with Ganga Aarti Ceremony: $44
- Varanasi Cooking Classes with Indu and Shobha: $50
- Dashashwamedh Ganga Arati from balcony with Street Food Tour: $50
- Indian Cooking Class with Hotel Pickup: $52
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Istanbul $36Varanasi $9.24
Tours and Activities in Istanbul
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Istanbul are as follows:
- "Walk Through History: A Bespoke Istanbul Adventure": $149
- 1 Istanbul Tour: Highlights, Street Food & Hidden Pearls: $274
- 1 Perfect Day in Istanbul Private Guided Tour of the City’s Icons: $250
- 1 or 2 Day Private Istanbul Guided Tour: $80
- 1, 2 Or 3 Days Private Istanbul Guided Tour: $75
- 1,2 or 3 DAY: Private Guided Istanbul Tour from CRUISE SHIP or HOTEL: $130
- 10 Tastings of Istanbul Foodie Tour: $103
- 2 - Hours Bosphorus Yacht Cruise: $299
- 2 Day Cappadocia Tour with Istanbul Flights &Hot Air Balloon Tour: $285
- 2 Days Cappadocia Tour with Hotel Flights and Hot Air Balloon: $200
- 2 Full Days Guided Istanbul City Tour With Skip the Line Entry: $194
- 2 Hours Bosphorus Cruise ((MORNING TOUR)): $23
Typical Entertainment Prices in Varanasi
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Varanasi's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Boat Ride$0.74
Tours and Activities in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Sunrise Boat Tour: $3.17
- Self Guided Walking Tour of Varanasi Key Attractions: $5.47
- Photo tour in holy Varanasi: $7.40
- Spiritual Tour in Varanasi with a local- Experience true essence of spirituality: $11
- Cultural & Spiritual Trails of Old Town Varanasi Guided Walking Tour: $11
- Temple Walk Tour Varanasi: $11
- Spiritual and Heritage Walking Tour in Varanasi: $11
- Private Customizable Walking Tour with Local Guide: $11
- Mysticism of Varanasi with Ganga Aarti (2 Hours Walking Tour): $12
- Cycle of Life, Death & Rebirth (2 Hours Guided Walking Tour): $12
- Exploring Varanasi Markets: Guided Tour with Local Guide: $12
- Varanasi Spiritual Trails: Guided Tour by Foot with a Local: $12
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayIstanbul $9.85Varanasi $6.91
Sample the Local Flavors in Istanbul
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Istanbul:
- Istanbul Pub Crawl: Bars, Dancefloors, & Beyond: $16
- Famous Istanbul Pub Crawl #1 Nightlife Experience: $28
- Pub Crawl Original Istanbul Pub Crawl with Party Bus: $30
- Istanbul Wine Tasting at Home with Local Family: $78
- Taksim Pera Wine Tasting 3 Hour Guided Tour: $130
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Istanbul and Varanasi, we can see that Istanbul is more expensive. And not only is Varanasi much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Istanbul is in Europe and Varanasi 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 Varanasi would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Varanasi 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 Varanasi.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Istanbul Expensive? and Is Varanasi Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Istanbul or Varanasi?
Istanbul has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Varanasi. When comparing the sizes of Istanbul and Varanasi, 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.