Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amasya and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Amasya: $1,111 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Amasya
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,111
/mo nomad
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,111 per month in Amasya vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Amasya $1,111
  • Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $1,741 per month in Amasya vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Amasya $1,741
  • Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $2,371 per month in Amasya vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Amasya $2,371
  • Istanbul $3,281

Amasya is about 28% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Amasya sits 18% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Amasya
Istanbul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.20 ₺505
$12.30 ₺609
-17.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.00 ₺2,080
$54.7 ₺2,708
-23.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.63 ₺477
$9.22 ₺456
4.45%
Cappuccino
$4.20 ₺208
$4.40 ₺218
-4.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₺86.7
$1.68 ₺83.1
4.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.71 ₺35.34
$0.59 ₺29.40
20.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.15 ₺255
$4.70 ₺233
9.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.26 ₺310
$5.91 ₺292
5.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Amasya
Istanbul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 ₺58.0
$1.21 ₺60.0
-3.31%
White Bread (500g)
$1.00 ₺49.40
$0.89 ₺44.10
12.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.26 ₺112
$2.19 ₺108
3.20%
Eggs
$2.77 ₺137
$2.35 ₺116
17.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.24 ₺507
$10.42 ₺516
-1.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.41 ₺268
$5.65 ₺280
-4.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.33 ₺1,006
$20.94 ₺1,037
-2.91%
Apples (1kg)
$1.94 ₺96.0
$1.90 ₺94.1
2.11%
Banana (1kg)
$2.17 ₺107
$2.31 ₺114
-6.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.27 ₺63.0
$1.28 ₺63.1
-0.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.74 ₺86.1
$1.80 ₺89.0
-3.33%
Potato (1kg)
$0.64 ₺31.49
$0.65 ₺32.16
-1.54%
Onion (1kg)
$0.57 ₺28.44
$0.64 ₺31.91
-10.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.06 ₺52.7
$1.25 ₺62.1
-15.20%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.64 ₺31.78
$0.56 ₺27.58
14.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.29 ₺114
$2.37 ₺118
-3.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.78 ₺633
$13.42 ₺664
-4.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 ₺110
$2.40 ₺119
-7.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 ₺155
$3.48 ₺172
-10.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Amasya
Istanbul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.73 ₺36.07
$0.89 ₺43.84
-17.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$67.4 ₺3,338
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.30 ₺64.5
$1.29 ₺64.1
0.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.83 ₺41.11
$0.92 ₺45.70
-9.78%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.77 ₺335
$10.96 ₺542
-38.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.40 ₺69.4
$1.47 ₺72.9
-4.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.3K ₺2.4M
$50.8K ₺2.5M
-4.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.7K ₺2.1M
$44.5K ₺2.2M
-6.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Amasya
Istanbul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.2 ₺4,765
$88.6 ₺4,387
8.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.20 ₺555
$11.59 ₺574
-3.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.40 ₺861
$15.81 ₺783
10.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Amasya
Istanbul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 ₺2,677
$77.2 ₺3,820
-29.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$22.74 ₺1,126
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.10 ₺401
$8.14 ₺403
-0.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Amasya
Istanbul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,054 ₺52.2K
$1,008 ₺49.9K
4.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.6K ₺970.0K
$25.6K ₺1.3M
-23.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Amasya
Istanbul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.5 ₺2,700
$54.0 ₺2,671
1.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.96 ₺2,374
$40.83 ₺2,021
17.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 ₺5,278
$98.9 ₺4,895
7.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.3 ₺4,670
$96.6 ₺4,783
-2.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Amasya
Istanbul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$426 ₺21.1K
$985 ₺48.7K
-56.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$307 ₺15.2K
$650 ₺32.2K
-52.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$774 ₺38.3K
$1,983 ₺98.2K
-60.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$562 ₺27.8K
$1,180 ₺58.4K
-52.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,434 ₺71.0K
$3,138 ₺155.4K
-54.29%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,024 ₺50.7K
$1,780 ₺88.1K
-42.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Amasya
Istanbul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,205 ₺59.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
43.57
40.92
6.48%

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

Last update for Amasya: October 10, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Amasya
$307
Istanbul
$650 112% $343
Groceries & Markets
Amasya
$255
Istanbul
$260 1.8% $4.7
Eating Out
Amasya
$209
Istanbul
$223 6.8% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Amasya
$137
Istanbul
$131 4.3% $5.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Amasya
$125
Istanbul
$116 7.1% $8.8
Sport & Entertainment
Amasya
$70
Istanbul
$93 33% $23
Getting Around
Amasya
$8.4 *
Istanbul
$77 819% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $426 in Amasya 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Amasya versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $260 – making Amasya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Amasya
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🕒 Local time
19:40 7:40 PM
19:40 7:40 PM
Same time as Amasya
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
114,921
15,701,602
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Amasya Istanbul 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Amasya
  • 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
Amasya vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Istanbul cheaper than Amasya?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,667 per month in Amasya and $2,325 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Amasya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Amasya or in Istanbul?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Amasya and $55.0 in Istanbul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Amasya and in Istanbul?
Groceries cost about 2% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Amasya or in Istanbul?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Amasya, where all-in costs run around $1,111, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Amasya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Amasya or Istanbul more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Amasya – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Amasya or Istanbul?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Amasya. 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.

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