Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankara and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Ankara: $1,397 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
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Ankara Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,397

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,397 per month in Ankara vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Ankara $1,397
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,075 per month in Ankara vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Ankara $2,075
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $2,753 per month in Ankara vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Ankara $2,753
Istanbul $3,281

Ankara is about 10% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Ankara and Istanbul sit above the global median – Ankara by 4%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.10 ₺500

$12.30 ₺609

-17.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 ₺2,130

$54.7 ₺2,708

-21.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 ₺489

$9.22 ₺456

7.05%

Cappuccino

$4.17 ₺206

$4.40 ₺218

-5.23%

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

$1.74 ₺86.2

$1.68 ₺83.1

3.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₺38.35

$0.59 ₺29.40

30.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.12 ₺254

$4.70 ₺233

8.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.21 ₺308

$5.91 ₺292

5.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 ₺57.2

$1.21 ₺60.0

-4.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ₺46.15

$0.89 ₺44.10

4.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 ₺114

$2.19 ₺108

5.02%

Eggs

$2.66 ₺132

$2.35 ₺116

13.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 ₺499

$10.42 ₺516

-3.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.53 ₺274

$5.65 ₺280

-2.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.03 ₺992

$20.94 ₺1,037

-4.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 ₺97.7

$1.90 ₺94.1

3.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 ₺107

$2.31 ₺114

-6.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ₺65.6

$1.28 ₺63.1

3.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ₺83.0

$1.80 ₺89.0

-6.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.18

$0.65 ₺32.16

-3.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 ₺26.73

$0.64 ₺31.91

-15.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₺49.86

$1.25 ₺62.1

-19.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₺34.25

$0.56 ₺27.58

23.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.16 ₺107

$2.37 ₺118

-8.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.54 ₺621

$13.42 ₺664

-6.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₺112

$2.40 ₺119

-5.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ₺160

$3.48 ₺172

-7.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 ₺34.62

$0.89 ₺43.84

-21.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.35 ₺611

$67.4 ₺3,338

-81.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 ₺39.43

$0.92 ₺45.70

-13.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 ₺336

$10.96 ₺542

-38.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₺71.4

$1.47 ₺72.9

-2.04%

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

$48.0K ₺2.4M

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-5.43%

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

$41.7K ₺2.1M

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-6.39%

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

$92.9 ₺4,600

$88.6 ₺4,387

4.85%

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

$10.81 ₺535

$11.59 ₺574

-6.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.73 ₺878

$15.81 ₺783

12.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.5 ₺3,589

$77.2 ₺3,820

-6.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.27 ₺756

$22.74 ₺1,126

-32.85%

Cinema Ticket

$8.09 ₺400

$8.14 ₺403

-0.61%

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

$1,038 ₺51.4K

$1,008 ₺49.9K

2.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ₺966.2K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-23.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ₺2,656

$54.0 ₺2,671

-0.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.13 ₺2,383

$40.83 ₺2,021

17.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 ₺5,149

$98.9 ₺4,895

5.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 ₺4,815

$96.6 ₺4,783

0.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$747 ₺37.0K

$985 ₺48.7K

-24.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 ₺28.2K

$650 ₺32.2K

-12.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,140 ₺56.5K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-42.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 ₺43.2K

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-26.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,674 ₺82.9K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-46.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,174 ₺58.1K

$1,780 ₺88.1K

-34.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,068 ₺52.9K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

-11.37%

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 Ankara: October 12, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ankara

$569 40.7%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 14.2% $81

Groceries & Markets

Ankara

$253 18.1%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 2.5% $6.3

Eating Out

Ankara

$209 14.9%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 7.1% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Ankara

$136 9.8%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 4.2% $5.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ankara

$121 8.7%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 4.5% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

Ankara

$89 6.3%

Istanbul

$93 6% 5.4% $4.8

Getting Around

Ankara

$20 1.5%

Istanbul

$77 5% 277% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $747 in Ankara 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 13% 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 $43.00 in Ankara versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $253 vs $260 – making Ankara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Ankara

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

08:11 8:11 AM

Same time as Ankara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,864,049 Capital

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Ankara vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul costs about 11% more than Ankara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,096 per month in Ankara 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 Ankara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,038 per month in Ankara and $1,008 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ankara, where all-in costs run around $1,397, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Ankara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ankara costs $1,397 versus $1,550 in Istanbul. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Ankara. 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.