Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankara and Karabuk

For one person, living is cheaper in Karabuk: $661 a month against $1,397 in Ankara, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ankara
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,397
/mo nomad
Karabuk
🇹🇷 Turkey
$661
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ankara and in Karabuk

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 Karabuk actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,397 per month in Ankara vs $661 in Karabuk, rent included.

  • Ankara $1,397
  • Karabuk $661

A couple spends around $2,075 per month in Ankara vs $1,037 in Karabuk, rent included.

  • Ankara $2,075
  • Karabuk $1,037

A family of three spends $2,753 per month in Ankara vs $1,414 in Karabuk, rent included.

  • Ankara $2,753
  • Karabuk $1,414

Ankara costs about 111% more than Karabuk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ankara sits 4% above the global median, while Karabuk is 51% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ankara
Karabuk
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.10 ₺500
$8.07 ₺400
25.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.03 ₺2,130
$24.01 ₺1,189
79.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.87 ₺489
$7.68 ₺380
28.52%
Cappuccino
$4.17 ₺206
$3.43 ₺170
21.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₺86.2
$1.13 ₺56.1
53.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77 ₺38.35
$0.31 ₺15.36
148.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.12 ₺254
$1.59 ₺78.6
222.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.21 ₺308
$2.78 ₺138
123.38%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ankara
Karabuk
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 ₺57.2
$0.86 ₺42.57
34.88%
White Bread (500g)
$0.93 ₺46.15
$0.31 ₺15.45
200.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.30 ₺114
$2.55 ₺126
-9.80%
Eggs
$2.66 ₺132
$2.57 ₺127
3.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.07 ₺499
$6.23 ₺308
61.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.53 ₺274
$4.01 ₺199
37.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.03 ₺992
$10.25 ₺508
95.41%
Apples (1kg)
$1.97 ₺97.7
$1.40 ₺69.3
40.71%
Banana (1kg)
$2.16 ₺107
$1.75 ₺86.5
23.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.33 ₺65.6
$0.73 ₺36.38
82.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.68 ₺83.0
$0.78 ₺38.80
115.38%
Potato (1kg)
$0.63 ₺31.18
$0.49 ₺24.43
28.57%
Onion (1kg)
$0.54 ₺26.73
$0.43 ₺21.53
25.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.01 ₺49.86
$0.42 ₺21.04
140.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.69 ₺34.25
$0.29 ₺14.21
137.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.16 ₺107
$1.85 ₺91.6
16.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.54 ₺621
$4.97 ₺246
152.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 ₺112
$1.66 ₺82.1
36.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.23 ₺160
$2.05 ₺101
57.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Ankara
Karabuk
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.70 ₺34.62
$0.59 ₺29.31
18.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.35 ₺611
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺64.1
$0.63 ₺31.39
104.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.80 ₺39.43
$0.93 ₺46.23
-13.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.79 ₺336
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 ₺71.4
$1.33 ₺65.8
8.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.0K ₺2.4M
$40.3K ₺2.0M
19.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.7K ₺2.1M
$39.5K ₺2.0M
5.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ankara
Karabuk
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.9 ₺4,600
$77.3 ₺3,826
20.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.81 ₺535
$4.92 ₺244
119.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.73 ₺878
$9.99 ₺495
77.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ankara
Karabuk
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$72.5 ₺3,589
$17.38 ₺861
317.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.27 ₺756
$6.18 ₺306
147.09%
Cinema Ticket
$8.09 ₺400
$4.12 ₺204
96.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ankara
Karabuk
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,038 ₺51.4K
$464 ₺23.0K
123.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.5K ₺966.2K
$6,117 ₺302.8K
219.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ankara
Karabuk
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.7 ₺2,656
$20.00 ₺990
168.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.13 ₺2,383
$27.93 ₺1,383
72.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 ₺5,149
$39.99 ₺1,980
160.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.3 ₺4,815
$41.30 ₺2,045
135.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ankara
Karabuk
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$747 ₺37.0K
$255 ₺12.6K
192.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$569 ₺28.2K
$173 ₺8,579
228.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,140 ₺56.5K
$460 ₺22.8K
147.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$873 ₺43.2K
$333 ₺16.5K
162.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,674 ₺82.9K
$1,629 ₺80.6K
2.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,174 ₺58.1K
$619 ₺30.7K
89.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ankara
Karabuk
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,068 ₺52.9K
$1,202 ₺59.5K
-11.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
43.57
41
6.27%

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

Last update for Ankara: October 12, 2026

Last update for Karabuk: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ankara
$569
Karabuk
$173 69.5% $395
Groceries & Markets
Ankara
$253
Karabuk
$156 38.5% $97
Eating Out
Ankara
$209
Karabuk
$148 29% $60
Clothing & Footwear
Ankara
$136
Karabuk
$58 57.4% $78
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ankara
$121
Karabuk
$92 24.1% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Ankara
$89
Karabuk
$26 71.1% $63
Getting Around
Ankara
$20
Karabuk
$7.7 * 62.4% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $747 in Ankara versus $255 in Karabuk. 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 Karabuk, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Ankara versus $24.00 in Karabuk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $253 vs $156 – making Karabuk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Ankara
🇹🇷 Karabuk
🕒 Local time
23:49 11:49 PM
23:49 11:49 PM
Same time as Ankara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,864,049 Capital
123,309
💱 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 = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ankara Karabuk 140 km
From you
  • Ankara
  • Karabuk

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
Ankara vs Karabuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ankara or Karabuk?
Ankara costs about 111% more than Karabuk, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ankara and in Karabuk?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,096 per month in Ankara and $991 in Karabuk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Ankara or Karabuk?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Karabuk, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Ankara and in Karabuk?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Ankara and $24.00 in Karabuk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Ankara or in Karabuk?
Groceries cost about 63% more in Ankara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ankara or in Karabuk?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Karabuk, where all-in costs run around $661, than in Ankara at $1,397. In Karabuk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ankara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ankara or Karabuk?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Karabuk costs $661 versus $1,397 in Ankara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Ankara compared to Karabuk?
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.
Should I move to Ankara or to Karabuk?
If budget matters most, go with Karabuk. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ankara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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