Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankara and Kocaeli

For one person, living is cheaper in Kocaeli: $1,250 a month against $1,397 in Ankara, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
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Ankara Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Kocaeli
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Kocaeli Living Index

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Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,397

/mo nomad

Kocaeli

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ankara and in Kocaeli

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

A single person spends $1,397 per month in Ankara vs $1,250 in Kocaeli, rent included.

Ankara $1,397
Kocaeli $1,250

A couple spends around $2,075 per month in Ankara vs $1,771 in Kocaeli, rent included.

Ankara $2,075
Kocaeli $1,771

A family of three spends $2,753 per month in Ankara vs $2,291 in Kocaeli, rent included.

Ankara $2,753
Kocaeli $2,291

Ankara costs about 12% more than Kocaeli, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Ankara sits 4% above the global median, while Kocaeli is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.10 ₺500

$8.14 ₺403

24.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 ₺2,130

$30.28 ₺1,499

42.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 ₺489

$8.02 ₺397

23.07%

Cappuccino

$4.17 ₺206

$3.46 ₺172

20.52%

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

$1.74 ₺86.2

$1.13 ₺56.0

53.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₺38.35

$0.31 ₺15.55

148.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.12 ₺254

$2.54 ₺126

101.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.21 ₺308

$2.83 ₺140

119.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 ₺57.2

$0.92 ₺45.54

26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ₺46.15

$0.83 ₺41.33

12.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 ₺114

$2.63 ₺130

-12.55%

Eggs

$2.66 ₺132

$2.61 ₺129

1.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 ₺499

$9.94 ₺492

1.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.53 ₺274

$3.98 ₺197

38.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.03 ₺992

$20.73 ₺1,026

-3.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 ₺97.7

$1.73 ₺85.9

13.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 ₺107

$2.07 ₺102

4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ₺65.6

$1.03 ₺51.2

29.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ₺83.0

$1.16 ₺57.4

44.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.18

$0.53 ₺26.39

18.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 ₺26.73

$0.40 ₺20.04

35.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₺49.86

$0.74 ₺36.52

36.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₺34.25

$0.62 ₺30.73

11.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.16 ₺107

$2.29 ₺114

-5.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.54 ₺621

$8.01 ₺397

56.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₺112

$2.28 ₺113

-0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ₺160

$2.27 ₺112

42.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 ₺34.62

$0.74 ₺36.67

-5.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.35 ₺611

$74.6 ₺3,692

-83.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.00 ₺49.51

29.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 ₺39.43

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 ₺336

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₺71.4

$1.28 ₺63.2

12.50%

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

$48.0K ₺2.4M

$41.7K ₺2.1M

15.26%

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

$41.7K ₺2.1M

$39.7K ₺2.0M

5.11%

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

$92.9 ₺4,600

$78.3 ₺3,877

18.63%

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

$10.81 ₺535

$11.85 ₺587

-8.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.73 ₺878

$13.10 ₺649

35.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.5 ₺3,589

$54.3 ₺2,687

33.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.27 ₺756

$4.01 ₺199

280.80%

Cinema Ticket

$8.09 ₺400

$5.04 ₺250

60.52%

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

$1,038 ₺51.4K

$447 ₺22.1K

132.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ₺966.2K

$5,990 ₺296.6K

225.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ₺2,656

$47.75 ₺2,364

12.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.13 ₺2,383

$54.3 ₺2,687

-11.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 ₺5,149

$121 ₺6,014

-14.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 ₺4,815

$100 ₺4,962

-2.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$747 ₺37.0K

$786 ₺38.9K

-4.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 ₺28.2K

$477 ₺23.6K

19.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,140 ₺56.5K

$1,234 ₺61.1K

-7.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 ₺43.2K

$573 ₺28.4K

52.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,674 ₺82.9K

$1,005 ₺49.8K

66.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,174 ₺58.1K

$825 ₺40.9K

42.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,068 ₺52.9K

$1,222 ₺60.5K

-12.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

43.57

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 Kocaeli: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ankara

$569 40.7%

Kocaeli

$477 38.2% 16.1% $92

Groceries & Markets

Ankara

$253 18.1%

Kocaeli

$226 18.1% 10.7% $27

Eating Out

Ankara

$209 14.9%

Kocaeli

$155 12.4% 25.7% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Ankara

$136 9.8%

Kocaeli

$146 11.7% 6.8% $9.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ankara

$121 8.7%

Kocaeli

$103 8.3% 15% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Ankara

$89 6.3%

Kocaeli

$64 5.2% 27.4% $24

Getting Around

Ankara

$20 1.5%

Kocaeli

$79 * 6.3% 285% $58

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 $786 in Kocaeli. 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 14% higher in Kocaeli, 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 $30.00 in Kocaeli. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $253 vs $226 – making Kocaeli the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Ankara

🇹🇷 Kocaeli

🕒 Local time

01:05 1:05 AM

Same time as Ankara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,864,049 Capital

2,079,072

💱 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

On the map

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Ankara Kocaeli 260 km

From you

Ankara
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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 Kocaeli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ankara costs about 12% more than Kocaeli, 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 $1,875 in Kocaeli. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kocaeli, 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 $447 in Kocaeli. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Ankara, 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 Kocaeli, where all-in costs run around $1,250, than in Ankara at $1,397. In Kocaeli it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ankara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kocaeli costs $1,250 versus $1,397 in Ankara. 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 Kocaeli. 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.