Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankara and Mersin

For one person, living is cheaper in Mersin: $1,017 a month against $1,393 in Ankara, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
Learn more

Ankara Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Mersin
Learn more

Mersin Living Index

Jump to prices

Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,393

/mo nomad

Mersin

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,017

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ankara and in Mersin

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

A single person spends $1,393 per month in Ankara vs $1,017 in Mersin, rent included.

Ankara $1,393
Mersin $1,017

A couple spends around $2,079 per month in Ankara vs $1,532 in Mersin, rent included.

Ankara $2,079
Mersin $1,532

A family of three spends $2,765 per month in Ankara vs $2,047 in Mersin, rent included.

Ankara $2,765
Mersin $2,047

Ankara costs about 37% more than Mersin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ankara sits 2% above the global median, while Mersin is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.90 ₺493

$7.63 ₺380

29.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.89 ₺2,137

$29.67 ₺1,479

44.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.31 ₺464

$7.75 ₺386

20.13%

Cappuccino

$4.15 ₺207

$3.18 ₺158

30.50%

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

$1.66 ₺82.6

$1.34 ₺66.7

23.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₺37.94

$0.25 ₺12.35

204.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.15 ₺257

$2.45 ₺122

110.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 ₺292

$2.65 ₺132

120.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₺59.9

$0.99 ₺49.12

21.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 ₺49.46

$0.93 ₺46.37

6.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 ₺107

$1.78 ₺88.7

20.79%

Eggs

$2.69 ₺134

$2.08 ₺103

29.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 ₺510

$9.19 ₺458

11.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.45 ₺272

$3.92 ₺195

39.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.32 ₺1,013

$17.93 ₺893

13.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 ₺95.0

$1.65 ₺82.5

15.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$1.78 ₺88.7

28.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 ₺63.2

$0.92 ₺45.81

38.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₺81.7

$1.25 ₺62.5

31.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺33.28

$0.49 ₺24.47

36.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 ₺28.55

$0.40 ₺19.94

42.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₺51.3

$0.93 ₺46.34

10.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₺31.69

$0.59 ₺29.62

8.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 ₺109

$2.05 ₺102

6.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ₺621

$10.23 ₺510

21.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 ₺112

$2.35 ₺117

-4.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 ₺155

$3.18 ₺158

-2.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.87

$0.63 ₺31.64

30.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.86 ₺591

$20.00 ₺997

-40.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺63.8

$1.03 ₺51.1

24.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 ₺40.61

$0.51 ₺25.58

58.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.46 ₺322

$9.97 ₺497

-35.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₺69.7

$1.24 ₺61.9

12.90%

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

$47.9K ₺2.4M

$41.5K ₺2.1M

15.37%

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

$40.3K ₺2.0M

$38.4K ₺1.9M

5.06%

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

$93.1 ₺4,639

$90.0 ₺4,486

3.42%

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

$10.72 ₺534

$9.27 ₺462

15.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.87 ₺891

$11.11 ₺553

60.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₺3,597

$52.1 ₺2,595

38.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.34 ₺765

$15.10 ₺752

1.59%

Cinema Ticket

$8.04 ₺401

$6.19 ₺308

29.89%

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

$1,032 ₺51.4K

$442 ₺22.0K

133.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K ₺955.7K

$7,104 ₺354.0K

169.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ₺2,659

$54.1 ₺2,697

-1.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.30 ₺2,407

$29.01 ₺1,446

66.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 ₺5,196

$113 ₺5,653

-8.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.0 ₺4,786

$108 ₺5,388

-11.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 ₺38.1K

$407 ₺20.3K

87.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 ₺28.4K

$316 ₺15.8K

79.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 ₺56.2K

$698 ₺34.8K

61.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$893 ₺44.5K

$490 ₺24.4K

82.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,678 ₺83.6K

$1,234 ₺61.5K

35.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,158 ₺57.7K

$927 ₺46.2K

24.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,053 ₺52.5K

$816 ₺40.7K

29.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

43.57

41.5

4.99%

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

Last update for Ankara: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mersin: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ankara

$569 40.9%

Mersin

$316 31.1% 44.4% $253

Groceries & Markets

Ankara

$254 18.2%

Mersin

$216 21.3% 14.9% $38

Eating Out

Ankara

$204 14.7%

Mersin

$146 14.4% 28.3% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Ankara

$136 9.8%

Mersin

$137 13.5% 0.9% $1.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ankara

$122 8.7%

Mersin

$110 10.9% 9.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Ankara

$88 6.3%

Mersin

$64 6.3% 27% $24

Getting Around

Ankara

$21 1.5%

Mersin

$26 2.6% 27.5% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $765 in Ankara versus $407 in Mersin. 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 29% higher in Ankara, 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 in Ankara versus $30 in Mersin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $216 – making Mersin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Ankara

🇹🇷 Mersin

🕒 Local time

01:03 1:03 AM

Same time as Ankara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,864,049 Capital

1,773,852

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ankara Mersin 380 km

From you

Ankara
Mersin

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 Mersin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ankara costs about 37% more than Mersin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,090 per month in Ankara and $1,525 in Mersin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mersin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $407 there versus $765 in Ankara.

Kindergarten costs $1,032 per month in Ankara and $442 in Mersin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Ankara, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Mersin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Mersin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ankara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.