Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankara and Sterling

For one person, living is cheaper in Ankara: $1,397 a month against $2,824 in Sterling, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 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
137

Cost of Living Index in Sterling
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Sterling Living Index

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Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,397

/mo nomad

Sterling

🇺🇸 United States

$2,824

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ankara and in Sterling

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

A single person spends $1,397 per month in Ankara vs $2,824 in Sterling, rent included.

Ankara $1,397
Sterling $2,824

A couple spends around $2,075 per month in Ankara vs $4,327 in Sterling, rent included.

Ankara $2,075
Sterling $4,327

A family of three spends $2,753 per month in Ankara vs $5,831 in Sterling, rent included.

Ankara $2,753
Sterling $5,831

Ankara is about 51% cheaper than Sterling, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ankara and Sterling sit above the global median – Ankara by 4%, Sterling by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.10 ₺500

$19.32 $19.32

-47.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 ₺2,130

$75.4 $75.4

-42.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 ₺489

$11.84 $11.84

-16.64%

Cappuccino

$4.17 ₺206

$5.90 $5.90

-29.32%

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

$1.74 ₺86.2

$2.98 $2.98

-41.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₺38.35

$2.48 $2.48

-68.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.12 ₺254

$5.42 $5.42

-5.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.21 ₺308

$7.91 $7.91

-21.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 ₺57.2

$1.05 $1.05

10.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ₺46.15

$4.01 $4.01

-76.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 ₺114

$5.11 $5.11

-54.99%

Eggs

$2.66 ₺132

$5.61 $5.61

-52.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 ₺499

$17.11 $17.11

-41.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.53 ₺274

$14.54 $14.54

-61.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.03 ₺992

$18.87 $18.87

6.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 ₺97.7

$5.58 $5.58

-64.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 ₺107

$2.34 $2.34

-7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ₺65.6

$5.05 $5.05

-73.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ₺83.0

$5.88 $5.88

-71.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.18

$2.82 $2.82

-77.66%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 ₺26.73

$3.83 $3.83

-85.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₺49.86

$2.26 $2.26

-55.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₺34.25

$2.64 $2.64

-73.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.16 ₺107

$9.90 $9.90

-78.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.54 ₺621

$13.96 $13.96

-10.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₺112

$2.32 $2.32

-2.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ₺160

$5.54 $5.54

-41.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 ₺34.62

$4.96 $4.96

-85.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.35 ₺611

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$2.98 $2.98

-56.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 ₺39.43

$1.41 $1.41

-43.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 ₺336

$22.86 $22.86

-70.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₺71.4

$1.04 $1.04

38.46%

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

$48.0K ₺2.4M

$36.0K $36.0K

33.56%

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

$41.7K ₺2.1M

$25.1K $25.1K

66.15%

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

$92.9 ₺4,600

$156 $156

-40.56%

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

$10.81 ₺535

$50.5 $50.5

-78.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.73 ₺878

$79.1 $79.1

-77.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.5 ₺3,589

$29.37 $29.37

146.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.27 ₺756

Cinema Ticket

$8.09 ₺400

$18.12 $18.12

-55.35%

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

$1,038 ₺51.4K

$1,918 $1,918

-45.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ₺966.2K

$32.2K $32.2K

-39.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ₺2,656

$52.8 $52.8

1.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.13 ₺2,383

$45.11 $45.11

6.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 ₺5,149

$87.7 $87.7

18.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 ₺4,815

$107 $107

-9.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$747 ₺37.0K

$1,255 $1,255

-40.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 ₺28.2K

$1,512 $1,512

-62.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,140 ₺56.5K

$2,025 $2,025

-43.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 ₺43.2K

$2,875 $2,875

-69.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,674 ₺82.9K

$3,239 $3,239

-48.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,174 ₺58.1K

$2,372 $2,372

-50.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,068 ₺52.9K

$3,714 $3,714

-71.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

43.57

6.63

557.16%

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

Last update for Ankara: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sterling: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ankara

$569 40.7%

Sterling

$1.5K 53.6% 166% $943

Groceries & Markets

Ankara

$253 18.1%

Sterling

$473 16.8% 86.7% $220

Eating Out

Ankara

$209 14.9%

Sterling

$326 11.5% 56.2% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Ankara

$136 9.8%

Sterling

$132 4.7% 3.3% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ankara

$121 8.7%

Sterling

$286 10.1% 135% $164

Sport & Entertainment

Ankara

$89 6.3%

Sterling

$66 2.3% 26% $23

Getting Around

Ankara

$20 1.5%

Sterling

$30 * 1.1% 46.3% $9.5

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 $1,255 in Sterling. 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 248% higher in Sterling, 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 $75.0 in Sterling. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $253 vs $473 – making Ankara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Ankara

🇺🇸 Sterling

🕒 Local time

11:24 11:24 AM

03:24 3:24 AM

8 h behind Ankara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,864,049 Capital

14,782

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Ankara Sterling 9,240 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

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Ankara
Sterling

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 Sterling: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sterling costs about 102% more than Ankara, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,096 per month in Ankara and $4,236 in Sterling. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Ankara and $75.0 in Sterling. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 87% more in Sterling, 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 Sterling at $2,824. In Ankara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sterling it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ankara costs $1,397 versus $2,824 in Sterling. 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, Sterling makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.