Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Astana and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Astana: $1,130 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Astana
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Astana Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,130

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,130 per month in Astana vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Astana $1,130
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $1,808 per month in Astana vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Astana $1,808
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $2,485 per month in Astana vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Astana $2,485
Istanbul $3,212

Astana is about 26% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Astana sits 16% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.05 ₸4,982

$11.81 ₺592

-6.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.29 ₸16.8K

$54.9 ₺2,754

-32.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 ₸3,591

$9.26 ₺465

-13.93%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₸1,130

$4.30 ₺216

-41.63%

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

$1.11 ₸498

$1.77 ₺89.0

-37.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₸280

$0.56 ₺28.32

10.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.32 ₸593

$4.69 ₺235

-71.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₸980

$7.12 ₺357

-69.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 ₸596

$1.25 ₺62.7

5.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 ₸293

$0.88 ₺44.17

-26.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ₸704

$2.20 ₺111

-29.09%

Eggs

$2.24 ₸1,011

$2.43 ₺122

-7.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.54 ₸5,655

$10.48 ₺526

19.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.04 ₸2,723

$5.31 ₺267

13.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 ₸4,851

$21.10 ₺1,058

-49.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.76 ₸795

$1.86 ₺93.1

-5.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 ₸1,050

$2.30 ₺115

1.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 ₸992

$1.22 ₺61.0

80.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ₸946

$1.80 ₺90.2

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₸319

$0.69 ₺34.83

2.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 ₸197

$0.64 ₺32.16

-31.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 ₸672

$1.36 ₺68.0

9.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₸430

$0.58 ₺28.94

63.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 ₸1,059

$2.34 ₺117

0.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 ₸5,058

$13.03 ₺653

-13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₸592

$2.36 ₺118

-44.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₸1,055

$3.32 ₺166

-29.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸113

$0.88 ₺44.07

-71.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.64 ₸7,500

$66.1 ₺3,316

-74.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 ₸495

$1.28 ₺64.4

-14.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ₸511

$0.85 ₺42.80

32.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 ₸2,678

$11.09 ₺556

-46.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 ₸307

$1.48 ₺74.0

-54.05%

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

$29.1K ₸13.1M

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-40.22%

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

$31.0K ₸14.0M

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-26.06%

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

$67.2 ₸30.3K

$92.7 ₺4,650

-27.54%

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

$9.93 ₸4,476

$11.20 ₺562

-11.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ₸7,867

$15.89 ₺797

9.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 ₸24.8K

$74.7 ₺3,745

-26.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.83 ₸9,388

$22.95 ₺1,151

-9.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ₸3,023

$8.05 ₺404

-16.65%

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

$492 ₸221.9K

$948 ₺47.6K

-48.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K ₸9.7M

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-41.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.6 ₸29.6K

$53.9 ₺2,702

21.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.64 ₸20.6K

$41.49 ₺2,081

10.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₸52.5K

$101 ₺5,060

15.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₸58.7K

$91.3 ₺4,580

42.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$567 ₸255.5K

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-44.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 ₸175.9K

$625 ₺31.3K

-37.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 ₸509.8K

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-43.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 ₸347.7K

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-31.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,650 ₸744.1K

$2,988 ₺149.8K

-44.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,153 ₸520.0K

$1,730 ₺86.8K

-33.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$919 ₸414.3K

$1,136 ₺57.0K

-19.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.83

40.42

-63.31%

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

Last update for Astana: November 1, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Astana

$390 34.5%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 60% $234

Groceries & Markets

Astana

$231 20.5%

Istanbul

$258 17% 11.7% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Astana

$161 14.3%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 19.7% $32

Eating Out

Astana

$160 14.2%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 37.9% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Astana

$95 8.4%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 26.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Astana

$68 6.1%

Istanbul

$91 6% 32.6% $22

Getting Around

Astana

$24 2.2%

Istanbul

$75 5% 208% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $567 in Astana versus $1,014 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 24% 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 $37 in Astana versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $231 vs $258 – making Astana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Astana

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

12:44 12:44 PM

10:44 10:44 AM

2 h behind Astana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

814,400 Capital

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 451 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Astana Istanbul 3,410 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Astana
Istanbul

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

Astana vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,130 in Astana, $1,519 in Istanbul – Astana comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,695 per month in Astana and $2,278 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Astana, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $567 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $492 per month in Astana and $948 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,130 in Astana and $1,519 in Istanbul, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Astana has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,130 in Astana to $1,519 in Istanbul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Astana. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.