Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baku and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Baku: $1,030 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Baku
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Baku Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Baku

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan

$1,030

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,030 in Baku versus $1,526 in Istanbul.

Baku $1,030
Istanbul $1,526

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,600 in Baku versus $2,399 in Istanbul.

Baku $1,600
Istanbul $2,399

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,171 in Baku versus $3,272 in Istanbul.

Baku $2,171
Istanbul $3,272

Living in Baku costs roughly 33% less than in Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Baku is 23% below, Istanbul is 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.86 ₼15.06

$11.88 ₺585

-25.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.20 ₼68.3

$55.1 ₺2,714

-27.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 ₼13.63

$9.14 ₺450

-12.25%

Cappuccino

$3.42 ₼5.81

$4.24 ₺209

-19.34%

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

$1.13 ₼1.91

$1.75 ₺86.0

-35.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₼1.06

$0.54 ₺26.83

14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 ₼3.06

$4.69 ₺231

-61.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ₼4.89

$5.97 ₺294

-51.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ₼2.56

$1.26 ₺62.1

19.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 ₼0.90

$0.95 ₺46.81

-44.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 ₼4.23

$2.31 ₺114

7.79%

Eggs

$2.07 ₼3.51

$2.47 ₺122

-16.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.06 ₼8.61

$10.55 ₺520

-52.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.30 ₼9.00

$5.60 ₺276

-5.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.88 ₼20.19

$21.21 ₺1,045

-43.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 ₼2.18

$1.93 ₺95.1

-33.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 ₼3.22

$2.29 ₺113

-17.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ₼2.73

$1.28 ₺63.1

25.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 ₼3.01

$1.84 ₺90.8

-3.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ₼1.25

$0.67 ₺32.86

8.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 ₼0.95

$0.59 ₺29.31

-5.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 ₼1.34

$1.33 ₺65.4

-40.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₼1.22

$0.59 ₺29.10

22.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 ₼5.04

$2.36 ₺116

25.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 ₼14.83

$13.47 ₺664

-35.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₼2.61

$2.42 ₺119

-36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₼4.80

$3.54 ₺174

-20.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ₼0.58

$0.83 ₺40.64

-59.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.52 ₼36.58

$66.5 ₺3,273

-67.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 ₼3.44

$1.35 ₺66.6

49.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₼1.03

$0.85 ₺42.05

-28.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 ₼5.85

$10.86 ₺535

-68.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 ₼1.09

$1.47 ₺72.3

-56.46%

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

$23.4K ₼39.8K

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-54.69%

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

$21.1K ₼35.8K

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-52.62%

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

$65.5 ₼111

$89.2 ₺4,395

-26.63%

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

$11.24 ₼19.11

$11.60 ₺572

-3.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.14 ₼25.73

$16.10 ₺793

-5.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.75 ₼82.9

$77.3 ₺3,805

-36.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.46 ₼27.98

$22.66 ₺1,116

-27.36%

Cinema Ticket

$5.79 ₼9.84

$8.34 ₺411

-30.58%

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

$326 ₼555

$974 ₺48.0K

-66.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,787 ₼11.5K

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-73.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.4 ₼115

$52.7 ₺2,597

27.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 ₼93.8

$39.16 ₺1,929

40.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 ₼214

$103 ₺5,083

22.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 ₼197

$96.6 ₺4,759

20.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$543 ₼922

$994 ₺49.0K

-45.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 ₼537

$629 ₺31.0K

-49.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 ₼1,750

$2,024 ₺99.7K

-49.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 ₼872

$1,155 ₺56.9K

-55.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,188 ₼3,719

$3,160 ₺155.7K

-30.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,307 ₼2,222

$1,838 ₺90.5K

-28.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$564 ₼958

$1,203 ₺59.3K

-53.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

41.09

-76.98%

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

Last update for Baku: October 5, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baku

$316 31.2%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 99.1% $313

Groceries & Markets

Baku

$195 19.2%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 35.5% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Baku

$164 16.2%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 20% $33

Eating Out

Baku

$158 15.6%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 38.2% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baku

$92 9.1%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 27.3% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Baku

$60 6%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 55.7% $34

Getting Around

Baku

$28 2.8%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 170% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $543 in Baku and $994 in Istanbul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 113% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Baku vs $55.0 in Istanbul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $264 per month, with Baku cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇿 Baku

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

12:58 12:58 PM

11:58 11:58 AM

1 h behind Baku

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,300,500 Capital

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Azerbaijani Manat AZN ₼

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 AZN = 0.588 USD

1 AZN = 0.525 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to AZN – Azerbaijani Manat Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇿 Azerbaijani Manat (₼)

Azerbaijani Manat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.7 AZN (1 AZN = 0.588 USD). 1 EUR = 1.91 AZN (1 AZN = 0.525 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to AZN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Baku Istanbul 1,760 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Baku
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

Baku vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baku and Istanbul differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($1,030 vs $1,526 including rent). Baku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 113% lower in Istanbul. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $543 in Baku versus $994 in Istanbul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $326 in Baku versus $974 in Istanbul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Istanbul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,030 in Baku versus $1,526 in Istanbul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Baku but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Baku the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Baku and Istanbul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Baku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.