Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balikesir and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Balikesir: $931 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Balikesir
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Balikesir Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Balikesir

🇹🇷 Turkey

$931

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Balikesir and in Almaty

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Balikesir and in Almaty actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $931 per month in Balikesir vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Balikesir $931
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,462 per month in Balikesir vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Balikesir $1,462
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $1,993 per month in Balikesir vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Balikesir $1,993
Almaty $2,913

Balikesir is about 32% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Balikesir sits 31% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.19 ₺356

$13.16 ₸5,949

-45.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.26 ₺1,399

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-37.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.59 ₺376

$8.90 ₸4,022

-14.72%

Cappuccino

$3.45 ₺171

$3.25 ₸1,469

6.15%

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

$1.36 ₺67.2

$1.41 ₸639

-3.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₺17.49

$0.88 ₸399

-60.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₺158

$3.35 ₸1,513

-4.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 ₺210

$4.04 ₸1,827

4.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 ₺44.56

$1.69 ₸762

-46.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.92

$0.86 ₸390

10.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 ₺106

$2.03 ₸917

5.91%

Eggs

$2.00 ₺98.9

$2.43 ₸1,100

-17.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 ₺398

$12.46 ₸5,632

-35.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.94 ₺195

$6.71 ₸3,033

-41.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.19 ₺901

$10.85 ₸4,905

67.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 ₺91.3

$1.80 ₸813

2.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 ₺93.4

$2.25 ₸1,018

-16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 ₺55.6

$2.91 ₸1,314

-61.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 ₺51.1

$2.75 ₸1,243

-62.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 ₺24.60

$0.75 ₸337

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 ₺18.87

$0.55 ₸248

-30.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 ₺41.90

$1.62 ₸732

-47.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₺34.84

$1.05 ₸474

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.01 ₺99.4

$2.58 ₸1,167

-22.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.01 ₺496

$11.15 ₸5,042

-10.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₺102

$1.21 ₸547

69.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 ₺164

$2.44 ₸1,104

35.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ₺31.36

$0.26 ₸117

142.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.21 ₺1,991

$22.03 ₸9,957

82.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 ₺54.2

$1.35 ₸611

-18.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ₺54.0

$0.64 ₸288

70.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 ₺207

$11.16 ₸5,044

-62.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₺65.7

$0.72 ₸324

84.72%

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

$42.6K ₺2.1M

$22.5K ₸10.2M

88.96%

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

$40.2K ₺2.0M

$30.3K ₸13.7M

32.87%

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

$62.5 ₺3,096

$91.8 ₸41.5K

-31.89%

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

$12.06 ₺597

$10.66 ₸4,820

13.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.87 ₺736

$17.86 ₸8,072

-16.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.71 ₺2,115

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-39.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.82 ₺1,477

$27.60 ₸12.5K

8.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 ₺198

$6.78 ₸3,064

-40.86%

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

$474 ₺23.5K

$449 ₸202.9K

5.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K ₺603.6K

$12.1K ₸5.5M

0.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.30 ₺1,203

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-72.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.36 ₺810

$47.02 ₸21.3K

-65.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 ₺4,075

$142 ₸64.1K

-41.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.4 ₺2,496

$133 ₸60.0K

-62.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$378 ₺18.7K

$805 ₸363.7K

-53.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 ₺14.7K

$500 ₸225.9K

-40.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₺39.6K

$1,429 ₸645.9K

-43.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 ₺27.2K

$904 ₸408.8K

-39.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,149 ₺56.9K

$2,503 ₸1.1M

-54.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$801 ₺39.7K

$1,559 ₸704.7K

-48.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,289 ₺63.8K

$870 ₸393.3K

48.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

39.8

20.65

92.74%

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

Last update for Balikesir: October 11, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Balikesir

$296 31.8%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 68.7% $204

Groceries & Markets

Balikesir

$215 23.1%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 16.6% $36

Eating Out

Balikesir

$153 16.4%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 33.9% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balikesir

$89 9.6%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 34.5% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Balikesir

$78 8.4%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 137% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Balikesir

$51 5.5%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 65.4% $33

Getting Around

Balikesir

$49 5.3%

Almaty

$28 2% 44% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $378 in Balikesir versus $805 in Almaty. 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 48% higher in Balikesir, 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 $28.00 in Balikesir versus $45.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $250 – making Balikesir the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Balikesir

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

19:08 7:08 PM

22:08 10:08 PM

3 h ahead of Balikesir

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,196,170

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.67 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Balikesir Almaty 4,050 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Balikesir
Almaty

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

Balikesir vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,397 per month in Balikesir and $2,058 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Balikesir, 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 $28.00 in Balikesir and $45.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $931 in Balikesir and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 47%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Balikesir, where all-in costs run around $931, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Balikesir it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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