Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balikesir and Ankara

For one person, living is cheaper in Balikesir: $931 a month against $1,397 in Ankara, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Balikesir
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Balikesir Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
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Ankara Living Index

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Balikesir

🇹🇷 Turkey

$931

/mo nomad

Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,397

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Balikesir and in Ankara

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

A single person spends $931 per month in Balikesir vs $1,397 in Ankara, rent included.

Balikesir $931
Ankara $1,397

A couple spends around $1,462 per month in Balikesir vs $2,075 in Ankara, rent included.

Balikesir $1,462
Ankara $2,075

A family of three spends $1,993 per month in Balikesir vs $2,753 in Ankara, rent included.

Balikesir $1,993
Ankara $2,753

Balikesir is about 33% cheaper than Ankara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Balikesir sits 31% below the global median, while Ankara is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.19 ₺356

$10.10 ₺500

-28.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.26 ₺1,399

$43.03 ₺2,130

-34.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.59 ₺376

$9.87 ₺489

-23.10%

Cappuccino

$3.45 ₺171

$4.17 ₺206

-17.27%

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

$1.36 ₺67.2

$1.74 ₺86.2

-21.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₺17.49

$0.77 ₺38.35

-54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₺158

$5.12 ₺254

-37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 ₺210

$6.21 ₺308

-31.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 ₺44.56

$1.16 ₺57.2

-22.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.92

$0.93 ₺46.15

2.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 ₺106

$2.30 ₺114

-6.52%

Eggs

$2.00 ₺98.9

$2.66 ₺132

-24.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 ₺398

$10.07 ₺499

-20.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.94 ₺195

$5.53 ₺274

-28.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.19 ₺901

$20.03 ₺992

-9.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 ₺91.3

$1.97 ₺97.7

-6.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 ₺93.4

$2.16 ₺107

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 ₺55.6

$1.33 ₺65.6

-15.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 ₺51.1

$1.68 ₺83.0

-38.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 ₺24.60

$0.63 ₺31.18

-20.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 ₺18.87

$0.54 ₺26.73

-29.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 ₺41.90

$1.01 ₺49.86

-15.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₺34.84

$0.69 ₺34.25

1.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.01 ₺99.4

$2.16 ₺107

-6.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.01 ₺496

$12.54 ₺621

-20.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₺102

$2.26 ₺112

-9.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 ₺164

$3.23 ₺160

2.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ₺31.36

$0.70 ₺34.62

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.21 ₺1,991

$12.35 ₺611

225.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 ₺54.2

$1.29 ₺64.1

-14.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ₺54.0

$0.80 ₺39.43

36.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 ₺207

$6.79 ₺336

-38.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₺65.7

$1.44 ₺71.4

-7.64%

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

$42.6K ₺2.1M

$48.0K ₺2.4M

-11.39%

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

$40.2K ₺2.0M

$41.7K ₺2.1M

-3.51%

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

$62.5 ₺3,096

$92.9 ₺4,600

-32.70%

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

$12.06 ₺597

$10.81 ₺535

11.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.87 ₺736

$17.73 ₺878

-16.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.71 ₺2,115

$72.5 ₺3,589

-41.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.82 ₺1,477

$15.27 ₺756

95.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 ₺198

$8.09 ₺400

-50.43%

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

$474 ₺23.5K

$1,038 ₺51.4K

-54.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K ₺603.6K

$19.5K ₺966.2K

-37.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.30 ₺1,203

$53.7 ₺2,656

-54.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.36 ₺810

$48.13 ₺2,383

-66.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 ₺4,075

$104 ₺5,149

-20.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.4 ₺2,496

$97.3 ₺4,815

-48.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$378 ₺18.7K

$747 ₺37.0K

-49.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 ₺14.7K

$569 ₺28.2K

-47.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₺39.6K

$1,140 ₺56.5K

-29.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 ₺27.2K

$873 ₺43.2K

-36.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,149 ₺56.9K

$1,674 ₺82.9K

-31.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$801 ₺39.7K

$1,174 ₺58.1K

-31.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,289 ₺63.8K

$1,068 ₺52.9K

20.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

39.8

43.57

-8.65%

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

Last update for Balikesir: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ankara: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Balikesir

$296 31.8%

Ankara

$569 40.7% 92.1% $273

Groceries & Markets

Balikesir

$215 23.1%

Ankara

$253 18.1% 18% $39

Eating Out

Balikesir

$153 16.4%

Ankara

$209 14.9% 36.3% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balikesir

$89 9.6%

Ankara

$121 8.7% 35.8% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Balikesir

$78 8.4%

Ankara

$136 9.8% 74.8% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Balikesir

$51 5.5%

Ankara

$89 6.3% 74.8% $38

Getting Around

Balikesir

$49 5.3%

Ankara

$20 1.5% 58.6% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $378 in Balikesir versus $747 in Ankara. 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 21% 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 $43.00 in Ankara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $253 – making Balikesir the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Balikesir

🇹🇷 Ankara

🕒 Local time

22:59 10:59 PM

Same time as Balikesir

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,196,170

5,864,049 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Balikesir Ankara 430 km

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Balikesir
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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 Ankara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ankara costs about 50% more than Balikesir, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,397 per month in Balikesir and $2,096 in Ankara. 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.

Kindergarten costs $474 per month in Balikesir and $1,038 in Ankara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Ankara, 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 Balikesir, where all-in costs run around $931, than in Ankara at $1,397. In Balikesir it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ankara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Balikesir costs $931 versus $1,397 in Ankara. 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 Balikesir. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ankara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.