Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balikesir and Izmir

For one person, living is cheaper in Balikesir: $942 a month against $1,218 in Izmir, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Balikesir
Learn more

Balikesir Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Izmir
Learn more

Izmir Living Index

Jump to prices

Balikesir

🇹🇷 Turkey

$942

/mo nomad

Izmir

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,218

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Balikesir and in Izmir

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

A single person spends $942 per month in Balikesir vs $1,218 in Izmir, rent included.

Balikesir $942
Izmir $1,218

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Balikesir vs $1,900 in Izmir, rent included.

Balikesir $1,467
Izmir $1,900

A family of three spends $1,991 per month in Balikesir vs $2,582 in Izmir, rent included.

Balikesir $1,991
Izmir $2,582

Balikesir is about 23% cheaper than Izmir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Balikesir and Izmir are more affordable than the global median – Balikesir 30% lower, Izmir 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.88 ₺345

$9.89 ₺495

-30.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.55 ₺1,379

$36.57 ₺1,830

-24.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.93 ₺397

$8.31 ₺416

-4.57%

Cappuccino

$3.50 ₺175

$3.69 ₺185

-5.15%

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

$1.32 ₺66.3

$1.53 ₺76.4

-13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₺17.07

$0.63 ₺31.70

-46.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 ₺147

$3.41 ₺171

-13.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 ₺200

$5.13 ₺257

-22.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 ₺46.46

$1.12 ₺55.9

-16.96%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.48

$1.01 ₺50.3

-5.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 ₺107

$2.26 ₺113

-5.75%

Eggs

$1.88 ₺93.9

$2.50 ₺125

-24.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.80 ₺390

$9.51 ₺476

-17.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ₺173

$5.08 ₺254

-32.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.60 ₺931

$20.81 ₺1,041

-10.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 ₺92.7

$1.99 ₺99.4

-7.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₺82.3

$2.09 ₺105

-21.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 ₺49.35

$1.02 ₺51.0

-2.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 ₺49.11

$1.42 ₺71.0

-30.99%

Potato (1kg)

$0.45 ₺22.48

$0.58 ₺29.19

-22.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.30 ₺15.22

$0.41 ₺20.48

-26.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₺36.27

$1.05 ₺52.7

-31.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₺37.37

$0.79 ₺39.74

-5.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 ₺112

$2.19 ₺109

1.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 ₺567

$12.04 ₺602

-5.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₺100

$2.00 ₺99.9

0.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ₺152

$3.12 ₺156

-2.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 ₺35.54

$0.72 ₺36.19

-1.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.40 ₺1,971

$42.39 ₺2,121

-7.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 ₺56.1

$3.56 ₺178

-68.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ₺56.5

$1.10 ₺55.0

2.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 ₺200

$4.86 ₺243

-17.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₺65.6

$1.41 ₺70.5

-7.09%

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

$39.8K ₺2.0M

$45.6K ₺2.3M

-12.72%

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

$40.4K ₺2.0M

$45.3K ₺2.3M

-10.99%

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

$44.52 ₺2,228

$84.3 ₺4,218

-47.18%

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

$12.10 ₺605

$10.46 ₺524

15.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.95 ₺748

$15.54 ₺778

-3.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.2 ₺2,961

$67.7 ₺3,388

-12.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.92 ₺1,497

$30.07 ₺1,505

-0.50%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 ₺202

$8.23 ₺412

-50.91%

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

$589 ₺29.5K

$590 ₺29.5K

-0.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ₺599.3K

$27.1K ₺1.4M

-55.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.59 ₺1,180

$46.81 ₺2,343

-49.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.28 ₺815

$36.08 ₺1,805

-54.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 ₺3,544

$91.3 ₺4,568

-22.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.30 ₺2,017

$79.4 ₺3,973

-49.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 ₺20.1K

$593 ₺29.7K

-32.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 ₺16.2K

$424 ₺21.2K

-23.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 ₺41.4K

$1,142 ₺57.2K

-27.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$574 ₺28.7K

$779 ₺39.0K

-26.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,006 ₺50.4K

$1,359 ₺68.0K

-25.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$806 ₺40.3K

$1,015 ₺50.8K

-20.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,297 ₺64.9K

$1,160 ₺58.0K

11.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

39.8

41.22

-3.44%

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

Last update for Balikesir: November 1, 2026

Last update for Izmir: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Balikesir

$325 34.4%

Izmir

$424 34.8% 30.6% $99

Groceries & Markets

Balikesir

$212 22.5%

Izmir

$247 20.3% 16.5% $35

Eating Out

Balikesir

$150 15.9%

Izmir

$184 15.1% 22.7% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balikesir

$72 7.6%

Izmir

$110 9.1% 54.1% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Balikesir

$68 7.2%

Izmir

$114 9.4% 67.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Balikesir

$67 7.1%

Izmir

$84 6.9% 25.2% $17

Getting Around

Balikesir

$49 5.2%

Izmir

$54 4.5% 10.9% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $401 in Balikesir versus $593 in Izmir. 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 12% 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 in Balikesir versus $37 in Izmir. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $212 vs $247 – making Balikesir the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Balikesir

🇹🇷 Izmir

🕒 Local time

02:53 2:53 AM

Same time as Balikesir

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,196,170

4,493,242

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Balikesir Izmir 150 km

From you

Balikesir
Izmir

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 Izmir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Izmir costs about 29% 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 $1,413 per month in Balikesir and $1,827 in Izmir. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $401 there versus $593 in Izmir.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $942 in Balikesir and $1,218 in Izmir. That makes Balikesir about 23% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Balikesir. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $942 in Balikesir and $1,218 in Izmir. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Izmir has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $942 in Balikesir to $1,218 in Izmir. 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.

For expats, Balikesir is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 23% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.