Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bukhara and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Bukhara: $492 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Bukhara
Learn more

Bukhara Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Bukhara

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$492

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $492 per month in Bukhara vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Bukhara $492
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $758 per month in Bukhara vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Bukhara $758
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $1,023 per month in Bukhara vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Bukhara $1,023
Istanbul $3,212

Bukhara is about 68% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bukhara sits 64% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.87 UZS 82.3K

$11.81 ₺592

-41.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.14 UZS 193.3K

$54.9 ₺2,754

-70.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.23 UZS 50.7K

$9.26 ₺465

-54.32%

Cappuccino

$1.75 UZS 21.0K

$4.30 ₺216

-59.30%

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

$0.63 UZS 7,499

$1.77 ₺89.0

-64.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 UZS 3,643

$0.56 ₺28.32

-46.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.12 UZS 25.3K

$4.69 ₺235

-54.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 UZS 27.7K

$7.12 ₺357

-67.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 UZS 12.3K

$1.25 ₺62.7

-18.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.36 UZS 4,360

$0.88 ₺44.17

-59.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 UZS 16.3K

$2.20 ₺111

-38.18%

Eggs

$1.43 UZS 17.1K

$2.43 ₺122

-41.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 UZS 124.5K

$10.48 ₺526

-0.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.52 UZS 42.1K

$5.31 ₺267

-33.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 UZS 102.0K

$21.10 ₺1,058

-59.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 UZS 14.1K

$1.86 ₺93.1

-36.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 UZS 20.7K

$2.30 ₺115

-24.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 UZS 29.2K

$1.22 ₺61.0

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 UZS 23.8K

$1.80 ₺90.2

10.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 UZS 6,881

$0.69 ₺34.83

-17.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.28 UZS 3,365

$0.64 ₺32.16

-56.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.16 UZS 1,910

$1.36 ₺68.0

-88.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 UZS 4,153

$0.58 ₺28.94

-39.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.06 UZS 24.7K

$2.34 ₺117

-11.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.11 UZS 49.2K

$13.03 ₺653

-68.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 UZS 13.3K

$2.36 ₺118

-52.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 UZS 40.8K

$3.32 ₺166

2.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 UZS 2,267

$0.88 ₺44.07

-78.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 UZS 3,880

$1.28 ₺64.4

-75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 UZS 3,116

$0.85 ₺42.80

-69.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 UZS 76.0K

$11.09 ₺556

-42.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 UZS 15.4K

$1.48 ₺74.0

-12.84%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

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

$30.32 UZS 363.1K

$92.7 ₺4,650

-67.30%

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

$4.58 UZS 54.9K

$11.20 ₺562

-59.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.50 UZS 137.7K

$15.89 ₺797

-27.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

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

$76.9 UZS 920.3K

$948 ₺47.6K

-91.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,329 UZS 27.9M

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-93.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.83 UZS 177.6K

$53.9 ₺2,702

-72.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.29 UZS 362.7K

$41.49 ₺2,081

-26.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.8 UZS 715.6K

$101 ₺5,060

-40.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.0 UZS 718.9K

$91.3 ₺4,580

-34.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$200 UZS 2.4M

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-80.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$98.7 UZS 1.2M

$625 ₺31.3K

-84.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$249 UZS 3.0M

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-87.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$120 UZS 1.4M

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-89.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$624 UZS 7.5M

$2,988 ₺149.8K

-79.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$303 UZS 3.6M

$1,730 ₺86.8K

-82.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$329 UZS 3.9M

$1,136 ₺57.0K

-71.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

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

Last update for Bukhara: November 3, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bukhara

$163 33.1%

Istanbul

$258 17% 58.5% $95

Eating Out

Bukhara

$108 21.9%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 105% $113

Accommodation & Living

Bukhara

$99 20.1%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 533% $526

Clothing & Footwear

Bukhara

$74 15.1%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 74.4% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bukhara

$46 9.4%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 158% $73

Getting Around

Bukhara

$2.4 * 0.5%

Istanbul

$75 5% 3059% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Bukhara

- * 0%

Istanbul

$91 6%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $200 in Bukhara 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 in Istanbul are about 3.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Bukhara versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $163 vs $258 – making Bukhara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇿 Bukhara

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

09:43 9:43 AM

07:43 7:43 AM

2 h behind Bukhara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

272,500

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.44 EUR

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to UZS – Uzbekistani Som Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇿 Uzbekistani Som (soʻm)

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 11,975 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD). 1 EUR = 13,443 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.44 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to UZS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bukhara Istanbul 2,980 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bukhara
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

Bukhara vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $492 in Bukhara, $1,519 in Istanbul – Bukhara comes out roughly 68% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $738 per month in Bukhara 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 Bukhara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $200 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $492 in Bukhara and $1,519 in Istanbul. That makes Bukhara about 68% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $77 per month in Bukhara and $948 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Bukhara, where all-in costs run around $492, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Bukhara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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