Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bursa and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Bursa: $1,047 a month against $1,516 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Bursa
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Bursa Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Bursa

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,047

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,047 in Bursa versus $1,516 in Istanbul.

Bursa $1,047
Istanbul $1,516

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,654 in Bursa versus $2,356 in Istanbul.

Bursa $1,654
Istanbul $2,356

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,260 in Bursa versus $3,197 in Istanbul.

Bursa $2,260
Istanbul $3,197

Living in Bursa costs roughly 31% less than in Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bursa is 23% below, Istanbul is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.79 ₺488

$11.59 ₺577

-15.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.03 ₺1,496

$54.7 ₺2,724

-45.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ₺386

$9.39 ₺468

-17.47%

Cappuccino

$3.65 ₺182

$4.23 ₺211

-13.71%

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

$1.06 ₺52.7

$1.72 ₺85.6

-38.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ₺18.69

$0.57 ₺28.25

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 ₺114

$4.65 ₺232

-50.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ₺146

$6.84 ₺341

-57.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 ₺47.89

$1.20 ₺60.0

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₺39.96

$0.94 ₺46.96

-14.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 ₺112

$2.24 ₺112

0.89%

Eggs

$2.28 ₺114

$2.42 ₺121

-5.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.26 ₺511

$10.24 ₺510

0.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.90 ₺244

$5.38 ₺268

-8.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.96 ₺945

$21.19 ₺1,056

-10.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 ₺82.9

$1.89 ₺94.2

-12.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 ₺97.7

$2.22 ₺111

-11.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 ₺52.0

$1.26 ₺62.7

-17.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₺64.7

$1.81 ₺90.0

-28.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ₺28.79

$0.70 ₺34.83

-17.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 ₺19.64

$0.64 ₺32.12

-39.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₺36.46

$1.22 ₺60.8

-40.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₺35.84

$0.55 ₺27.35

30.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.07 ₺103

$2.32 ₺116

-10.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.15 ₺705

$13.31 ₺663

6.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 ₺103

$2.33 ₺116

-10.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₺112

$3.46 ₺172

-34.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ₺48.92

$0.91 ₺45.17

7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.23 ₺1,805

$66.3 ₺3,305

-45.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₺51.2

$1.29 ₺64.2

-20.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 ₺43.11

$0.86 ₺42.65

1.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.89 ₺343

$11.09 ₺553

-37.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₺68.2

$1.42 ₺70.7

-3.52%

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

$44.3K ₺2.2M

$49.2K ₺2.5M

-9.95%

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

$38.9K ₺1.9M

$42.8K ₺2.1M

-9.04%

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

$75.9 ₺3,784

$87.7 ₺4,371

-13.45%

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

$10.92 ₺544

$11.28 ₺562

-3.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.81 ₺738

$15.89 ₺792

-6.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ₺3,047

$75.9 ₺3,782

-19.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,148

Cinema Ticket

$5.88 ₺293

$8.20 ₺409

-28.29%

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

$548 ₺27.3K

$1,028 ₺51.2K

-46.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K ₺542.7K

$26.0K ₺1.3M

-58.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.43 ₺2,213

$53.3 ₺2,657

-16.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.51 ₺1,719

$39.69 ₺1,978

-13.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 ₺3,906

$99.8 ₺4,971

-21.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 ₺4,613

$93.5 ₺4,659

-0.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 ₺20.0K

$1,003 ₺50.0K

-60.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ₺15.5K

$628 ₺31.3K

-50.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 ₺36.0K

$1,963 ₺97.8K

-63.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 ₺30.2K

$1,122 ₺55.9K

-45.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,191 ₺59.4K

$3,075 ₺153.2K

-61.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,217 ₺60.6K

$1,753 ₺87.3K

-30.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,028 ₺51.2K

$1,180 ₺58.8K

-12.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

42.67

40.69

4.87%

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

Last update for Bursa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bursa

$310 29.6%

Istanbul

$628 41.5% 102% $318

Groceries & Markets

Bursa

$236 22.5%

Istanbul

$258 17% 9.4% $22

Eating Out

Bursa

$168 16.1%

Istanbul

$218 14.4% 29.3% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Bursa

$112 10.7%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 14.6% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bursa

$102 9.7%

Istanbul

$115 7.6% 13% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Bursa

$73 7%

Istanbul

$92 6.1% 26.6% $19

Getting Around

Bursa

$46 4.4%

Istanbul

$76 5% 66% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $401 in Bursa and $1,003 in Istanbul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 15% 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: $30 in Bursa vs $55 in Istanbul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $258 per month, with Bursa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Bursa

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

14:55 2:55 PM

Same time as Bursa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,238,618

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Bursa
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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

Bursa vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bursa is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and groceries. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Bursa. 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: $401 in Bursa versus $1,003 in Istanbul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Istanbul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bursa – a meal for two runs $30 versus $55 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,047 in Bursa versus $1,516 in Istanbul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bursa but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Bursa 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, Bursa 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 Bursa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.