Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bursa and Izmir

For one person, living is cheaper in Bursa: $1,047 a month against $1,212 in Izmir, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Izmir
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Izmir Living Index

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Bursa

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,047

/mo nomad

Izmir

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,212

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,047 in Bursa versus $1,212 in Izmir.

Bursa $1,047
Izmir $1,212

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,654 in Bursa versus $1,898 in Izmir.

Bursa $1,654
Izmir $1,898

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,260 in Bursa versus $2,584 in Izmir.

Bursa $2,260
Izmir $2,584

Living in Bursa costs roughly 14% less than in Izmir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bursa 23% lower, Izmir 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.79 ₺488

$9.89 ₺493

-1.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.03 ₺1,496

$35.55 ₺1,771

-15.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ₺386

$8.41 ₺419

-7.85%

Cappuccino

$3.65 ₺182

$3.64 ₺181

0.27%

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

$1.06 ₺52.7

$1.46 ₺72.7

-27.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ₺18.69

$0.58 ₺28.85

-34.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 ₺114

$3.44 ₺172

-33.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ₺146

$5.00 ₺249

-41.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 ₺47.89

$1.08 ₺53.9

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₺39.96

$1.05 ₺52.5

-23.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 ₺112

$2.38 ₺118

-5.04%

Eggs

$2.28 ₺114

$2.46 ₺123

-7.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.26 ₺511

$9.31 ₺464

10.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.90 ₺244

$5.10 ₺254

-3.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.96 ₺945

$21.03 ₺1,048

-9.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 ₺82.9

$1.95 ₺97.4

-14.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 ₺97.7

$2.18 ₺108

-10.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 ₺52.0

$1.06 ₺52.7

-1.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₺64.7

$1.36 ₺67.9

-4.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ₺28.79

$0.59 ₺29.54

-1.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 ₺19.64

$0.40 ₺20.07

-2.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₺36.46

$1.09 ₺54.6

-33.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₺35.84

$0.73 ₺36.50

-1.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.07 ₺103

$2.22 ₺111

-6.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.15 ₺705

$11.15 ₺556

26.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 ₺103

$2.06 ₺103

0.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₺112

$2.99 ₺149

-24.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ₺48.92

$0.68 ₺34.05

44.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.23 ₺1,805

$43.12 ₺2,148

-15.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₺51.2

$3.52 ₺175

-70.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 ₺43.11

$1.02 ₺50.9

-14.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.89 ₺343

$5.52 ₺275

24.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₺68.2

$1.35 ₺67.2

1.48%

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

$44.3K ₺2.2M

$46.6K ₺2.3M

-4.94%

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

$38.9K ₺1.9M

$43.7K ₺2.2M

-10.90%

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

$75.9 ₺3,784

$82.4 ₺4,103

-7.78%

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

$10.92 ₺544

$10.53 ₺525

3.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.81 ₺738

$15.87 ₺791

-6.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ₺3,047

$64.2 ₺3,196

-4.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,148

$34.55 ₺1,721

-33.31%

Cinema Ticket

$5.88 ₺293

$8.25 ₺411

-28.73%

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

$548 ₺27.3K

$683 ₺34.0K

-19.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K ₺542.7K

$14.5K ₺720.0K

-24.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.43 ₺2,213

$45.34 ₺2,259

-2.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.51 ₺1,719

$37.24 ₺1,855

-7.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 ₺3,906

$92.0 ₺4,582

-14.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 ₺4,613

$79.8 ₺3,977

16.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 ₺20.0K

$587 ₺29.2K

-31.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ₺15.5K

$424 ₺21.1K

-26.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 ₺36.0K

$1,122 ₺55.9K

-35.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 ₺30.2K

$793 ₺39.5K

-23.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,191 ₺59.4K

$1,444 ₺71.9K

-17.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,217 ₺60.6K

$999 ₺49.8K

21.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,028 ₺51.2K

$1,134 ₺56.5K

-9.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

42.67

42.33

0.80%

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

Last update for Bursa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Izmir: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bursa

$310 29.6%

Izmir

$424 35% 36.7% $114

Groceries & Markets

Bursa

$236 22.5%

Izmir

$245 20.3% 4% $9.5

Eating Out

Bursa

$168 16.1%

Izmir

$183 15.1% 9% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Bursa

$112 10.7%

Izmir

$114 9.5% 1.8% $2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bursa

$102 9.7%

Izmir

$109 9% 7% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

Bursa

$73 7%

Izmir

$81 6.7% 10.6% $7.7

Getting Around

Bursa

$46 4.4%

Izmir

$54 4.5% 19.7% $9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $401 in Bursa and $587 in Izmir. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Izmir pays 10% 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 $36 in Izmir for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $245 per month, with Bursa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Bursa

🇹🇷 Izmir

🕒 Local time

13:05 1:05 PM

Same time as Bursa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,238,618

4,493,242

💱 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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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

Bursa vs Izmir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bursa is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 9% 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 $587 in Izmir. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Izmir. 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 $36 in Izmir. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Bursa gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Izmir 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 14% less than in Izmir. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.