Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Giresun and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Giresun: $960 a month against $1,516 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Giresun, Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey
Giresun
🇹🇷 Turkey
$960
/mo nomad
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,516
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $960 in Giresun versus $1,516 in Istanbul.

  • Giresun $960
  • Istanbul $1,516

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,582 in Giresun versus $2,356 in Istanbul.

  • Giresun $1,582
  • Istanbul $2,356

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,205 in Giresun versus $3,197 in Istanbul.

  • Giresun $2,205
  • Istanbul $3,197

Living in Giresun costs roughly 37% less than in Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Giresun is 29% below, Istanbul is 11% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Giresun
Istanbul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.10 ₺205
$11.59 ₺579
-64.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 ₺3,083
$54.7 ₺2,733
12.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.43 ₺521
$9.39 ₺469
11.08%
Cappuccino
$3.97 ₺198
$4.23 ₺212
-6.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.79 ₺39.41
$1.72 ₺85.9
-54.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ₺15.69
$0.57 ₺28.34
-45.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.77 ₺88.5
$4.65 ₺232
-61.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 ₺99.6
$6.84 ₺342
-70.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Giresun
Istanbul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 ₺58.7
$1.20 ₺60.2
-2.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.95 ₺97.7
$0.94 ₺47.11
107.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.71 ₺135
$2.24 ₺112
20.98%
Eggs
$2.45 ₺122
$2.42 ₺121
1.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.19 ₺409
$10.24 ₺512
-20.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.80 ₺290
$5.38 ₺269
7.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$27.05 ₺1,352
$21.19 ₺1,059
27.65%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 ₺115
$1.89 ₺94.5
21.69%
Banana (1kg)
$2.41 ₺121
$2.22 ₺111
8.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.45 ₺72.4
$1.26 ₺62.9
15.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.04 ₺52.0
$1.81 ₺90.3
-42.54%
Potato (1kg)
$0.47 ₺23.61
$0.70 ₺34.95
-32.86%
Onion (1kg)
$0.33 ₺16.66
$0.64 ₺32.22
-48.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.82 ₺40.98
$1.22 ₺61.0
-32.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 ₺33.88
$0.55 ₺27.44
23.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.08 ₺104
$2.32 ₺116
-10.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.31 ₺465
$13.31 ₺665
-30.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₺83.9
$2.33 ₺116
-27.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 ₺111
$3.46 ₺173
-35.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Giresun
Istanbul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.67 ₺33.73
$0.91 ₺45.32
-26.37%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$66.3 ₺3,316
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.99 ₺99.4
$1.29 ₺64.4
54.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.68 ₺33.88
$0.86 ₺42.79
-20.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.29 ₺314
$11.09 ₺554
-43.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 ₺66.7
$1.42 ₺71.0
-6.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.6K ₺2.1M
$49.2K ₺2.5M
-15.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.4K ₺2.0M
$42.8K ₺2.1M
-7.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Giresun
Istanbul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 ₺4,428
$87.7 ₺4,386
0.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.48 ₺624
$11.28 ₺564
10.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.27 ₺613
$15.89 ₺794
-22.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Giresun
Istanbul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.3 ₺2,615
$75.9 ₺3,794
-31.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$23.04 ₺1,151
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.11 ₺205
$8.20 ₺410
-49.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Giresun
Istanbul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$256 ₺12.8K
$1,028 ₺51.4K
-75.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.9K ₺543.7K
$26.0K ₺1.3M
-58.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Giresun
Istanbul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$24.41 ₺1,220
$53.3 ₺2,666
-54.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.59 ₺1,529
$39.69 ₺1,984
-22.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$69.5 ₺3,476
$99.8 ₺4,987
-30.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$59.7 ₺2,982
$93.5 ₺4,675
-36.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Giresun
Istanbul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$417 ₺20.8K
$1,003 ₺50.2K
-58.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$298 ₺14.9K
$628 ₺31.4K
-52.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$770 ₺38.5K
$1,963 ₺98.1K
-60.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$565 ₺28.2K
$1,122 ₺56.1K
-49.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,389 ₺69.4K
$3,075 ₺153.7K
-54.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,021 ₺51.0K
$1,753 ₺87.6K
-41.77%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Giresun
Istanbul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,198 ₺59.9K
$1,180 ₺59.0K
1.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
49
40.69
20.42%

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

Last update for Giresun: October 27, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Giresun
$298
Istanbul
$628 111% $330
Groceries & Markets
Giresun
$269
Istanbul
$258 3.9% $10
Eating Out
Giresun
$129
Istanbul
$218 68.8% $89
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Giresun
$113
Istanbul
$115 1.4% $1.6
Clothing & Footwear
Giresun
$83
Istanbul
$129 55.4% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Giresun
$61
Istanbul
$92 52.5% $32
Getting Around
Giresun
$8.1 *
Istanbul
$76 835% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $417 in Giresun and $1,003 in Istanbul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in Giresun vs $55 in Istanbul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $258 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Giresun
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🕒 Local time
12:03 12:03 PM
12:03 12:03 PM
Same time as Giresun
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
125,682
15,701,602
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 49.98 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 55.96 TRY (100 TRY = 1.79 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Giresun Istanbul 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Giresun
  • 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
Giresun vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Giresun and in Istanbul?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $960 in Giresun and $1,516 in Istanbul, so Giresun is about 37% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Giresun compared to Istanbul?
You’d need roughly $1,440 in Giresun and $2,274 in Istanbul to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Giresun and in Istanbul?
Rent for a central apartment: $417 in Giresun versus $1,003 in Istanbul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Giresun and Istanbul?
Childcare runs $256 in Giresun versus $1,028 in Istanbul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Istanbul – a meal for two runs $55 versus $62 in Giresun. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $960 in Giresun versus $1,516 in Istanbul, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Giresun but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Giresun the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Giresun and Istanbul?
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.
Is Giresun or Istanbul safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Giresun and Istanbul are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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