Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Aba

For one person, living is cheaper in Aba: $408 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Aba

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$408

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Aba

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Istanbul and in Aba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $408 in Aba, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Aba $408

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $664 in Aba, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Aba $664

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $921 in Aba, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Aba $921

Istanbul costs about 280% more than Aba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Aba is 70% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.43 ₦9,880

24.09%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$0.87 ₦1,159

405.75%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.06 ₦2,746

128.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.35 ₦3,120

151.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$3.69 ₦4,907

-67.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$2.22 ₦2,951

-59.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$11.43 ₦15.2K

-8.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$1.28 ₦1,703

1535.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$5.35 ₦7,121

-64.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.56 ₦740

312.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$3.62 ₦4,811

-82.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.16 ₦1,539

7.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.14 ₦184

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$1.47 ₦1,959

61.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$7.42 ₦9,870

80.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.27 ₦1,683

88.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.46 ₦1,940

138.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$9.24 ₦12.3K

629.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$6,010 ₦8.0M

745.05%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$7,584 ₦10.1M

487.17%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$116 ₦153.7K

-23.33%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$2.22 ₦2,957

422.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$45.39 ₦60.4K

-65.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$2.06 ₦2,734

295.15%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$1,067 ₦1.4M

2295.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$15.19 ₦20.2K

550.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$18.89 ₦25.1K

411.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$133 ₦177.5K

637.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$451 ₦599.4K

340.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$228 ₦303.9K

416.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$1,102 ₦1.5M

184.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$469 ₦624.0K

279.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$96.4 ₦128.2K

1150.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

241.00%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Aba: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Aba

–

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Aba

–

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Aba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Aba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Aba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Aba

–

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Aba

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $133 in Aba. 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 1151% higher in Istanbul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇬 Aba

🕒 Local time

19:33 7:33 PM

17:33 5:33 PM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,020,900

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NGN, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.67 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,496 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Aba 4,530 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Aba

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

Istanbul vs Aba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 280%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $612 in Aba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aba, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Public transport costs about 630% less in Aba. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Aba, where all-in costs run around $408, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Aba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Aba. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.