Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Abadan, Turkmenistan

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,519 a month against $2,216 in Abadan, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. The total is higher in Abadan despite lower rent and utilities.

Istanbul, Turkey
Abadan, Turkmenistan
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,519
/mo nomad
Abadan
🇹🇲 Turkmenistan
$2,216
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Abadan

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 Abadan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,519 in Istanbul versus $2,216 in Abadan.

  • Istanbul $1,519
  • Abadan $2,216

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,365 in Istanbul versus $3,343 in Abadan.

  • Istanbul $2,365
  • Abadan $3,343

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,212 in Istanbul versus $4,471 in Abadan.

  • Istanbul $3,212
  • Abadan $4,471

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 31% less than in Abadan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 12% above, Abadan 64% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Abadan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.81 ₺592
$31.79 TMT 107
-62.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.9 ₺2,754
$87.6 TMT 294
-37.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.26 ₺465
$13.18 TMT 44.29
-29.74%
Cappuccino
$4.30 ₺216
$7.05 TMT 23.70
-39.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 ₺89.0
$1.62 TMT 5.45
9.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺28.32
$0.83 TMT 2.78
-32.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.69 ₺235
$5.71 TMT 19.18
-17.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.12 ₺357
$13.71 TMT 46.06
-48.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Abadan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 ₺62.7
$4.64 TMT 15.59
-73.06%
White Bread (500g)
$0.88 ₺44.17
$2.01 TMT 6.74
-56.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 ₺111
$5.76 TMT 19.34
-61.81%
Eggs
$2.43 ₺122
$6.12 TMT 20.55
-60.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.48 ₺526
$38.23 TMT 128
-72.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.31 ₺267
$19.86 TMT 66.7
-73.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.10 ₺1,058
$23.13 TMT 77.7
-8.78%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 ₺93.1
$5.08 TMT 17.07
-63.39%
Banana (1kg)
$2.30 ₺115
$8.51 TMT 28.59
-72.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.22 ₺61.0
$7.79 TMT 26.19
-84.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺90.2
$3.63 TMT 12.20
-50.41%
Potato (1kg)
$0.69 ₺34.83
$2.27 TMT 7.61
-69.60%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺32.16
$1.46 TMT 4.92
-56.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 ₺68.0
$2.75 TMT 9.24
-50.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 ₺28.94
$1.14 TMT 3.83
-49.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.34 ₺117
$25.56 TMT 85.9
-90.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 ₺653
$41.45 TMT 139
-68.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.36 ₺118
$5.15 TMT 17.31
-54.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 ₺166
$2.95 TMT 9.90
12.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Abadan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 ₺44.07
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.1 ₺3,316
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 ₺64.4
$2.84 TMT 9.56
-54.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 ₺42.80
$0.84 TMT 2.83
1.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.09 ₺556
$8.76 TMT 29.44
26.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 ₺74.0
$0.41 TMT 1.39
260.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.6K ₺2.4M
$43.8K TMT 147.2K
11.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.0K ₺2.1M
$57.8K TMT 194.1K
-27.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Abadan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.7 ₺4,650
$584 TMT 1,962
-84.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.20 ₺562
$57.7 TMT 194
-80.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.89 ₺797
$105 TMT 353
-84.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Abadan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.7 ₺3,745
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.95 ₺1,151
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.05 ₺404
$8.75 TMT 29.40
-8.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Abadan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$948 ₺47.6K
$22.92 TMT 77.0
4038.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$36.9K ₺1.9M
$26.5K TMT 89.1K
39.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Abadan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₺2,702
$56.4 TMT 189
-4.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.49 ₺2,081
$115 TMT 387
-63.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 ₺5,060
$365 TMT 1,228
-72.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.3 ₺4,580
$194 TMT 650
-52.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Abadan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,014 ₺50.8K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$625 ₺31.3K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,005 ₺100.6K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,126 ₺56.5K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,988 ₺149.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,730 ₺86.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Abadan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,136 ₺57.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.42
9.5
325.47%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Abadan: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$625
Abadan
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$258
Abadan
$672 160% $414
Eating Out
Istanbul
$221
Abadan
$444 101% $223
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Abadan
$329 154% $199
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$120
Abadan
$747 523% $627
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$91
Abadan
$18 * 80.7% $73
Getting Around
Istanbul
$75
Abadan
$7.1 * 90.6% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $55 in Istanbul vs $88 in Abadan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $672 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇹🇲 Abadan
🕒 Local time
00:15 12:15 AM
02:15 2:15 AM
2 h ahead of Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
39,481
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TMT, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.05 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.36 TMT (1 TMT = 0.298 USD). 1 EUR = 3.76 TMT (1 TMT = 0.266 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Abadan 2,510 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Abadan

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 Abadan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Istanbul cheaper than Abadan?
Istanbul is about 31% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $2,278 in Istanbul and $3,324 in Abadan 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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $948 in Istanbul versus $23 in Abadan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Istanbul or in Abadan?
Dining out is cheaper in Istanbul – a meal for two runs $55 versus $88 in Abadan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 enough to cover costs in Istanbul or in Abadan?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,500. Istanbul is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is it better to live in Istanbul or in Abadan?
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.
Which city is safer, Istanbul or Abadan?
Safety-wise, Istanbul and Abadan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Istanbul vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?