Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Acre

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,519 a month against $2,796 in Acre, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Istanbul, Turkey
Acre, Israel
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,519
/mo nomad
Acre
🇮🇱 Israel
$2,796
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Acre

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,519 in Istanbul versus $2,796 in Acre.

  • Istanbul $1,519
  • Acre $2,796

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,365 in Istanbul versus $4,175 in Acre.

  • Istanbul $2,365
  • Acre $4,175

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,212 in Istanbul versus $5,553 in Acre.

  • Istanbul $3,212
  • Acre $5,553

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 46% less than in Acre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 12% above, Acre 107% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Acre
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.81 ₺591
$26.43 ₪83.6
-55.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.9 ₺2,748
$107 ₪340
-48.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.26 ₺463
$19.67 ₪62.2
-52.92%
Cappuccino
$4.30 ₺215
$4.50 ₪14.23
-4.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 ₺88.8
$3.46 ₪10.94
-48.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺28.26
$3.17 ₪10.03
-82.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.69 ₺234
$10.69 ₪33.80
-56.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.12 ₺356
$10.72 ₪33.90
-33.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Acre
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 ₺62.6
$2.45 ₪7.76
-48.98%
White Bread (500g)
$0.88 ₺44.07
$3.54 ₪11.20
-75.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 ₺110
$3.65 ₪11.53
-39.73%
Eggs
$2.43 ₺122
$4.92 ₪15.55
-50.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.48 ₺524
$17.05 ₪54.0
-38.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.31 ₺266
$12.79 ₪40.45
-58.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.10 ₺1,056
$23.24 ₪73.5
-9.21%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 ₺92.9
$4.42 ₪13.97
-57.92%
Banana (1kg)
$2.30 ₺115
$2.87 ₪9.09
-19.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.22 ₺60.8
$2.33 ₪7.37
-47.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺90.0
$2.54 ₪8.04
-29.13%
Potato (1kg)
$0.69 ₺34.75
$1.83 ₪5.78
-62.30%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺32.09
$1.73 ₪5.46
-63.01%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 ₺67.8
$2.39 ₪7.57
-43.10%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 ₺28.88
$2.66 ₪8.42
-78.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.34 ₺117
$13.53 ₪42.80
-82.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 ₺652
$15.19 ₪48.05
-14.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.36 ₺118
$3.22 ₪10.18
-26.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 ₺166
$4.96 ₪15.68
-33.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Acre
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 ₺43.97
$2.64 ₪8.35
-66.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.1 ₺3,309
$101 ₪321
-34.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 ₺64.3
$4.24 ₪13.41
-69.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 ₺42.70
$1.10 ₪3.49
-22.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.09 ₺555
$19.16 ₪60.6
-42.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 ₺73.9
$2.57 ₪8.13
-42.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.6K ₺2.4M
$54.6K ₪172.6K
-10.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.0K ₺2.1M
$55.1K ₪174.3K
-23.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Acre
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.7 ₺4,639
$261 ₪825
-64.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.20 ₺560
$11.68 ₪36.94
-4.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.89 ₺795
$35.94 ₪114
-55.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Acre
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.7 ₺3,737
$77.6 ₪245
-3.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.95 ₺1,149
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.05 ₺403
$15.60 ₪49.33
-48.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Acre
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$948 ₺47.5K
$1,179 ₪3,730
-19.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$36.9K ₺1.8M
$30.8K ₪97.3K
19.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Acre
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₺2,696
$114 ₪361
-52.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.49 ₺2,076
$70.4 ₪223
-41.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 ₺5,049
$130 ₪411
-22.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.3 ₺4,570
$155 ₪491
-41.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Acre
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,014 ₺50.7K
$1,543 ₪4,881
-34.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$625 ₺31.3K
$1,173 ₪3,711
-46.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,005 ₺100.4K
$2,407 ₪7,613
-16.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,126 ₺56.3K
$1,885 ₪5,963
-40.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,988 ₺149.5K
$10.0K ₪31.8K
-70.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,730 ₺86.6K
$7,698 ₪24.4K
-77.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Acre
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,136 ₺56.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.42
5.04
701.98%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Acre: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$625
Acre
$1.2K 87.8% $549
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$258
Acre
$447 73.1% $189
Eating Out
Istanbul
$221
Acre
$426 92.8% $205
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Acre
$211 63.3% $82
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$120
Acre
$308 157% $189
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$91
Acre
$109 19.8% $18
Getting Around
Istanbul
$75
Acre
$122 61.9% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Istanbul and $1,543 in Acre. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55 in Istanbul vs $107 in Acre for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $447 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇮🇱 Acre
🕒 Local time
04:28 4:28 AM
03:28 3:28 AM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
55,974
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.04 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.18 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.16 ILS (1 ILS = 0.316 USD). 1 EUR = 3.55 ILS (1 ILS = 0.282 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Acre 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Acre

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 Acre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Istanbul or Acre?
Istanbul wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Acre. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Istanbul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Istanbul and in Acre?
You’d need roughly $2,278 in Istanbul and $4,194 in Acre 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 much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Istanbul compared to Acre?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Istanbul versus $1,543 in Acre. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Istanbul or in Acre?
Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Acre. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Istanbul and in Acre?
Dining out is cheaper in Istanbul – a meal for two runs $55 versus $107 in Acre. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Istanbul or in Acre?
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.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Istanbul or Acre?
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 more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Istanbul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Acre. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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