Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Almaty: $1,363 a month against $1,525 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
Learn more

Almaty Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Almaty

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $1,363 in Almaty, rent included.

Istanbul $1,525
Almaty $1,363

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $2,131 in Almaty, rent included.

Istanbul $2,390
Almaty $2,131

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $2,900 in Almaty, rent included.

Istanbul $3,256
Almaty $2,900

Istanbul costs about 12% more than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Istanbul and Almaty sit above the global median – Istanbul by 13%, Almaty by 1%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ₺592

$13.05 ₸5,899

-8.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 ₺2,834

$43.44 ₸19.6K

31.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 ₺471

$8.76 ₸3,962

8.56%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$3.32 ₸1,501

32.53%

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

$1.75 ₺86.6

$1.34 ₸607

30.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.57

$0.83 ₸374

-32.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 ₺233

$3.36 ₸1,518

40.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₺304

$4.02 ₸1,818

52.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.6

$1.65 ₸747

-24.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.25

$0.93 ₸421

2.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$2.05 ₸927

11.22%

Eggs

$2.45 ₺121

$2.46 ₸1,113

-0.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₺523

$12.49 ₸5,646

-15.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 ₺272

$6.71 ₸3,035

-18.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.65 ₺1,072

$10.85 ₸4,905

99.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ₺90.6

$1.78 ₸807

2.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$2.25 ₸1,018

1.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.4

$2.87 ₸1,299

-55.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 ₺90.1

$2.71 ₸1,227

-32.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₺32.74

$0.80 ₸362

-17.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.14

$0.55 ₸249

14.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₺62.8

$1.62 ₸732

-21.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.62

$1.00 ₸453

-44.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺117

$2.58 ₸1,167

-8.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 ₺642

$11.15 ₸5,039

16.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₺123

$1.26 ₸572

96.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₺174

$2.48 ₸1,120

41.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.77

$0.28 ₸128

192.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₺3,228

$22.05 ₸9,970

195.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₺65.7

$1.34 ₸607

-0.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₺44.60

$0.64 ₸288

40.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 ₺540

$11.04 ₸4,993

-1.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₺70.7

$0.72 ₸326

98.61%

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

$49.6K ₺2.5M

$28.1K ₸12.7M

76.13%

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

$43.2K ₺2.1M

$31.8K ₸14.4M

35.79%

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

$88.8 ₺4,395

$90.5 ₸40.9K

-1.93%

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

$11.69 ₺579

$10.63 ₸4,805

9.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 ₺797

$18.12 ₸8,190

-11.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 ₺3,776

$69.0 ₸31.2K

10.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 ₺1,125

$26.98 ₸12.2K

-15.79%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ₺409

$6.77 ₸3,062

22.01%

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

$1,015 ₺50.2K

$444 ₸200.6K

128.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$12.0K ₸5.4M

115.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,636

$91.9 ₸41.5K

-42.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 ₺2,008

$47.80 ₸21.6K

-15.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₺4,956

$139 ₸63.0K

-28.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,630

$131 ₸59.4K

-28.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₺48.4K

$777 ₸351.2K

25.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺31.0K

$494 ₸223.4K

26.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 ₺98.0K

$1,439 ₸650.4K

37.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ₺56.8K

$905 ₸409.2K

26.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 ₺153.2K

$2,470 ₸1.1M

25.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 ₺88.5K

$1,517 ₸685.7K

17.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 ₺60.1K

$857 ₸387.2K

41.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

20.65

97.05%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$627 41.1%

Almaty

$494 36.3% 21.2% $133

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$263 17.2%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 4.6% $12

Eating Out

Istanbul

$222 14.6%

Almaty

$204 15% 8.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Almaty

$185 13.6% 42.8% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.6%

Almaty

$119 8.8% 2.3% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6.1%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 11% $10

Getting Around

Istanbul

$74 4.9%

Almaty

$28 2% 62.7% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $777 in Almaty. 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 42% higher in Istanbul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Istanbul versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $251 – making Almaty the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

04:14 4:14 AM

07:14 7:14 AM

3 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Almaty 3,910 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Almaty

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 Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $2,044 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Istanbul and $43.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,525 in Istanbul and $1,363 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 12%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Almaty, where all-in costs run around $1,363, than in Istanbul at $1,525. In Almaty it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Almaty – 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 Almaty. 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.