Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Amasya

For one person, living is cheaper in Amasya: $1,165 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Istanbul, Turkey
Amasya, Turkey
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,519
/mo nomad
Amasya
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,165
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Amasya

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,165 in Amasya, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,519
  • Amasya $1,165

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,806 in Amasya, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,365
  • Amasya $1,806

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,447 in Amasya, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,212
  • Amasya $2,447

Istanbul costs about 30% more than Amasya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Amasya is 14% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Amasya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.81 ₺591
$10.05 ₺503
17.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.9 ₺2,747
$44.41 ₺2,221
23.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.26 ₺463
$9.60 ₺480
-3.54%
Cappuccino
$4.30 ₺215
$4.08 ₺204
5.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 ₺88.8
$1.75 ₺87.5
1.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺28.25
$0.78 ₺39.02
-28.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.69 ₺234
$5.02 ₺251
-6.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.12 ₺356
$6.67 ₺333
6.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Amasya
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 ₺62.6
$1.17 ₺58.4
6.84%
White Bread (500g)
$0.88 ₺44.05
$0.95 ₺47.45
-7.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 ₺110
$2.21 ₺111
-0.45%
Eggs
$2.43 ₺122
$2.73 ₺136
-10.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.48 ₺524
$10.09 ₺505
3.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.31 ₺266
$5.25 ₺263
1.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.10 ₺1,056
$19.54 ₺977
7.98%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 ₺92.8
$1.92 ₺96.0
-3.12%
Banana (1kg)
$2.30 ₺115
$2.18 ₺109
5.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.22 ₺60.8
$1.26 ₺62.9
-3.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺89.9
$1.68 ₺84.1
7.14%
Potato (1kg)
$0.69 ₺34.74
$0.66 ₺32.84
4.55%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺32.08
$0.54 ₺27.01
18.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 ₺67.8
$1.01 ₺50.3
34.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 ₺28.87
$0.66 ₺32.83
-12.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.34 ₺117
$2.21 ₺111
5.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 ₺652
$12.45 ₺623
4.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.36 ₺118
$2.21 ₺111
6.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 ₺166
$3.10 ₺155
7.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Amasya
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 ₺43.96
$0.60 ₺29.77
46.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.1 ₺3,307
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 ₺64.3
$1.32 ₺66.3
-3.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 ₺42.69
$0.81 ₺40.70
4.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.09 ₺555
$8.06 ₺403
37.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 ₺73.8
$1.39 ₺69.8
6.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.6K ₺2.4M
$48.6K ₺2.4M
0.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.0K ₺2.1M
$41.3K ₺2.1M
1.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Amasya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.7 ₺4,638
$101 ₺5,052
-8.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.20 ₺560
$11.02 ₺551
1.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.89 ₺795
$17.93 ₺897
-11.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Amasya
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.7 ₺3,736
$60.6 ₺3,030
23.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.95 ₺1,148
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.05 ₺403
$8.21 ₺411
-1.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Amasya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$948 ₺47.4K
$599 ₺30.0K
58.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$36.9K ₺1.8M
$22.2K ₺1.1M
66.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Amasya
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₺2,695
$53.0 ₺2,650
1.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.49 ₺2,075
$46.41 ₺2,322
-10.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 ₺5,047
$106 ₺5,309
-4.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.3 ₺4,568
$96.9 ₺4,846
-5.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Amasya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,014 ₺50.7K
$402 ₺20.1K
152.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$625 ₺31.2K
$358 ₺17.9K
74.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,005 ₺100.3K
$745 ₺37.3K
169.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,126 ₺56.3K
$628 ₺31.4K
79.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,988 ₺149.5K
$1,232 ₺61.6K
142.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,730 ₺86.5K
$925 ₺46.3K
86.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Amasya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,136 ₺56.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.42
43.85
-7.82%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Amasya: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$625
Amasya
$358 42.7% $267
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$258
Amasya
$249 3.5% $9
Eating Out
Istanbul
$221
Amasya
$207 6.4% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Amasya
$136 5.2% $6.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$120
Amasya
$130 8.5% $10
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$91
Amasya
$77 15.2% $14
Getting Around
Istanbul
$75
Amasya
$7.8 * 89.7% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $402 in Amasya. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $44 in Amasya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $249 – making Amasya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇹🇷 Amasya
🕒 Local time
03:05 3:05 AM
03:05 3:05 AM
Same time as Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
114,921
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 50.02 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.31 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Amasya 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Amasya

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 Amasya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Amasya cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,747 in Amasya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Amasya, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $402 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.
Is eating out cheaper in Istanbul or in Amasya?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $44 in Amasya. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Istanbul and in Amasya?
Groceries cost about 4% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Istanbul or in Amasya?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Amasya, where all-in costs run around $1,165, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Amasya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Istanbul or Amasya more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Amasya – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Istanbul or Amasya?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Istanbul vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

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