Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Ankara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ankara: $1,399 a month against $1,525 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
Learn more

Ankara Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Ankara

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $1,399 in Ankara, rent included.

Istanbul $1,525
Ankara $1,399

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $2,078 in Ankara, rent included.

Istanbul $2,390
Ankara $2,078

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $2,758 in Ankara, rent included.

Istanbul $3,256
Ankara $2,758

Istanbul costs about 9% more than Ankara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Istanbul and Ankara sit above the global median – Istanbul by 13%, Ankara by 3%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ₺592

$10.29 ₺509

16.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 ₺2,834

$42.23 ₺2,091

35.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 ₺471

$9.79 ₺485

-2.86%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$3.98 ₺197

10.55%

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

$1.75 ₺86.6

$1.67 ₺82.8

4.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.57

$0.76 ₺37.43

-26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 ₺233

$4.93 ₺244

-4.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₺304

$6.18 ₺306

-0.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.6

$1.16 ₺57.3

6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.25

$0.97 ₺47.90

-2.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$2.20 ₺109

3.64%

Eggs

$2.45 ₺121

$2.68 ₺133

-8.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₺523

$10.08 ₺499

4.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 ₺272

$5.44 ₺269

1.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.65 ₺1,072

$20.01 ₺991

8.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ₺90.6

$1.97 ₺97.6

-7.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.4

$1.28 ₺63.5

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 ₺90.1

$1.67 ₺82.6

8.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₺32.74

$0.66 ₺32.50

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.14

$0.58 ₺28.75

8.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₺62.8

$1.05 ₺52.0

20.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.62

$0.69 ₺34.22

-18.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺117

$2.21 ₺109

6.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 ₺642

$12.48 ₺618

4.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₺123

$2.24 ₺111

10.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₺174

$3.14 ₺156

11.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.77

$0.70 ₺34.88

17.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₺3,228

$12.13 ₺600

437.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₺65.7

$1.34 ₺66.3

-0.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₺44.60

$0.80 ₺39.57

12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 ₺540

$6.61 ₺327

65.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₺70.7

$1.42 ₺70.5

0.70%

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

$49.6K ₺2.5M

$49.1K ₺2.4M

0.94%

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

$43.2K ₺2.1M

$40.8K ₺2.0M

5.91%

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

$88.8 ₺4,395

$95.2 ₺4,715

-6.79%

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

$11.69 ₺579

$11.15 ₺552

4.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 ₺797

$17.69 ₺876

-9.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 ₺3,776

$72.0 ₺3,566

5.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 ₺1,125

$14.87 ₺736

52.79%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ₺409

$8.09 ₺401

2.10%

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

$1,015 ₺50.2K

$1,052 ₺52.1K

-3.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$20.0K ₺988.0K

29.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,636

$53.4 ₺2,642

-0.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 ₺2,008

$48.00 ₺2,377

-15.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₺4,956

$106 ₺5,266

-5.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,630

$94.6 ₺4,681

-1.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₺48.4K

$766 ₺37.9K

27.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺31.0K

$571 ₺28.3K

9.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 ₺98.0K

$1,159 ₺57.4K

70.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ₺56.8K

$884 ₺43.8K

29.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 ₺153.2K

$1,713 ₺84.8K

80.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 ₺88.5K

$1,159 ₺57.4K

54.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 ₺60.1K

$1,099 ₺54.4K

10.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

43.57

-6.61%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ankara: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$627 41.1%

Ankara

$571 40.8% 8.9% $56

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$263 17.2%

Ankara

$253 18.1% 3.5% $9.2

Eating Out

Istanbul

$222 14.6%

Ankara

$206 14.7% 7.2% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Ankara

$136 9.7% 5.2% $6.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.6%

Ankara

$124 8.9% 6.5% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6.1%

Ankara

$88 6.3% 4.9% $4.6

Getting Around

Istanbul

$74 4.9%

Ankara

$20 1.5% 72.7% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $766 in Ankara. 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 10% 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 $42.00 in Ankara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $253 – making Ankara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇷 Ankara

🕒 Local time

14:16 2:16 PM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

5,864,049 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Ankara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul costs about 9% more than Ankara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $2,099 in Ankara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,015 per month in Istanbul and $1,052 in Ankara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ankara, where all-in costs run around $1,399, than in Istanbul at $1,525. In Ankara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ankara costs $1,399 versus $1,525 in Istanbul. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Ankara. 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.