Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Antalya

For one person, living is cheaper in Antalya: $1,224 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Antalya
Learn more

Antalya Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Antalya

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,224

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Antalya

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,224 in Antalya, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Antalya $1,224

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,844 in Antalya, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Antalya $1,844

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,463 in Antalya, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Antalya $2,463

Istanbul costs about 27% more than Antalya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Antalya is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$10.27 ₺508

19.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$43.82 ₺2,169

24.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$9.26 ₺458

-0.43%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$4.19 ₺208

5.01%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.99 ₺98.7

-15.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.53 ₺26.23

11.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.97 ₺147

58.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$4.97 ₺246

18.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.03 ₺51.0

17.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.99 ₺49.12

-10.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.93 ₺95.4

13.47%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.45 ₺121

-4.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$9.00 ₺446

15.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$4.83 ₺239

16.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$19.84 ₺982

5.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.74 ₺86.2

9.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.83 ₺90.6

26.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.96 ₺47.64

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.43 ₺70.9

25.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.65 ₺32.04

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.56 ₺27.84

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.85 ₺42.29

47.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.65 ₺31.99

-13.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$2.30 ₺114

3.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$10.09 ₺500

33.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$2.19 ₺108

9.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.97 ₺147

17.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.82 ₺40.47

8.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$23.93 ₺1,185

181.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.00 ₺49.31

29.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.74 ₺36.48

24.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$7.91 ₺391

38.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.42 ₺70.3

3.52%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$42.8K ₺2.1M

18.77%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$38.9K ₺1.9M

14.37%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$73.2 ₺3,624

21.07%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$11.68 ₺578

-0.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$15.15 ₺750

4.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$55.5 ₺2,749

38.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$22.28 ₺1,103

2.06%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$7.14 ₺354

14.01%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$685 ₺33.9K

47.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$17.9K ₺886.9K

42.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$45.18 ₺2,237

19.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$32.36 ₺1,602

26.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$90.8 ₺4,494

8.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$79.2 ₺3,920

22.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$612 ₺30.3K

61.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$486 ₺24.1K

33.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,006 ₺49.8K

97.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$735 ₺36.4K

60.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$2,014 ₺99.7K

55.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,358 ₺67.2K

31.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$944 ₺46.7K

27.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

40.44

1.19%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Antalya: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Antalya

$486 39.7% 25.2% $164

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Antalya

$230 18.8% 11.3% $29

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Antalya

$195 15.9% 12.6% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Antalya

$111 9.1% 14.7% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Antalya

$100 8.2% 13.8% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Antalya

$70 5.7% 25.3% $24

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Antalya

$32 2.6% 58.5% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $612 in Antalya. 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 28% 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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $44.00 in Antalya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $230 – making Antalya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇷 Antalya

🕒 Local time

03:36 3:36 AM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

2,722,103

💱 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 Antalya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $1,837 in Antalya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,550 in Istanbul and $1,224 in Antalya. That's a gap of about 27%.

Public transport costs about 182% less in Antalya. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Antalya, where all-in costs run around $1,224, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Antalya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Antalya – 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 Antalya. 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.