Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Artvin

For one person, living is cheaper in Artvin: $954 a month against $1,516 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Istanbul, Turkey
Artvin, Turkey
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,516
/mo nomad
Artvin
🇹🇷 Turkey
$954
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Artvin

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

A single person spends $1,516 per month in Istanbul vs $954 in Artvin, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,516
  • Artvin $954

A couple spends around $2,356 per month in Istanbul vs $1,493 in Artvin, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,356
  • Artvin $1,493

A family of three spends $3,197 per month in Istanbul vs $2,031 in Artvin, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,197
  • Artvin $2,031

Istanbul costs about 59% more than Artvin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Istanbul sits 11% above the global median, while Artvin is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Artvin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.59 ₺577
$7.46 ₺372
55.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,723
$30.09 ₺1,499
81.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.39 ₺468
$7.66 ₺381
22.58%
Cappuccino
$4.23 ₺211
$3.42 ₺170
23.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ₺85.6
$1.19 ₺59.2
44.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 ₺28.24
$0.39 ₺19.56
46.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.65 ₺232
$3.00 ₺149
55.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.84 ₺341
$3.63 ₺181
88.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Artvin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 ₺59.9
$1.00 ₺49.93
20.00%
White Bread (500g)
$0.94 ₺46.94
$0.98 ₺48.60
-4.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 ₺112
$2.18 ₺109
2.75%
Eggs
$2.42 ₺120
$2.13 ₺106
13.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.24 ₺510
$9.34 ₺465
9.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.38 ₺268
$4.07 ₺203
32.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.19 ₺1,055
$19.45 ₺969
8.95%
Apples (1kg)
$1.89 ₺94.2
$1.77 ₺88.3
6.78%
Banana (1kg)
$2.22 ₺111
$1.81 ₺90.4
22.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.26 ₺62.7
$0.98 ₺49.03
28.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.81 ₺89.9
$1.25 ₺62.4
44.80%
Potato (1kg)
$0.70 ₺34.82
$0.53 ₺26.37
32.08%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺32.11
$0.39 ₺19.22
64.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.22 ₺60.8
$0.82 ₺40.98
48.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ₺27.34
$0.64 ₺32.08
-14.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.32 ₺116
$2.14 ₺107
8.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.31 ₺663
$9.95 ₺496
33.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 ₺116
$2.04 ₺101
14.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 ₺172
$2.94 ₺147
17.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Artvin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.91 ₺45.15
$0.70 ₺34.73
30.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.3 ₺3,304
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺64.1
$1.23 ₺61.5
4.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.86 ₺42.63
$0.84 ₺41.95
2.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.09 ₺552
$6.43 ₺320
72.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 ₺70.7
$1.29 ₺64.1
10.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$49.2K ₺2.4M
$41.7K ₺2.1M
18.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.8K ₺2.1M
$38.6K ₺1.9M
10.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Artvin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$87.7 ₺4,370
$71.5 ₺3,563
22.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.28 ₺562
$10.63 ₺529
6.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.89 ₺791
$13.88 ₺691
14.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Artvin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$75.9 ₺3,780
$52.7 ₺2,623
44.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.04 ₺1,147
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.20 ₺408
$6.07 ₺302
35.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Artvin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,028 ₺51.2K
$609 ₺30.3K
68.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.0K ₺1.3M
$11.0K ₺545.7K
136.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Artvin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.3 ₺2,656
$45.67 ₺2,274
16.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.69 ₺1,977
$35.96 ₺1,791
10.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.8 ₺4,969
$87.8 ₺4,374
13.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.5 ₺4,658
$77.1 ₺3,839
21.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Artvin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,003 ₺50.0K
$424 ₺21.1K
136.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$628 ₺31.3K
$299 ₺14.9K
110.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,963 ₺97.7K
$764 ₺38.1K
156.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,122 ₺55.9K
$563 ₺28.0K
99.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,075 ₺153.1K
$1,390 ₺69.2K
121.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,753 ₺87.3K
$1,026 ₺51.1K
70.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Artvin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,180 ₺58.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.69
41.42
-1.76%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Last update for Artvin: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$628
Artvin
$299 52.4% $329
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$258
Artvin
$223 13.6% $35
Eating Out
Istanbul
$218
Artvin
$152 30.1% $66
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Artvin
$111 13.9% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$115
Artvin
$96 16.4% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$92
Artvin
$65 29.8% $28
Getting Around
Istanbul
$76
Artvin
$8.2 * 89.1% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Istanbul versus $424 in Artvin. 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 $30 in Artvin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $223 – making Artvin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇹🇷 Artvin
🕒 Local time
17:54 5:54 PM
17:54 5:54 PM
Same time as Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
34,537
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 49.8 TRY (100 TRY = 2.01 USD). 1 EUR = 55.58 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Artvin 1,080 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Artvin

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 Artvin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Artvin cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 59%, 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 $2,274 per month in Istanbul and $1,431 in Artvin. 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 Artvin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $424 there versus $1,003 in Istanbul.
What are total monthly expenses in Istanbul and in Artvin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,516 in Istanbul and $954 in Artvin. That makes Artvin about 37% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,028 per month in Istanbul and $609 in Artvin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is Istanbul or Artvin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Artvin – 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 Artvin?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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