Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Ashdod

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,519 a month against $2,337 in Ashdod, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in Ashdod
Learn more

Ashdod Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Ashdod

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,337

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Ashdod

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,519 in Istanbul versus $2,337 in Ashdod.

Istanbul $1,519
Ashdod $2,337

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,365 in Istanbul versus $3,541 in Ashdod.

Istanbul $2,365
Ashdod $3,541

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,212 in Istanbul versus $4,744 in Ashdod.

Istanbul $3,212
Ashdod $4,744

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 35% less than in Ashdod, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 12% above, Ashdod 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$22.75 ₪72.9

-48.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$96.8 ₪310

-43.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$19.28 ₪61.8

-51.97%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$4.83 ₪15.49

-10.97%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$3.26 ₪10.44

-45.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$2.52 ₪8.09

-77.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$8.09 ₪25.94

-42.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$9.91 ₪31.75

-28.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$2.46 ₪7.90

-49.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$3.32 ₪10.63

-73.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$2.80 ₪8.99

-21.43%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$4.82 ₪15.44

-49.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$17.18 ₪55.1

-39.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$13.26 ₪42.51

-59.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$30.13 ₪96.6

-29.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$3.47 ₪11.12

-46.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$3.32 ₪10.65

-30.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$2.55 ₪8.19

-52.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$2.38 ₪7.62

-24.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$1.90 ₪6.09

-63.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$1.60 ₪5.14

-60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$2.00 ₪6.42

-32.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$1.24 ₪3.97

-53.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$12.54 ₪40.18

-81.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$11.73 ₪37.60

11.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$2.86 ₪9.16

-17.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$3.74 ₪11.97

-11.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$2.60 ₪8.34

-66.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$4.04 ₪12.95

-68.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$1.26 ₪4.05

-32.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$37.33 ₪120

-70.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$2.58 ₪8.27

-42.64%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$55.7K ₪178.6K

-12.70%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$55.3K ₪177.3K

-24.13%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$125 ₪400

-25.76%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$11.81 ₪37.86

-5.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$40.55 ₪130

-60.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$78.6 ₪252

-4.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$11.99 ₪38.41

-32.86%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$1,127 ₪3,613

-15.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$24.5K ₪78.5K

50.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$89.9 ₪288

-40.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$74.4 ₪238

-44.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$127 ₪407

-20.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$160 ₪513

-43.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$1,714 ₪5,493

-40.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$1,019 ₪3,267

-38.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$2,039 ₪6,535

-1.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$1,589 ₪5,092

-29.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$7,336 ₪23.5K

-59.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$5,476 ₪17.6K

-68.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$4,049 ₪13.0K

-71.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

4.99

710.02%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ashdod: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Ashdod

$1K 43.6% 63.2% $395

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Ashdod

$433 18.5% 67.6% $175

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Ashdod

$381 16.3% 72.6% $160

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Ashdod

$203 8.7% 57% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Ashdod

$177 7.6% 48% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Ashdod

$103 4.4% 13% $12

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Ashdod

$21 * 0.9% 72.4% $54

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Istanbul and $1,714 in Ashdod. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashdod pays about 3.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $55 in Istanbul vs $97 in Ashdod for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $433 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇱 Ashdod

🕒 Local time

03:33 3:33 AM

02:33 2:33 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

251,837

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1 ILS = 0.312 USD

1 ILS = 0.278 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.21 ILS (1 ILS = 0.312 USD). 1 EUR = 3.6 ILS (1 ILS = 0.278 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Ashdod 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Ashdod

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 Ashdod: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul is about 35% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 72% lower in Istanbul. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Istanbul versus $1,714 in Ashdod. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Ashdod. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,519 per month in Istanbul versus $2,337 in Ashdod – Istanbul is about 35% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,500. Istanbul is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Ashdod are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Istanbul wins on affordability, Ashdod on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.