Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Ashkelon

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,519 a month against $2,345 in Ashkelon, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 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 Ashkelon
Learn more

Ashkelon Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Ashkelon

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,345

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Ashkelon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,519 in Istanbul versus $2,345 in Ashkelon.

Istanbul $1,519
Ashkelon $2,345

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,365 in Istanbul versus $3,478 in Ashkelon.

Istanbul $2,365
Ashkelon $3,478

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,212 in Istanbul versus $4,611 in Ashkelon.

Istanbul $3,212
Ashkelon $4,611

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 35% less than in Ashkelon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$22.53 ₪72.0

-47.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$79.5 ₪254

-30.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$17.33 ₪55.4

-46.57%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$4.67 ₪14.92

-7.92%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$3.38 ₪10.82

-47.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$2.75 ₪8.79

-79.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$11.51 ₪36.80

-59.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$7.42 ₪23.73

-4.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$2.32 ₪7.41

-46.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$2.59 ₪8.28

-66.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$3.00 ₪9.59

-26.67%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$4.66 ₪14.89

-47.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$20.43 ₪65.3

-48.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$12.54 ₪40.10

-57.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$23.99 ₪76.7

-12.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$4.05 ₪12.96

-54.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$3.27 ₪10.47

-29.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$2.27 ₪7.27

-46.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$3.11 ₪9.93

-42.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$1.55 ₪4.96

-55.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$1.88 ₪6.00

-65.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$2.57 ₪8.21

-47.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.98 ₪3.12

-40.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$13.54 ₪43.29

-82.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$11.46 ₪36.63

13.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$2.53 ₪8.08

-6.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.96 ₪6.26

69.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$2.60 ₪8.31

-66.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$44.47 ₪142

48.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$3.87 ₪12.37

-66.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$1.64 ₪5.24

-48.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$37.93 ₪121

-70.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$2.58 ₪8.24

-42.64%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$53.2K ₪170.1K

-8.58%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$51.6K ₪165.1K

-18.71%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$207 ₪662

-55.22%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$11.78 ₪37.66

-4.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$40.43 ₪129

-60.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$45.86 ₪147

62.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$31.79 ₪102

-27.81%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$15.39 ₪49.20

-47.69%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$1,195 ₪3,821

-20.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$104 ₪331

-47.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$74.1 ₪237

-43.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$111 ₪356

-9.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$143 ₪459

-36.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$1,121 ₪3,583

-9.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$952 ₪3,044

-34.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$1,737 ₪5,553

15.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$1,460 ₪4,667

-22.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$5,845 ₪18.7K

-48.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$5,481 ₪17.5K

-68.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$2,831 ₪9,052

-59.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

4.98

711.65%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ashkelon: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Ashkelon

$952 40.6% 52.5% $328

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Ashkelon

$410 17.5% 58.8% $152

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Ashkelon

$385 16.4% 74.3% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Ashkelon

$195 8.3% 50.4% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Ashkelon

$259 11.1% 116% $139

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Ashkelon

$77 3.3% 15.6% $14

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Ashkelon

$67 2.9% 11% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Istanbul and $1,121 in Ashkelon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashkelon pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $55 in Istanbul vs $79 in Ashkelon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $410 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇱 Ashkelon

🕒 Local time

19:00 7:00 PM

18:00 6:00 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

152,439

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1 ILS = 0.313 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 = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.2 ILS (1 ILS = 0.313 USD). 1 EUR = 3.59 ILS (1 ILS = 0.278 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Ashkelon 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Ashkelon

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 Ashkelon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Ashkelon. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Istanbul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 60% 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 $1,121 in Ashkelon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Istanbul – a meal for two runs $55 versus $79 in Ashkelon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,519 per month in Istanbul versus $2,345 in Ashkelon – 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 Ashkelon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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