Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Balikesir

For one person, living is cheaper in Balikesir: $942 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Balikesir
Learn more

Balikesir Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Balikesir

🇹🇷 Turkey

$942

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Balikesir

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $942 in Balikesir, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Balikesir $942

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,467 in Balikesir, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Balikesir $1,467

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $1,991 in Balikesir, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Balikesir $1,991

Istanbul costs about 61% more than Balikesir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Balikesir is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$6.88 ₺345

71.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$27.55 ₺1,382

99.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$7.93 ₺397

16.77%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$3.50 ₺176

22.86%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$1.32 ₺66.4

34.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.34 ₺17.11

64.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$2.94 ₺147

59.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$3.99 ₺200

78.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$0.93 ₺46.56

34.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.95 ₺47.59

-7.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$2.13 ₺107

3.29%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.88 ₺94.1

29.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$7.80 ₺391

34.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$3.45 ₺173

53.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$18.60 ₺933

13.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.85 ₺92.9

0.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.64 ₺82.5

40.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$0.99 ₺49.46

23.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$0.98 ₺49.22

83.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.45 ₺22.53

53.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.30 ₺15.26

113.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$0.72 ₺36.35

88.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.75 ₺37.45

-22.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$2.23 ₺112

4.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$11.32 ₺568

15.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$2.01 ₺101

17.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$3.03 ₺152

9.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.71 ₺35.62

23.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$39.40 ₺1,976

67.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$1.12 ₺56.2

14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$1.13 ₺56.6

-24.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$4.00 ₺201

177.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.31 ₺65.8

12.98%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$39.8K ₺2.0M

22.32%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$40.4K ₺2.0M

4.00%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$44.52 ₺2,233

108.24%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$12.10 ₺607

-7.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$14.95 ₺750

6.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$59.2 ₺2,967

26.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$29.92 ₺1,501

-23.30%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$4.04 ₺203

99.26%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$589 ₺29.5K

61.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$12.0K ₺600.6K

208.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$23.59 ₺1,183

128.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$16.28 ₺817

154.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$70.8 ₺3,552

42.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$40.30 ₺2,021

126.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$401 ₺20.1K

152.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$325 ₺16.3K

92.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$827 ₺41.5K

142.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$574 ₺28.8K

96.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$1,006 ₺50.5K

196.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$806 ₺40.4K

114.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$1,297 ₺65.0K

-12.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

39.8

1.56%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Balikesir: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Balikesir

$325 34.4% 48% $300

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Balikesir

$212 22.5% 18% $46

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Balikesir

$150 15.9% 32% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Balikesir

$68 7.2% 47.5% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Balikesir

$72 7.6% 40.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Balikesir

$67 7.1% 25.9% $24

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Balikesir

$49 5.2% 34.8% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $401 in Balikesir. 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 14% higher in Balikesir, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $28 in Balikesir. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $212 – making Balikesir the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇷 Balikesir

🕒 Local time

10:02 10:02 AM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,196,170

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Balikesir 180 km

From you

Istanbul
Balikesir

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 Balikesir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul costs about 61% more than Balikesir, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,413 in Balikesir. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Balikesir, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $401 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,519 in Istanbul and $942 in Balikesir. That makes Balikesir about 38% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 40% less in Balikesir. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,519 in Istanbul and $942 in Balikesir. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Balikesir – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Balikesir is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 38% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.