Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Bukhara

For one person, living is cheaper in Bukhara: $492 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Bukhara
Learn more

Bukhara Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Bukhara

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$492

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Bukhara

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $492 in Bukhara, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Bukhara $492

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $758 in Bukhara, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Bukhara $758

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $1,023 in Bukhara, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Bukhara $1,023

Istanbul costs about 209% more than Bukhara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Bukhara is 64% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$6.87 UZS 82.3K

71.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$16.14 UZS 193.3K

240.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$4.23 UZS 50.7K

118.91%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$1.75 UZS 21.0K

145.71%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$0.63 UZS 7,499

180.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.30 UZS 3,643

86.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$2.12 UZS 25.3K

121.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$2.31 UZS 27.7K

208.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.02 UZS 12.3K

22.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.36 UZS 4,360

144.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.36 UZS 16.3K

61.76%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.43 UZS 17.1K

69.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$10.40 UZS 124.5K

0.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$3.52 UZS 42.1K

50.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$8.52 UZS 102.0K

147.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.18 UZS 14.1K

57.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.73 UZS 20.7K

32.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$2.44 UZS 29.2K

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$1.99 UZS 23.8K

-9.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.57 UZS 6,881

21.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.28 UZS 3,365

128.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$0.16 UZS 1,910

750.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.35 UZS 4,153

65.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$2.06 UZS 24.7K

13.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$4.11 UZS 49.2K

217.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.11 UZS 13.3K

112.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$3.41 UZS 40.8K

-2.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.19 UZS 2,267

363.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$0.32 UZS 3,880

300.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.26 UZS 3,116

226.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$6.34 UZS 76.0K

74.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.29 UZS 15.4K

14.73%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$30.32 UZS 363.1K

205.77%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$4.58 UZS 54.9K

144.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$11.50 UZS 137.7K

38.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$76.9 UZS 920.3K

1134.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$2,329 UZS 27.9M

1485.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$14.83 UZS 177.6K

263.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$30.29 UZS 362.7K

36.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$59.8 UZS 715.6K

68.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$60.0 UZS 718.9K

52.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$200 UZS 2.4M

405.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$98.7 UZS 1.2M

532.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$249 UZS 3.0M

705.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$120 UZS 1.4M

836.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$624 UZS 7.5M

378.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$303 UZS 3.6M

471.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$329 UZS 3.9M

245.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bukhara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Bukhara

$99 20.1% 84.2% $526

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Bukhara

$163 33.1% 36.9% $95

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Bukhara

$108 21.9% 51.3% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Bukhara

$74 15.1% 42.7% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Bukhara

$46 9.4% 61.3% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Bukhara

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Bukhara

$2.4 * 0.5% 96.8% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $200 in Bukhara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Istanbul are about 3.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $16 in Bukhara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $163 – making Bukhara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇺🇿 Bukhara

🕒 Local time

13:10 1:10 PM

15:10 3:10 PM

2 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

272,500

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UZS, 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).

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 11,975 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD). 1 EUR = 13,449 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.44 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Bukhara 2,980 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Bukhara

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 Bukhara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,519 in Istanbul, $492 in Bukhara – Bukhara comes out roughly 68% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $738 in Bukhara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bukhara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $200 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,519 in Istanbul and $492 in Bukhara. That makes Bukhara about 68% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $77 in Bukhara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Bukhara, where all-in costs run around $492, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Bukhara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bukhara – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Bukhara. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.