Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Burrel

For one person, living is cheaper in Burrel: $1,101 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Burrel
Learn more

Burrel Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Burrel

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,101

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Burrel

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,101 in Burrel, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Burrel $1,101

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,673 in Burrel, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Burrel $1,673

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,244 in Burrel, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Burrel $2,244

Istanbul costs about 41% more than Burrel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Burrel is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺606

$9.87 ALL 807

24.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,698

$38.18 ALL 3,121

43.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺455

$7.44 ALL 608

23.92%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺217

$1.89 ALL 155

132.80%

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

$1.68 ₺82.8

$1.85 ALL 151

-9.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.29

$0.69 ALL 56.5

-14.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺232

$2.42 ALL 198

94.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺291

$3.31 ALL 271

78.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺59.8

$1.95 ALL 159

-37.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺43.93

$0.92 ALL 75.1

-3.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.08 ALL 170

5.29%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.70 ALL 221

-12.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺514

$10.15 ALL 830

2.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺279

$8.53 ALL 697

-33.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,033

$14.15 ALL 1,157

47.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺93.8

$1.98 ALL 162

-4.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.24 ALL 183

3.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺62.9

$1.66 ALL 136

-22.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺88.6

$1.58 ALL 129

13.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.04

$1.05 ALL 85.5

-38.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.80

$1.22 ALL 100

-47.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺61.9

$1.19 ALL 97.5

5.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.48

$0.78 ALL 63.9

-28.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺117

$4.23 ALL 346

-43.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺662

$8.13 ALL 664

65.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.80 ALL 147

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.81 ALL 148

92.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.67

$0.55 ALL 45.20

61.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,326

$19.06 ALL 1,559

253.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺63.9

$3.64 ALL 298

-64.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.53

$3.88 ALL 317

-76.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺540

$18.24 ALL 1,492

-39.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.7

$2.15 ALL 176

-31.63%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$33.8K ALL 2.8M

50.07%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$24.7K ALL 2.0M

80.35%

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

$88.6 ₺4,371

$61.9 ALL 5,064

43.06%

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

$11.59 ₺572

$16.84 ALL 1,377

-31.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺780

$12.32 ALL 1,008

28.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,806

$55.9 ALL 4,570

38.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,121

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺402

$8.33 ALL 681

-2.28%

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

$1,008 ₺49.7K

$96.4 ALL 7,878

946.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,661

$49.48 ALL 4,046

9.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,014

$54.4 ALL 4,445

-24.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,877

$99.7 ALL 8,149

-0.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,765

$146 ALL 11.9K

-33.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.6K

$469 ALL 38.3K

110.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.0K

$333 ALL 27.2K

95.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺97.8K

$694 ALL 56.8K

185.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.2K

$470 ALL 38.4K

151.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺154.8K

$1,809 ALL 147.9K

73.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺87.8K

$1,239 ALL 101.3K

43.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

718.40%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Burrel: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Burrel

$333 30.3% 48.7% $317

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Burrel

$250 22.7% 3.8% $9.9

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Burrel

$153 13.9% 31.5% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Burrel

$157 14.3% 20.4% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Burrel

$91 8.3% 21.5% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Burrel

$73 6.6% 22.3% $21

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Burrel

$44 4% 42.4% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $469 in Burrel. 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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $38.00 in Burrel. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $250 – making Burrel the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇦🇱 Burrel

🕒 Local time

14:02 2:02 PM

13:02 1:02 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

10,862

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.82 EUR

100 ALL = 1.22 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 49.32 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.06 TRY (100 TRY = 1.82 EUR).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 81.76 ALL (100 ALL = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 91.27 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Burrel 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Burrel

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 Burrel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul costs about 41% more than Burrel, 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 $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $1,651 in Burrel. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Burrel, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $96.4 in Burrel. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Burrel, where all-in costs run around $1,101, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Burrel it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Burrel costs $1,101 versus $1,550 in Istanbul. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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