Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Bursa Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Bursa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Istanbul versus $1,078 in Bursa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,186 in Istanbul versus $1,616 in Bursa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,953 in Istanbul versus $2,155 in Bursa.

Living in Istanbul is roughly 32% more expensive than in Bursa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 6% above, Bursa is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.19 ₺530

$9.50 ₺450

17.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 ₺2,414

$30.82 ₺1,460

65.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.44 ₺352

$7.55 ₺358

-1.46%

Cappuccino

$3.44 ₺163

$2.87 ₺136

19.86%

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

$1.37 ₺64.7

$1.13 ₺53.7

21.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₺23.65

$0.43 ₺20.33

16.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.79 ₺179

$2.13 ₺101

77.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 ₺245

$2.35 ₺111

120.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 ₺52.6

$0.88 ₺41.86

26.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 ₺38.69

$0.81 ₺38.36

1.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 ₺105

$2.02 ₺95.6

9.90%

Eggs

$2.73 ₺129

$1.88 ₺88.9

45.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.12 ₺479

$9.16 ₺434

10.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.60 ₺313

$5.68 ₺269

16.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.84 ₺940

$18.75 ₺888

5.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 ₺71.8

$1.44 ₺68.1

5.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 ₺108

$2.20 ₺104

3.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ₺63.0

$1.32 ₺62.6

0.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ₺77.1

$1.64 ₺77.5

-0.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₺35.38

$0.76 ₺35.97

-1.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₺31.56

$0.46 ₺21.94

45.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₺53.0

$0.85 ₺40.02

31.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₺29.20

$0.30 ₺14.30

106.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 ₺101

$2.11 ₺99.9

1.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.89 ₺611

$10.46 ₺495

23.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 ₺106

$2.02 ₺95.6

10.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₺144

$2.01 ₺95.2

51.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 ₺31.22

$1.61 ₺76.4

-59.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.4 ₺2,576

$49.55 ₺2,346

9.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 ₺51.4

$0.90 ₺42.49

21.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₺30.16

$0.61 ₺29.06

4.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₺430

$8.95 ₺424

1.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ₺55.3

$1.16 ₺54.8

0.86%

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

$44.9K ₺2.1M

$40.8K ₺1.9M

9.91%

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

$42.8K ₺2.0M

$43.0K ₺2.0M

-0.38%

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

$71.9 ₺3,402

$56.2 ₺2,661

27.87%

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

$12.34 ₺584

$9.43 ₺446

30.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.96 ₺708

$11.82 ₺559

26.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.8 ₺2,881

$55.0 ₺2,605

10.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.88 ₺894

$37.39 ₺1,770

-49.51%

Cinema Ticket

$7.53 ₺357

$7.82 ₺370

-3.71%

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

$949 ₺44.9K

$365 ₺17.3K

159.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K ₺873.1K

$18.1K ₺855.6K

2.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 ₺2,621

$56.1 ₺2,655

-1.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.29 ₺2,192

$44.16 ₺2,091

4.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 ₺5,253

$101 ₺4,804

9.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ₺5,036

$79.8 ₺3,777

33.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$968 ₺45.9K

$446 ₺21.1K

117.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 ₺29.4K

$344 ₺16.3K

80.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,783 ₺84.4K

$815 ₺38.6K

118.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 ₺50.4K

$527 ₺25.0K

101.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,081 ₺145.9K

$1,320 ₺62.5K

133.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,693 ₺80.1K

$1,204 ₺57.0K

40.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,247 ₺59.0K

$1,006 ₺47.6K

23.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

48.43

42.62

13.63%

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

Last update for Istanbul: July 22, 2026

Last update for Bursa: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $968 in Istanbul and $446 in Bursa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 24% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $51.0 in Istanbul vs $31.00 in Bursa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $224 per month, with Bursa cheaper across the board.

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 Bursa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bursa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 24% higher in Istanbul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $968 in Istanbul versus $446 in Bursa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Istanbul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bursa – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $51.0 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,078 in Bursa versus $1,419 in Istanbul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bursa but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Bursa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bursa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Istanbul, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Bursa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bursa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.