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: $1,451 in Istanbul versus $1,041 in Bursa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,235 in Istanbul versus $1,623 in Bursa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,020 in Istanbul versus $2,204 in Bursa.

Living in Istanbul is roughly 39% more expensive than Bursa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 8% above, Bursa is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.31 ₺509

$9.48 ₺426

19.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.5 ₺2,316

$30.81 ₺1,385

67.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.47 ₺336

Cappuccino

$3.44 ₺155

$2.74 ₺123

25.55%

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

$1.35 ₺60.7

$1.13 ₺50.7

19.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₺20.51

$0.43 ₺19.22

6.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.91 ₺176

$2.13 ₺95.8

83.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 ₺226

$2.23 ₺100

125.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 ₺49.61

$0.93 ₺41.95

18.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 ₺34.69

$0.78 ₺35.02

-1.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ₺97.7

$1.95 ₺87.9

11.28%

Eggs

$2.73 ₺123

$1.96 ₺88.0

39.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 ₺453

$9.45 ₺425

6.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.59 ₺296

$5.81 ₺261

13.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.90 ₺894

$18.94 ₺851

5.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.45 ₺65.3

$1.48 ₺66.7

-2.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₺101

$2.29 ₺103

-1.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺57.5

$1.29 ₺57.8

-0.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ₺73.4

$1.56 ₺70.3

4.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ₺34.26

$0.74 ₺33.37

2.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ₺32.75

$0.46 ₺20.60

58.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 ₺52.7

$0.89 ₺39.82

31.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₺27.71

$0.28 ₺12.40

121.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.20 ₺99.0

$2.22 ₺99.7

-0.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.16 ₺547

$11.04 ₺496

10.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 ₺99.3

$2.04 ₺91.6

8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ₺137

$2.00 ₺89.7

52.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 ₺30.55

$1.69 ₺75.9

-59.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ₺2,420

$48.58 ₺2,184

10.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 ₺47.33

$0.87 ₺39.15

20.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 ₺26.66

$0.62 ₺27.66

-4.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.94 ₺402

$8.93 ₺401

0.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ₺51.8

$1.21 ₺54.5

-4.96%

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

$45.8K ₺2.1M

$41.4K ₺1.9M

10.60%

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

$43.0K ₺1.9M

$43.8K ₺2.0M

-1.79%

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

$71.5 ₺3,212

$56.0 ₺2,516

27.63%

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

$12.33 ₺554

$9.80 ₺441

25.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.09 ₺678

$11.65 ₺524

29.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ₺2,714

$56.6 ₺2,543

6.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.99 ₺854

$37.76 ₺1,697

-49.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 ₺335

$7.85 ₺353

-4.97%

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

$943 ₺42.4K

$375 ₺16.8K

151.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K ₺822.0K

$18.1K ₺812.3K

1.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₺2,549

$57.1 ₺2,566

-0.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.49 ₺2,090

$43.62 ₺1,961

6.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ₺5,155

$99.9 ₺4,489

14.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ₺4,683

$81.8 ₺3,676

27.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 ₺43.6K

$437 ₺19.6K

122.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 ₺28.3K

$346 ₺15.5K

82.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,746 ₺78.5K

$802 ₺36.0K

117.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 ₺47.8K

$515 ₺23.1K

106.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,310 ₺148.8K

$1,341 ₺60.3K

146.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,691 ₺76.0K

$1,224 ₺55.0K

38.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,164 ₺52.3K

$1,054 ₺47.4K

10.36%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Bursa: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Istanbul and $437 in Bursa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 10% 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: $52 in Istanbul vs $31 in Bursa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $227 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 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Istanbul pays 10% more on average, 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: $970 in Istanbul versus $437 in Bursa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% 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 $52.0 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,041 in Bursa versus $1,451 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 39% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.