Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Corum

For one person, living is cheaper in Corum: $994 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Corum
Learn more

Corum Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Corum

🇹🇷 Turkey

$994

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Corum

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $994 in Corum, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Corum $994

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,525 in Corum, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Corum $1,525

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,056 in Corum, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Corum $2,056

Istanbul costs about 56% more than Corum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Corum is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$6.88 ₺341

78.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$19.94 ₺987

174.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.02 ₺347

31.34%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.36 ₺117

86.44%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.31 ₺64.8

28.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.46 ₺22.69

28.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.84 ₺91.1

155.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$4.00 ₺198

47.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.99 ₺49.20

22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.05 ₺52.1

-15.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.52 ₺125

-13.10%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.63 ₺130

-10.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$10.97 ₺543

-5.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$3.98 ₺197

41.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$19.90 ₺985

5.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.95 ₺96.4

-2.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.84 ₺90.9

25.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.95 ₺46.97

34.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.30 ₺64.6

38.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.42 ₺20.60

54.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.37 ₺18.55

72.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.90 ₺44.36

38.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.67 ₺33.32

-16.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$2.01 ₺99.4

17.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$10.72 ₺531

25.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$2.16 ₺107

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.77 ₺137

25.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.74 ₺36.40

20.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$24.66 ₺1,221

173.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$2.51 ₺124

-48.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.29 ₺64.0

-28.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$7.37 ₺365

48.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.30 ₺64.5

13.08%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$42.7K ₺2.1M

19.01%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$40.2K ₺2.0M

10.72%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$68.7 ₺3,402

28.96%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$8.86 ₺439

30.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$12.40 ₺614

27.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$48.17 ₺2,385

60.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$9.27 ₺459

145.31%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$4.81 ₺238

69.23%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$462 ₺22.9K

118.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$9,723 ₺481.4K

162.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$61.8 ₺3,058

-12.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$59.4 ₺2,943

-31.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$113 ₺5,605

-12.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$56.6 ₺2,804

70.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$418 ₺20.7K

135.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$314 ₺15.5K

107.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$778 ₺38.5K

155.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$566 ₺28.0K

108.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$1,549 ₺76.7K

102.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,118 ₺55.3K

59.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$649 ₺32.1K

85.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

52.5

-22.06%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Corum: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Corum

$314 31.6% 51.7% $336

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Corum

$236 23.8% 9.1% $24

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Corum

$129 13% 42.4% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Corum

$131 13.2% 0.3% $0.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Corum

$90 9.1% 22.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Corum

$58 5.8% 38.2% $36

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Corum

$37 3.7% 52.4% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $418 in Corum. 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 86% higher in Istanbul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $20.00 in Corum. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $236 – making Corum the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇷 Corum

🕒 Local time

20:35 8:35 PM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

527,863

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Istanbul Corum 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Istanbul vs Corum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 56%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $1,491 in Corum. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,550 in Istanbul and $994 in Corum. That's a gap of about 56%.

Public transport costs about 173% less in Corum. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Corum, where all-in costs run around $994, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Corum it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Corum. 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.