Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Duzce Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Duzce

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,452 in Istanbul versus $1,152 in Duzce.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,224 in Istanbul versus $1,780 in Duzce.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,996 in Istanbul versus $2,408 in Duzce.

Living in Istanbul is roughly 26% more expensive than Duzce, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 8% above, Duzce is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.30 ₺523

$9.55 ₺442

18.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 ₺2,393

$37.33 ₺1,727

38.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 ₺345

$9.13 ₺423

-18.29%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ₺160

$3.25 ₺150

6.46%

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

$1.35 ₺62.4

$1.26 ₺58.3

7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₺21.56

$0.38 ₺17.67

23.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 ₺177

$3.26 ₺151

17.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 ₺241

$3.75 ₺174

39.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 ₺49.31

$0.96 ₺44.36

11.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 ₺38.18

$0.66 ₺30.71

25.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 ₺102

$2.41 ₺111

-8.30%

Eggs

$2.59 ₺120

$2.36 ₺109

9.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.32 ₺477

$9.67 ₺447

6.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 ₺302

$5.88 ₺272

11.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.83 ₺917

$19.06 ₺882

4.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 ₺69.6

$1.47 ₺67.9

2.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 ₺101

$2.27 ₺105

-3.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 ₺59.8

$1.31 ₺60.6

-1.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ₺73.2

$1.48 ₺68.5

6.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ₺35.06

$0.74 ₺34.12

2.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ₺33.85

$0.62 ₺28.56

17.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₺52.3

$1.08 ₺49.95

4.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺26.89

$0.40 ₺18.37

45.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.20 ₺102

$2.18 ₺101

0.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 ₺566

$10.64 ₺492

14.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 ₺98.2

$2.03 ₺93.9

4.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ₺142

$3.15 ₺146

-2.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ₺33.44

$0.64 ₺29.51

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.4 ₺2,469

$30.96 ₺1,432

72.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 ₺50.5

$0.86 ₺39.74

26.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₺29.48

$0.65 ₺30.03

-1.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.01 ₺417

$6.53 ₺302

37.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ₺53.3

$1.19 ₺54.9

-3.36%

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

$46.6K ₺2.2M

$43.5K ₺2.0M

7.00%

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

$43.8K ₺2.0M

$44.2K ₺2.0M

-1.11%

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

$71.7 ₺3,315

$85.4 ₺3,950

-16.07%

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

$12.49 ₺578

$11.02 ₺510

13.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.04 ₺696

$14.13 ₺654

6.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ₺2,786

$42.78 ₺1,979

40.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.40 ₺851

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 ₺355

$6.38 ₺295

20.06%

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

$935 ₺43.2K

$612 ₺28.3K

52.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ₺824.6K

$13.9K ₺644.2K

28.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 ₺2,585

$58.5 ₺2,705

-4.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.37 ₺2,145

$45.12 ₺2,087

2.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ₺5,304

$107 ₺4,945

7.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ₺4,884

$97.6 ₺4,514

8.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 ₺44.4K

$515 ₺23.8K

86.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 ₺28.6K

$389 ₺18.0K

58.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 ₺80.4K

$889 ₺41.1K

95.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 ₺47.5K

$704 ₺32.6K

45.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,097 ₺143.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,664 ₺77.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,170 ₺54.1K

$1,319 ₺61.0K

-11.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

48.43

142.15%

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

Last update for Istanbul: June 7, 2026

Last update for Duzce: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $961 in Istanbul and $515 in Duzce. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Duzce pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Istanbul vs $37.00 in Duzce for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $235 per month, with Duzce 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 Duzce: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul and Duzce differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,452 vs $1,152 including rent). Duzce is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Duzce earns 13% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $961 in Istanbul versus $515 in Duzce. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $935 in Istanbul versus $612 in Duzce. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Istanbul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,152 in Duzce versus $1,452 in Istanbul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Duzce but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Duzce the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Duzce 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 Duzce gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.