Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Elazig

For one person, living is cheaper in Elazig: $966 a month against $1,516 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Elazig
Learn more

Elazig Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Elazig

🇹🇷 Turkey

$966

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Elazig

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

A single person spends $1,516 per month in Istanbul vs $966 in Elazig, rent included.

Istanbul $1,516
Elazig $966

A couple spends around $2,356 per month in Istanbul vs $1,506 in Elazig, rent included.

Istanbul $2,356
Elazig $1,506

A family of three spends $3,197 per month in Istanbul vs $2,045 in Elazig, rent included.

Istanbul $3,197
Elazig $2,045

Istanbul costs about 57% more than Elazig, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 11% above the global median, while Elazig is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 ₺577

$7.45 ₺371

55.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,725

$29.87 ₺1,489

83.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 ₺468

$7.94 ₺396

18.26%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₺211

$3.42 ₺170

23.68%

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

$1.72 ₺85.6

$1.19 ₺59.1

44.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₺28.26

$0.37 ₺18.26

54.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 ₺232

$2.90 ₺145

60.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 ₺341

$3.49 ₺174

95.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₺60.0

$0.95 ₺47.28

26.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₺46.97

$0.89 ₺44.21

5.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ₺112

$2.25 ₺112

-0.44%

Eggs

$2.42 ₺121

$2.08 ₺104

16.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₺510

$9.20 ₺459

11.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 ₺268

$4.05 ₺202

32.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 ₺1,056

$20.08 ₺1,001

5.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₺94.3

$1.80 ₺89.7

5.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 ₺111

$1.84 ₺91.7

20.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺62.7

$0.98 ₺48.72

28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ₺90.0

$1.23 ₺61.5

47.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₺34.84

$0.53 ₺26.17

32.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.13

$0.42 ₺20.80

52.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ₺60.9

$0.85 ₺42.61

43.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₺27.35

$0.64 ₺32.08

-14.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₺116

$2.14 ₺106

8.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.31 ₺663

$9.96 ₺496

33.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₺116

$2.10 ₺105

10.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ₺172

$2.89 ₺144

19.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ₺45.18

$0.68 ₺33.83

33.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 ₺3,306

$10.07 ₺502

558.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.2

$1.18 ₺59.0

9.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ₺42.66

$0.85 ₺42.14

1.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺553

$6.53 ₺325

69.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₺70.8

$1.29 ₺64.2

10.08%

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

$49.2K ₺2.5M

$41.9K ₺2.1M

17.43%

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

$42.8K ₺2.1M

$39.0K ₺1.9M

9.61%

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

$87.7 ₺4,373

$72.8 ₺3,627

20.57%

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

$11.28 ₺562

$10.35 ₺516

8.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺792

$13.83 ₺689

14.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 ₺3,783

$52.1 ₺2,596

45.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,148

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 ₺409

$6.13 ₺306

33.77%

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

$1,028 ₺51.2K

$619 ₺30.9K

66.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K ₺1.3M

$11.1K ₺550.9K

134.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,658

$45.18 ₺2,251

18.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ₺1,978

$36.12 ₺1,800

9.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 ₺4,972

$89.4 ₺4,454

11.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,661

$77.0 ₺3,836

21.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 ₺50.0K

$411 ₺20.5K

144.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₺31.3K

$300 ₺14.9K

109.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 ₺97.8K

$770 ₺38.4K

154.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₺55.9K

$557 ₺27.7K

101.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 ₺153.2K

$1,413 ₺70.4K

117.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 ₺87.3K

$1,040 ₺51.8K

68.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 ₺58.8K

$851 ₺42.4K

38.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

41.42

-1.76%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Last update for Elazig: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$628 41.5%

Elazig

$300 31% 52.3% $329

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Elazig

$224 23.2% 13.4% $35

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.4%

Elazig

$152 15.7% 30.2% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Elazig

$111 11.5% 13.5% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$115 7.6%

Elazig

$97 10% 15.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$92 6.1%

Elazig

$64 6.7% 30.3% $28

Getting Around

Istanbul

$76 5%

Elazig

$18 1.9% 75.9% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Istanbul versus $411 in Elazig. 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 39% 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 in Istanbul versus $30 in Elazig. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $224 – making Elazig the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇷 Elazig

🕒 Local time

02:46 2:46 AM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

578,789

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Elazig 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Elazig

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 Elazig: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 57%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,274 per month in Istanbul and $1,449 in Elazig. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Elazig, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $411 there versus $1,003 in Istanbul.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,516 in Istanbul and $966 in Elazig. That makes Elazig about 36% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 85% less in Elazig. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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