Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Erzincan

For one person, living is cheaper in Erzincan: $936 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Istanbul, Turkey
Erzincan, Turkey
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,519
/mo nomad
Erzincan
🇹🇷 Turkey
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Erzincan

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $936 in Erzincan, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,519
  • Erzincan $936

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,427 in Erzincan, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,365
  • Erzincan $1,427

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $1,918 in Erzincan, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,212
  • Erzincan $1,918

Istanbul costs about 62% more than Erzincan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Erzincan is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Erzincan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.81 ₺592
$7.61 ₺382
55.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.9 ₺2,754
$27.16 ₺1,362
102.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.26 ₺465
$7.87 ₺395
17.66%
Cappuccino
$4.30 ₺216
$3.12 ₺156
37.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 ₺89.0
$1.31 ₺65.5
35.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺28.32
$0.32 ₺15.83
75.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.69 ₺235
$3.14 ₺157
49.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.12 ₺357
$3.24 ₺162
119.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Erzincan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 ₺62.7
$1.06 ₺53.1
17.92%
White Bread (500g)
$0.88 ₺44.17
$0.99 ₺49.78
-11.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 ₺111
$2.47 ₺124
-10.93%
Eggs
$2.43 ₺122
$2.16 ₺108
12.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.48 ₺526
$8.56 ₺429
22.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.31 ₺267
$4.51 ₺226
17.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.10 ₺1,058
$17.66 ₺886
19.48%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 ₺93.1
$1.79 ₺89.9
3.91%
Banana (1kg)
$2.30 ₺115
$2.09 ₺105
10.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.22 ₺61.0
$1.06 ₺53.4
15.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺90.2
$1.09 ₺54.9
65.14%
Potato (1kg)
$0.69 ₺34.83
$0.50 ₺25.03
38.00%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺32.16
$0.38 ₺18.95
68.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 ₺68.0
$0.84 ₺41.94
61.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 ₺28.94
$0.58 ₺28.90
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.34 ₺117
$2.09 ₺105
11.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 ₺653
$9.65 ₺484
35.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.36 ₺118
$2.36 ₺118
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 ₺166
$3.00 ₺150
10.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Erzincan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 ₺44.07
$0.60 ₺29.96
46.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.1 ₺3,316
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 ₺64.4
$1.21 ₺60.9
5.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 ₺42.80
$0.77 ₺38.65
10.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.09 ₺556
$6.37 ₺319
74.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 ₺74.0
$1.23 ₺61.5
20.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.6K ₺2.4M
$43.0K ₺2.2M
13.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.0K ₺2.1M
$39.0K ₺2.0M
7.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Erzincan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.7 ₺4,650
$72.9 ₺3,658
27.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.20 ₺562
$9.99 ₺501
12.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.89 ₺797
$13.36 ₺670
18.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Erzincan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.7 ₺3,745
$52.0 ₺2,609
43.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.95 ₺1,151
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.05 ₺404
$6.46 ₺324
24.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Erzincan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$948 ₺47.6K
$525 ₺26.3K
80.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$36.9K ₺1.9M
$10.0K ₺503.0K
268.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Erzincan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₺2,702
$53.2 ₺2,667
1.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.49 ₺2,081
$32.16 ₺1,613
29.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 ₺5,060
$80.2 ₺4,023
25.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.3 ₺4,580
$79.6 ₺3,992
14.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Erzincan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,014 ₺50.8K
$454 ₺22.8K
123.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$625 ₺31.3K
$286 ₺14.3K
118.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,005 ₺100.6K
$755 ₺37.9K
165.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,126 ₺56.5K
$479 ₺24.0K
135.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,988 ₺149.8K
$1,459 ₺73.2K
104.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,730 ₺86.8K
$933 ₺46.8K
85.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Erzincan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,136 ₺57.0K
$1,182 ₺59.3K
-3.86%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.42
40.44
-0.05%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Erzincan: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$625
Erzincan
$286 54.2% $339
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$258
Erzincan
$221 14.4% $37
Eating Out
Istanbul
$221
Erzincan
$151 31.8% $70
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Erzincan
$110 14.8% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$120
Erzincan
$96 19.6% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$91
Erzincan
$65 28.5% $26
Getting Around
Istanbul
$75
Erzincan
$7.5 * 90.1% $68

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $454 in Erzincan. 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 4% higher in Erzincan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $27 in Erzincan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $221 – making Erzincan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇹🇷 Erzincan
🕒 Local time
09:55 9:55 AM
09:55 9:55 AM
Same time as Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
226,032
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Erzincan 900 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Erzincan

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 Erzincan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Erzincan cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 62%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,405 in Erzincan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Erzincan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $454 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.
Is eating out cheaper in Istanbul or in Erzincan?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $27 in Erzincan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Istanbul and in Erzincan?
Groceries cost about 17% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is Istanbul or Erzincan more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Erzincan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Istanbul or Erzincan?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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