Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Erzurum

For one person, living is cheaper in Erzurum: $1,016 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Erzurum
Learn more

Erzurum Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Erzurum

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,016

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Erzurum

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,016 in Erzurum, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Erzurum $1,016

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,566 in Erzurum, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Erzurum $1,566

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,116 in Erzurum, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Erzurum $2,116

Istanbul costs about 50% more than Erzurum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Erzurum is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺591

$7.44 ₺372

58.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,747

$29.52 ₺1,476

86.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺463

$8.01 ₺401

15.61%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺215

$3.59 ₺180

19.78%

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

$1.77 ₺88.7

$1.38 ₺68.9

28.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.24

$0.26 ₺13.05

115.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺234

$2.97 ₺149

57.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺356

$3.53 ₺177

101.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.6

$0.89 ₺44.30

40.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.04

$0.85 ₺42.64

3.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺110

$1.96 ₺98.1

12.24%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$2.24 ₺112

8.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺524

$8.42 ₺421

24.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺266

$3.85 ₺193

37.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,055

$21.68 ₺1,084

-2.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺92.8

$1.79 ₺89.3

3.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.75 ₺87.3

31.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺60.8

$0.96 ₺48.10

27.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.9

$1.25 ₺62.6

44.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.73

$0.44 ₺22.15

56.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.07

$0.34 ₺17.00

88.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺67.8

$0.82 ₺40.92

65.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.86

$0.58 ₺29.10

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$2.37 ₺118

-1.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺652

$9.87 ₺494

32.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.99 ₺99.6

18.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$2.86 ₺143

16.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺43.95

$0.76 ₺38.14

15.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,307

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.2

$1.12 ₺56.2

14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.68

$0.93 ₺46.32

-8.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺555

$5.77 ₺288

92.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺73.8

$1.30 ₺65.1

13.85%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$42.4K ₺2.1M

14.58%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$43.4K ₺2.2M

-3.25%

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

$92.7 ₺4,637

$79.1 ₺3,957

17.19%

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

$11.20 ₺560

$9.60 ₺480

16.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺795

$14.94 ₺747

6.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,735

$58.9 ₺2,946

26.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,148

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺403

$6.51 ₺325

23.66%

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

$948 ₺47.4K

$620 ₺31.0K

52.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.8M

$12.1K ₺607.5K

203.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,695

$41.69 ₺2,085

29.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,075

$33.19 ₺1,660

25.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,046

$90.5 ₺4,528

11.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,567

$79.5 ₺3,977

14.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.7K

$427 ₺21.3K

137.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.2K

$345 ₺17.3K

80.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.3K

$745 ₺37.3K

169.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.3K

$627 ₺31.3K

79.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.4K

$1,271 ₺63.5K

135.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.5K

$1,001 ₺50.1K

72.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺56.8K

$1,177 ₺58.9K

-3.48%

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 Erzurum: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Erzurum

$345 34% 44.7% $279

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Erzurum

$221 21.8% 14.5% $37

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Erzurum

$155 15.3% 29.8% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Erzurum

$110 10.9% 14.8% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Erzurum

$104 10.2% 13.5% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Erzurum

$72 7.1% 20.8% $19

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Erzurum

$8.8 * 0.9% 88.3% $66

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 $427 in Erzurum. 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 Erzurum, 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 $30 in Erzurum. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $221 – making Erzurum the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇷 Erzurum

🕒 Local time

08:03 8:03 AM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

762,021

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.79 EUR

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.79 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Erzurum 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Erzurum

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 Erzurum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,519 in Istanbul, $1,016 in Erzurum – Erzurum comes out roughly 33% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,524 in Erzurum. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Erzurum, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $427 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $30 in Erzurum. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,519 in Istanbul and $1,016 in Erzurum, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Erzurum – 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.