Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Eskisehir

For one person, living is cheaper in Eskisehir: $958 a month against $1,516 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Eskisehir
Learn more

Eskisehir Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Eskisehir

🇹🇷 Turkey

$958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Eskisehir

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,516 in Istanbul versus $958 in Eskisehir.

Istanbul $1,516
Eskisehir $958

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,356 in Istanbul versus $1,546 in Eskisehir.

Istanbul $2,356
Eskisehir $1,546

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,197 in Istanbul versus $2,134 in Eskisehir.

Istanbul $3,197
Eskisehir $2,134

Living in Istanbul is roughly 58% more expensive than in Eskisehir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 11% above, Eskisehir is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 ₺577

$7.00 ₺349

65.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,723

$39.60 ₺1,972

38.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 ₺468

$7.92 ₺394

18.56%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₺211

$3.69 ₺184

14.63%

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

$1.72 ₺85.6

$1.35 ₺67.0

27.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₺28.24

$0.37 ₺18.33

54.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 ₺232

$3.13 ₺156

48.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 ₺341

$5.15 ₺257

32.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₺59.9

$0.95 ₺47.15

26.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₺46.94

$1.01 ₺50.4

-6.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ₺112

$2.28 ₺113

-1.75%

Eggs

$2.42 ₺120

$2.06 ₺103

17.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₺510

$7.80 ₺389

31.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 ₺268

$3.77 ₺188

42.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 ₺1,055

$19.19 ₺956

10.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₺94.2

$2.02 ₺101

-6.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 ₺111

$1.86 ₺92.6

19.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺62.7

$1.15 ₺57.5

9.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ₺89.9

$1.30 ₺64.8

39.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₺34.82

$0.49 ₺24.18

42.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.11

$0.38 ₺18.80

68.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ₺60.8

$0.91 ₺45.13

34.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₺27.34

$0.70 ₺35.10

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₺116

$2.19 ₺109

5.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.31 ₺663

$14.01 ₺698

-5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₺116

$1.96 ₺97.6

18.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ₺172

$3.44 ₺171

0.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ₺45.15

$0.82 ₺40.60

10.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 ₺3,304

$14.03 ₺699

372.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.13 ₺56.2

14.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ₺42.63

$1.08 ₺53.5

-20.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺552

$4.17 ₺208

165.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₺70.7

$1.26 ₺62.9

12.70%

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

$49.2K ₺2.4M

$41.8K ₺2.1M

17.69%

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

$42.8K ₺2.1M

$39.1K ₺1.9M

9.51%

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

$87.7 ₺4,370

$43.81 ₺2,182

100.27%

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

$11.28 ₺562

$12.23 ₺609

-7.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺791

$15.01 ₺748

5.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 ₺3,780

$59.0 ₺2,937

28.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,147

$18.97 ₺945

21.45%

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 ₺408

$5.99 ₺298

36.89%

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

$1,028 ₺51.2K

$893 ₺44.5K

15.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K ₺1.3M

$14.7K ₺734.5K

76.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,656

$47.64 ₺2,373

11.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ₺1,977

$42.02 ₺2,093

-5.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 ₺4,969

$82.5 ₺4,110

20.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,658

$74.3 ₺3,702

25.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 ₺50.0K

$335 ₺16.7K

199.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₺31.3K

$296 ₺14.7K

112.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 ₺97.7K

$706 ₺35.2K

178.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₺55.9K

$568 ₺28.3K

97.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 ₺153.1K

$1,477 ₺73.6K

108.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 ₺87.3K

$1,021 ₺50.8K

71.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 ₺58.7K

$1,046 ₺52.1K

12.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

39.8

2.24%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Last update for Eskisehir: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$628 41.5%

Eskisehir

$296 30.9% 52.9% $332

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Eskisehir

$228 23.8% 11.6% $30

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.4%

Eskisehir

$157 16.4% 28% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Eskisehir

$111 11.6% 13.9% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$115 7.6%

Eskisehir

$71 7.4% 38.2% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$92 6.1%

Eskisehir

$71 7.4% 23.1% $21

Getting Around

Istanbul

$76 5%

Eskisehir

$24 2.5% 68.5% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Istanbul and $335 in Eskisehir. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 13% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $55 in Istanbul vs $40 in Eskisehir for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $228 per month, with Eskisehir cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇷 Eskisehir

🕒 Local time

04:23 4:23 AM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

888,828

💱 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

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Istanbul vs Eskisehir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Eskisehir is about 37% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Istanbul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,003 in Istanbul versus $335 in Eskisehir. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,028 in Istanbul versus $893 in Eskisehir. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Istanbul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

For families, Eskisehir is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Istanbul, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Eskisehir are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Eskisehir gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.