Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Ho

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho: $670 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Ho
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Ho Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

🇬🇭 Ghana

$670

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Ho

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $670 in Ho.

Istanbul $1,550
Ho $670

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $1,129 in Ho.

Istanbul $2,415
Ho $1,129

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $1,587 in Ho.

Istanbul $3,281
Ho $1,587

Living in Istanbul is roughly 131% more expensive than in Ho, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 15% above, Ho is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$8.24 GHS 95.6

49.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$50.8 GHS 589

7.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$10.32 GHS 120

-10.66%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$4.31 GHS 50.0

2.09%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.59 GHS 18.47

5.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.48 GHS 5.59

22.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.84 GHS 21.32

155.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺293

$2.19 GHS 25.45

169.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$3.66 GHS 42.45

-66.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.67 GHS 19.42

-46.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.06 GHS 35.53

-28.43%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.61 GHS 30.24

-9.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$11.79 GHS 137

-11.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$7.18 GHS 83.3

-21.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$9.75 GHS 113

114.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$3.59 GHS 41.59

-47.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.45 GHS 16.81

59.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.2

$1.75 GHS 20.34

-26.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$3.54 GHS 41.07

-49.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.17

$2.76 GHS 31.97

-76.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.92

$2.65 GHS 30.69

-75.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.70 GHS 8.06

78.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.59

$0.61 GHS 7.03

-8.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$2.61 GHS 30.22

-9.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$7.19 GHS 83.4

86.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.28 GHS 14.88

87.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.40 GHS 27.84

45.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,339

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.68 GHS 19.46

-23.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.24 GHS 14.34

-25.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺543

$4.13 GHS 47.85

165.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.33 GHS 15.47

10.53%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$8,092 GHS 93.9K

527.65%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$9,939 GHS 115.3K

348.02%

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

$88.6 ₺4,388

$73.8 GHS 856

20.12%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$19.36 GHS 225

-40.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$41.97 GHS 487

-62.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,821

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$12.68 GHS 147

-35.80%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$454 GHS 5,265

122.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$18.6K GHS 215.9K

37.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$14.36 GHS 167

275.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$18.72 GHS 217

118.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,896

$35.80 GHS 415

176.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$52.0 GHS 604

85.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

26.75

52.97%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ho: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

$277 41.3% 6.7% $17

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

$171 25.4% 23.6% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

$54 8.1% 58.3% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

$135 20.2% 16.4% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

$25 * 3.8% 72.9% $68

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

$7.9 * 1.2% 89.8% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $51.0 in Ho. Groceries flip the comparison at $260 vs $277, with Istanbul cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇬🇭 Ho

🕒 Local time

15:17 3:17 PM

12:17 12:17 PM

3 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

83,715

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 GHS = 8.62 USD

100 GHS = 7.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GHS, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.53 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 11.6 GHS (100 GHS = 8.62 USD). 1 EUR = 13.01 GHS (100 GHS = 7.69 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Ho 4,750 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Ho

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 Ho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul and Ho differ by about 131% in total monthly costs ($1,550 vs $670 including rent). Ho is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,325 in Istanbul and $1,005 in Ho to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $1,008 in Istanbul versus $454 in Ho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ho – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $55.0 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $670 in Ho versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ho but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Ho 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 Ho 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 Ho gentler on the wallet – expenses run 131% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.