Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Ikeja

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,415 in Ikeja, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ikeja outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Ikeja
Learn more

Ikeja Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Ikeja

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$2,415

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Ikeja

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $2,415 in Ikeja, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Ikeja $2,415

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $4,119 in Ikeja, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Ikeja $4,119

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $5,822 in Ikeja, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Ikeja $5,822

Istanbul is about 36% cheaper than Ikeja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Istanbul and Ikeja sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Ikeja by 79%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$0.50 ₦670

2360.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$11.16 ₦14.8K

390.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.69 ₦10.2K

19.90%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.87 ₦3,815

53.31%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.13 ₦168

1192.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.07 ₦91.8

742.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$0.29 ₦382

1520.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.05 ₦2,731

188.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.77 ₦1,027

57.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.73 ₦975

21.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.26 ₦1,675

73.81%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.28 ₦3,026

3.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$3.45 ₦4,591

202.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$3.93 ₦5,226

43.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$4.56 ₦6,067

359.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.71 ₦2,276

11.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.28 ₦1,709

80.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.14 ₦1,521

12.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.27 ₦1,692

41.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.37 ₦1,824

-52.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.35 ₦1,792

-52.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.90 ₦1,194

38.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.37 ₦491

51.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$0.59 ₦788

301.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$2.43 ₦3,227

452.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$0.54 ₦725

344.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$0.46 ₦617

656.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.11 ₦141

709.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$3.41 ₦4,533

1877.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.71 ₦942

81.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.97 ₦1,292

-5.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$2.16 ₦2,873

407.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$0.16 ₦206

818.75%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$11.1K ₦14.8M

357.29%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$13.5K ₦17.9M

230.61%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$112 ₦149.5K

-21.17%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$14.52 ₦19.3K

-20.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$33.03 ₦43.9K

-52.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$6.33 ₦8,413

28.59%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$679 ₦902.6K

48.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$20.2K ₦26.9M

26.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$14.93 ₦19.9K

261.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$18.29 ₦24.3K

123.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$36.31 ₦48.3K

172.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$48.50 ₦64.5K

99.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$3,485 ₦4.6M

-71.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$1,989 ₦2.6M

-67.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$6,487 ₦8.6M

-69.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$5,007 ₦6.7M

-76.43%

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

$74.2 ₦98.7K

1523.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

18.39

122.51%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ikeja: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Ikeja

$2K 82.4% 206% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Ikeja

$123 5.1% 52.5% $136

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Ikeja

$68 2.8% 69.6% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Ikeja

$53 2.2% 59.3% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Ikeja

$160 6.6% 37.9% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Ikeja

$13 * 0.5% 86.5% $81

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Ikeja

$9.4 0.4% 87.8% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $3,485 in Ikeja. 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 1524% higher in Istanbul, 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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $11.00 in Ikeja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $123 – making Ikeja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇬 Ikeja

🕒 Local time

18:11 6:11 PM

16:11 4:11 PM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

861,300

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NGN, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Ikeja 4,590 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Ikeja

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 Ikeja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ikeja costs about 56% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $3,623 in Ikeja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Istanbul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 110% cheaper in Ikeja – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $11.00 in Ikeja. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Ikeja at $2,415. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ikeja it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Istanbul costs $1,550 versus $2,415 in Ikeja. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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