Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Ilesha

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilesha: $477 a month against $1,516 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Istanbul, Turkey
Ilesha, Nigeria
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,516
/mo nomad
Ilesha
🇳🇬 Nigeria
$477
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Ilesha

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

A single person spends $1,516 per month in Istanbul vs $477 in Ilesha, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,516
  • Ilesha $477

A couple spends around $2,356 per month in Istanbul vs $804 in Ilesha, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,356
  • Ilesha $804

A family of three spends $3,197 per month in Istanbul vs $1,131 in Ilesha, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,197
  • Ilesha $1,131

Istanbul costs about 218% more than Ilesha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 11% above the global median, while Ilesha is 65% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Ilesha
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.59 ₺577
$3.63 ₦4,859
219.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,724
$49.95 ₦66.9K
9.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.39 ₺468
$7.33 ₦9,819
28.10%
Cappuccino
$4.23 ₺211
$2.74 ₦3,679
54.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ₺85.6
$0.41 ₦548
319.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 ₺28.25
$0.22 ₦294
159.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.65 ₺232
$1.02 ₦1,364
355.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.84 ₺341
$2.05 ₦2,744
233.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Ilesha
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 ₺60.0
$3.09 ₦4,148
-61.17%
White Bread (500g)
$0.94 ₺46.96
$1.48 ₦1,990
-36.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 ₺112
$1.27 ₦1,697
76.38%
Eggs
$2.42 ₺121
$2.23 ₦2,982
8.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.24 ₺510
$3.55 ₦4,760
188.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.38 ₺268
$3.78 ₦5,071
42.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.19 ₺1,056
$4.33 ₦5,807
389.38%
Apples (1kg)
$1.89 ₺94.2
$1.69 ₦2,261
11.83%
Banana (1kg)
$2.22 ₺111
$1.30 ₦1,746
70.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.26 ₺62.7
$1.08 ₦1,447
16.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.81 ₺90.0
$1.48 ₦1,988
22.30%
Potato (1kg)
$0.70 ₺34.83
$1.61 ₦2,154
-56.52%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺32.12
$1.50 ₦2,016
-57.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.22 ₺60.8
$0.89 ₦1,190
37.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ₺27.35
$0.36 ₦487
52.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.32 ₺116
$0.59 ₦787
293.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.31 ₺663
$2.49 ₦3,331
434.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 ₺116
$0.51 ₦679
356.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 ₺172
$0.50 ₦674
592.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Ilesha
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.91 ₺45.17
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.3 ₺3,305
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺64.2
$0.68 ₦912
89.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.86 ₺42.65
$0.90 ₦1,200
-4.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.09 ₺553
$2.21 ₦2,958
401.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 ₺70.7
$0.91 ₦1,217
56.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$49.2K ₺2.5M
$11.1K ₦14.9M
341.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.8K ₺2.1M
$29.3K ₦39.3M
45.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Ilesha
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$87.7 ₺4,371
$110 ₦147.1K
-20.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.28 ₺562
$14.50 ₦19.4K
-22.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.89 ₺792
$32.73 ₦43.9K
-51.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Ilesha
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$75.9 ₺3,782
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.04 ₺1,148
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.20 ₺409
$6.15 ₦8,241
33.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Ilesha
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,028 ₺51.2K
$664 ₦889.8K
54.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.0K ₺1.3M
$20.0K ₦26.8M
29.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Ilesha
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.3 ₺2,657
$14.39 ₦19.3K
270.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.69 ₺1,978
$17.99 ₦24.1K
120.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.8 ₺4,971
$35.77 ₦47.9K
178.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.5 ₺4,659
$48.26 ₦64.7K
93.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Ilesha
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,003 ₺50.0K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$628 ₺31.3K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,963 ₺97.8K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,122 ₺55.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,075 ₺153.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,753 ₺87.3K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Ilesha
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,180 ₺58.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.69
18.39
121.26%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ilesha: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$628
Ilesha
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$258
Ilesha
$155 40.1% $104
Eating Out
Istanbul
$218
Ilesha
$96 56.1% $122
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Ilesha
$52 59.3% $76
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$115
Ilesha
$157 36.6% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$92
Ilesha
$12 * 86.7% $80
Getting Around
Istanbul
$76
Ilesha
$5.2 * 93.2% $70

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $50 in Ilesha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $155 – making Ilesha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇳🇬 Ilesha
🕒 Local time
16:51 4:51 PM
14:51 2:51 PM
2 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
277,904
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NGN, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 49.82 TRY (100 TRY = 2.01 USD). 1 EUR = 55.45 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Ilesha 4,420 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Ilesha

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 Ilesha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ilesha cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 218%, 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 $2,274 per month in Istanbul and $715 in Ilesha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in Istanbul or in Ilesha?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $50 in Ilesha. 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 Ilesha?
Groceries cost about 67% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Istanbul or in Ilesha?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ilesha, where all-in costs run around $477, than in Istanbul at $1,516. In Ilesha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Istanbul or in Ilesha?
It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $477 in Ilesha to $1,516 in Istanbul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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