Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Ishim

For one person, living is cheaper in Ishim: $1,128 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Ishim
Learn more

Ishim Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Ishim

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,128

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Ishim

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,128 in Ishim, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Ishim $1,128

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,697 in Ishim, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Ishim $1,697

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,266 in Ishim, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Ishim $2,266

Istanbul costs about 35% more than Ishim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Ishim is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺591

$7.50 ₽612

57.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,748

$36.28 ₽2,962

51.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺463

$4.87 ₽398

90.14%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺215

$4.11 ₽336

4.62%

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

$1.77 ₺88.8

$1.50 ₽122

18.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.26

$0.81 ₽66.4

-30.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺234

$2.16 ₽176

117.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺356

$3.04 ₽248

134.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.6

$1.19 ₽96.9

5.04%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.89 ₽73.1

-1.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺110

$1.24 ₽102

77.42%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.31 ₽107

85.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺524

$9.27 ₽757

13.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺266

$5.47 ₽447

-2.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,056

$10.79 ₽882

95.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺92.9

$1.87 ₽152

-0.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.84 ₽150

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺60.8

$1.81 ₽148

-32.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.0

$1.80 ₽147

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.75

$0.45 ₽36.34

53.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.09

$0.29 ₽23.67

120.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺67.8

$1.18 ₽96.5

15.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.88

$0.83 ₽67.7

-30.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$3.16 ₽258

-25.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺652

$12.11 ₽989

7.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.24 ₽101

90.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$2.38 ₽195

39.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺43.97

$0.50 ₽41.11

76.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,309

$29.62 ₽2,419

123.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.3

$2.47 ₽201

-48.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.70

$0.35 ₽28.96

142.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺555

$5.65 ₽462

96.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺73.9

$0.89 ₽72.8

66.29%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$53.0K ₽4.3M

-8.14%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$41.5K ₽3.4M

1.18%

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

$92.7 ₺4,639

$149 ₽12.2K

-37.72%

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

$11.20 ₺560

$6.97 ₽569

60.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺795

$9.61 ₽785

65.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,737

$33.67 ₽2,750

121.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,149

$23.94 ₽1,955

-4.14%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺403

$7.39 ₽604

8.93%

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

$948 ₺47.5K

$364 ₽29.7K

160.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.8M

$5,740 ₽468.7K

543.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,696

$82.2 ₽6,715

-34.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,076

$51.8 ₽4,230

-19.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,049

$132 ₽10.8K

-23.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,570

$124 ₽10.2K

-26.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.7K

$472 ₽38.5K

114.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$346 ₽28.2K

80.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.4K

$914 ₽74.7K

119.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.3K

$558 ₽45.5K

101.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.5K

$2,049 ₽167.3K

45.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.6K

$1,338 ₽109.3K

29.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺56.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

25.7

57.28%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ishim: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Ishim

$346 30.6% 44.7% $279

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Ishim

$207 18.3% 19.9% $51

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Ishim

$150 13.3% 32.1% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Ishim

$176 15.6% 35.8% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Ishim

$165 14.7% 38.1% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Ishim

$48 4.3% 46.6% $42

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Ishim

$36 3.2% 52.3% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $472 in Ishim. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $36 in Ishim. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $207 – making Ishim the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇷🇺 Ishim

🕒 Local time

02:11 2:11 AM

04:11 4:11 AM

2 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

64,010

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 50.04 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.18 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 81.66 RUB (100 RUB = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 91.67 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Ishim 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Ishim

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 Ishim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,692 in Ishim. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ishim, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $472 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $36 in Ishim. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,519 in Istanbul and $1,128 in Ishim. That makes Ishim about 26% cheaper.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ishim, where all-in costs run around $1,128, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Ishim it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ishim – 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.

For expats, Ishim is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 26% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.