Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Iskenderun

For one person, living is cheaper in Iskenderun: $941 a month against $1,516 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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 Iskenderun
Learn more

Iskenderun Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Iskenderun

🇹🇷 Turkey

$941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Iskenderun

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

A single person spends $1,516 per month in Istanbul vs $941 in Iskenderun, rent included.

Istanbul $1,516
Iskenderun $941

A couple spends around $2,356 per month in Istanbul vs $1,484 in Iskenderun, rent included.

Istanbul $2,356
Iskenderun $1,484

A family of three spends $3,197 per month in Istanbul vs $2,027 in Iskenderun, rent included.

Istanbul $3,197
Iskenderun $2,027

Istanbul costs about 61% more than Iskenderun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 11% above the global median, while Iskenderun is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 ₺577

$5.94 ₺296

95.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,725

$30.11 ₺1,500

81.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 ₺468

$6.13 ₺306

53.18%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₺211

$3.16 ₺158

33.86%

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

$1.72 ₺85.6

$1.12 ₺55.7

53.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₺28.26

$0.27 ₺13.46

111.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 ₺232

$2.47 ₺123

88.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 ₺341

$2.78 ₺138

146.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₺60.0

$1.03 ₺51.2

16.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₺46.97

$0.75 ₺37.23

25.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ₺112

$1.70 ₺84.5

31.76%

Eggs

$2.42 ₺121

$1.85 ₺92.0

30.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₺510

$7.03 ₺350

45.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 ₺268

$4.10 ₺204

31.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 ₺1,056

$17.99 ₺897

17.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₺94.3

$1.65 ₺82.3

14.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 ₺111

$1.82 ₺90.6

21.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺62.7

$0.92 ₺45.96

36.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ₺90.0

$1.06 ₺53.1

70.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₺34.84

$0.50 ₺24.85

40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.13

$0.38 ₺18.78

68.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ₺60.9

$0.93 ₺46.18

31.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₺27.35

$0.61 ₺30.23

-9.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₺116

$2.13 ₺106

8.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.31 ₺663

$10.01 ₺499

32.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₺116

$2.30 ₺115

1.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ₺172

$3.29 ₺164

5.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ₺45.18

$0.80 ₺39.73

13.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 ₺3,306

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.2

$1.02 ₺51.0

26.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ₺42.66

$0.51 ₺25.45

68.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺553

$10.08 ₺502

10.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₺70.8

$1.29 ₺64.5

10.08%

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

$49.2K ₺2.5M

$42.7K ₺2.1M

15.24%

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

$42.8K ₺2.1M

$37.9K ₺1.9M

12.82%

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

$87.7 ₺4,373

$92.1 ₺4,589

-4.72%

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

$11.28 ₺562

$9.28 ₺463

21.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺792

$10.95 ₺546

45.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 ₺3,783

$46.70 ₺2,328

62.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,148

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 ₺409

$6.08 ₺303

34.87%

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

$1,028 ₺51.2K

$446 ₺22.2K

130.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K ₺1.3M

$7,164 ₺357.0K

262.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,658

$54.5 ₺2,718

-2.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ₺1,978

$28.84 ₺1,437

37.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 ₺4,972

$113 ₺5,644

-11.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,661

$108 ₺5,394

-13.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 ₺50.0K

$402 ₺20.0K

149.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₺31.3K

$292 ₺14.5K

115.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 ₺97.8K

$755 ₺37.6K

159.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₺55.9K

$590 ₺29.4K

90.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 ₺153.2K

$1,214 ₺60.5K

153.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 ₺87.3K

$892 ₺44.4K

96.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 ₺58.8K

$1,115 ₺55.6K

5.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

16.26%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Last update for Iskenderun: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$628 41.5%

Iskenderun

$292 31% 53.6% $336

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Iskenderun

$207 22% 19.8% $51

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.4%

Iskenderun

$127 13.5% 41.5% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Iskenderun

$137 14.6% 6.5% $8.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$115 7.6%

Iskenderun

$112 11.9% 2.2% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$92 6.1%

Iskenderun

$59 6.3% 36.2% $33

Getting Around

Istanbul

$76 5%

Iskenderun

$6.8 * 0.7% 91% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Istanbul versus $402 in Iskenderun. 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 6% higher in Istanbul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $30 in Iskenderun. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $207 – making Iskenderun the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇷 Iskenderun

🕒 Local time

23:29 11:29 PM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

246,639

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Iskenderun 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Iskenderun

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 Iskenderun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 61%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,274 per month in Istanbul and $1,412 in Iskenderun. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iskenderun, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $402 there versus $1,003 in Istanbul.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,516 in Istanbul and $941 in Iskenderun. That makes Iskenderun about 38% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,028 per month in Istanbul and $446 in Iskenderun. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Iskenderun – 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.

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