Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kadikoy

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,519 a month against $1,746 in Kadikoy, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kadikoy outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Kadikoy
Learn more

Kadikoy Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Kadikoy

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,746

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kadikoy

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,746 in Kadikoy, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Kadikoy $1,746

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $2,592 in Kadikoy, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Kadikoy $2,592

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $3,437 in Kadikoy, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Kadikoy $3,437

Istanbul is about 13% cheaper than Kadikoy.

Both Istanbul and Kadikoy sit above the global median – Istanbul by 12%, Kadikoy by 29%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺591

$12.20 ₺610

-3.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,747

$53.7 ₺2,686

2.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺463

$8.85 ₺443

4.63%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺215

$4.47 ₺224

-3.80%

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

$1.77 ₺88.7

$1.73 ₺86.6

2.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.24

$0.58 ₺28.89

-3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺234

$3.88 ₺194

20.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺356

$4.58 ₺229

55.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.6

$0.97 ₺48.35

28.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.05

$0.94 ₺46.99

-6.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺110

$2.16 ₺108

1.85%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$2.02 ₺101

20.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺524

$10.28 ₺514

1.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺266

$4.47 ₺224

18.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,056

$20.17 ₺1,009

4.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺92.8

$1.80 ₺89.9

3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$2.04 ₺102

12.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺60.8

$1.21 ₺60.6

0.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.9

$1.46 ₺73.0

23.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.73

$0.56 ₺28.17

23.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.08

$0.44 ₺21.86

45.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺67.8

$0.98 ₺49.07

38.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.87

$0.86 ₺42.80

-32.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺652

$5.88 ₺294

121.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.96 ₺97.8

20.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$3.39 ₺170

-2.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺43.95

$0.80 ₺40.22

10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,307

$67.3 ₺3,366

-1.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.3

$1.28 ₺64.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.68

$0.89 ₺44.29

-4.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺555

$10.88 ₺544

1.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺73.8

$1.36 ₺68.2

8.82%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$39.9K ₺2.0M

21.96%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$39.7K ₺2.0M

5.64%

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

$92.7 ₺4,637

$90.1 ₺4,507

2.90%

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

$11.20 ₺560

$11.54 ₺577

-2.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺795

$16.00 ₺800

-0.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,735

$50.1 ₺2,505

49.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,148

$13.74 ₺687

67.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺403

$6.07 ₺304

32.62%

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

$948 ₺47.4K

$803 ₺40.2K

18.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.8M

$6,438 ₺322.0K

473.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,695

$46.83 ₺2,342

15.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,075

$42.24 ₺2,113

-1.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,046

$79.1 ₺3,956

27.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,567

$91.5 ₺4,574

-0.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.7K

$1,213 ₺60.7K

-16.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.2K

$930 ₺46.5K

-32.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.3K

$2,265 ₺113.3K

-11.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.3K

$1,520 ₺76.0K

-25.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.4K

$3,289 ₺164.5K

-9.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.5K

$2,169 ₺108.5K

-20.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺56.8K

$1,574 ₺78.7K

-27.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

39.33

2.77%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kadikoy: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Kadikoy

$930 53.3% 48.9% $305

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Kadikoy

$228 13.1% 11.7% $30

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Kadikoy

$216 12.4% 2.4% $5.3

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Kadikoy

$117 6.7% 9.7% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Kadikoy

$118 6.7% 1.8% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Kadikoy

$62 3.6% 31.4% $29

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Kadikoy

$76 4.4% 1.4% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $1,213 in Kadikoy. 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 39% higher in Kadikoy. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $54 in Kadikoy. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $228 – making Kadikoy the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇷 Kadikoy

🕒 Local time

02:20 2:20 AM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

467,919

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Istanbul Kadikoy 4 km

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Istanbul
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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 Kadikoy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kadikoy costs about 15% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $2,620 in Kadikoy. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,014 there versus $1,213 in Kadikoy.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Kadikoy – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $803 in Kadikoy. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,519 in Istanbul and $1,746 in Kadikoy. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Istanbul costs $1,519 versus $1,746 in Kadikoy. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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