Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kahramanmaras

For one person, living is cheaper in Kahramanmaras: $726 a month against $1,516 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Kahramanmaras
Learn more

Kahramanmaras Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Kahramanmaras

🇹🇷 Turkey

$726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kahramanmaras

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

A single person spends $1,516 per month in Istanbul vs $726 in Kahramanmaras, rent included.

Istanbul $1,516
Kahramanmaras $726

A couple spends around $2,356 per month in Istanbul vs $1,105 in Kahramanmaras, rent included.

Istanbul $2,356
Kahramanmaras $1,105

A family of three spends $3,197 per month in Istanbul vs $1,483 in Kahramanmaras, rent included.

Istanbul $3,197
Kahramanmaras $1,483

Istanbul costs about 109% more than Kahramanmaras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 11% above the global median, while Kahramanmaras is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 ₺577

$5.12 ₺255

126.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,725

$12.23 ₺609

347.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 ₺468

$6.94 ₺346

35.30%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₺211

$4.16 ₺208

1.68%

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

$1.72 ₺85.6

$0.48 ₺23.68

258.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₺28.26

$0.20 ₺10.16

185.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 ₺232

$1.99 ₺99.2

133.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 ₺341

$2.40 ₺119

185.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₺60.0

$0.82 ₺41.08

46.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₺46.97

$0.87 ₺43.52

8.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ₺112

$1.65 ₺82.0

35.76%

Eggs

$2.42 ₺121

$1.23 ₺61.4

96.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₺510

$8.65 ₺431

18.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 ₺268

$3.44 ₺172

56.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 ₺1,056

$16.18 ₺806

30.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₺94.3

$1.77 ₺88.3

6.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 ₺111

$1.82 ₺90.8

21.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺62.7

$0.67 ₺33.19

88.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ₺90.0

$0.89 ₺44.15

103.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₺34.84

$0.36 ₺17.89

94.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.13

$0.32 ₺16.18

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ₺60.9

$0.79 ₺39.58

54.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₺27.35

$0.61 ₺30.25

-9.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₺116

$2.00 ₺99.7

16.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.31 ₺663

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₺116

$2.27 ₺113

2.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ₺172

$2.75 ₺137

25.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ₺45.18

$0.27 ₺13.39

237.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 ₺3,306

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.2

$2.44 ₺122

-47.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ₺42.66

$1.33 ₺66.3

-35.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺553

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₺70.8

$1.23 ₺61.1

15.45%

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

$49.2K ₺2.5M

$41.8K ₺2.1M

17.63%

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

$42.8K ₺2.1M

$39.8K ₺2.0M

7.42%

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

$87.7 ₺4,373

$40.03 ₺1,995

119.19%

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

$11.28 ₺562

$7.05 ₺352

60.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺792

$10.19 ₺508

55.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 ₺3,783

$30.56 ₺1,523

148.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,148

$21.95 ₺1,094

4.97%

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 ₺409

$4.51 ₺225

81.82%

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

$1,028 ₺51.2K

$429 ₺21.4K

139.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K ₺1.3M

$9,653 ₺481.0K

168.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,658

$29.75 ₺1,482

79.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ₺1,978

$19.95 ₺994

98.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 ₺4,972

$60.0 ₺2,989

66.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,661

$49.33 ₺2,458

89.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 ₺50.0K

$301 ₺15.0K

233.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₺31.3K

$242 ₺12.1K

159.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 ₺97.8K

$502 ₺25.0K

290.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₺55.9K

$405 ₺20.2K

177.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 ₺153.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 ₺87.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 ₺58.8K

$1,053 ₺52.5K

12.07%

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 Kahramanmaras: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$628 41.5%

Kahramanmaras

$242 33.4% 61.4% $386

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Kahramanmaras

$176 * 24.3% 31.8% $82

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.4%

Kahramanmaras

$129 17.8% 40.7% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Kahramanmaras

$72 9.9% 44.5% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$115 7.6%

Kahramanmaras

$57 7.9% 50.2% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$92 6.1%

Kahramanmaras

$40 5.5% 57.1% $53

Getting Around

Istanbul

$76 5%

Kahramanmaras

$10 * 1.4% 86.5% $65

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 $301 in Kahramanmaras. 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 12% 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 $12 in Kahramanmaras. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $176 – making Kahramanmaras the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇷 Kahramanmaras

🕒 Local time

22:59 10:59 PM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,112,634

💱 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 Kahramanmaras 780 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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 Kahramanmaras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 109%, 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 $1,089 in Kahramanmaras. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kahramanmaras, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $301 there versus $1,003 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $12 in Kahramanmaras. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kahramanmaras, where all-in costs run around $726, than in Istanbul at $1,516. In Kahramanmaras it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kahramanmaras – 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 Kahramanmaras. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.