Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,519 a month against $2,207 in Kaka, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. The total is higher in Kaka despite lower rent and utilities.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Kaka
Learn more

Kaka Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Kaka

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$2,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kaka

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $2,207 in Kaka, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Kaka $2,207

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $3,326 in Kaka, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Kaka $3,326

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $4,444 in Kaka, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Kaka $4,444

Istanbul is about 31% cheaper than Kaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Kaka sit above the global median – Istanbul by 12%, Kaka by 63%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$31.44 TMT 106

-62.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$86.2 TMT 289

-36.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$12.82 TMT 43.07

-27.77%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$6.68 TMT 22.43

-35.63%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$1.62 TMT 5.43

9.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.86 TMT 2.87

-34.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$5.91 TMT 19.86

-20.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$13.67 TMT 45.93

-47.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$4.62 TMT 15.51

-72.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$2.03 TMT 6.83

-56.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$6.07 TMT 20.38

-63.76%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$5.92 TMT 19.90

-58.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$37.85 TMT 127

-72.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$20.00 TMT 67.2

-73.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$23.12 TMT 77.7

-8.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$5.15 TMT 17.29

-63.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$8.70 TMT 29.22

-73.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$7.40 TMT 24.87

-83.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$3.64 TMT 12.24

-50.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$2.35 TMT 7.89

-70.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$1.43 TMT 4.80

-55.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$2.72 TMT 9.14

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$1.15 TMT 3.86

-49.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$26.47 TMT 88.9

-91.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$42.50 TMT 143

-69.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$5.42 TMT 18.22

-56.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$2.88 TMT 9.67

15.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$2.97 TMT 9.97

-56.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.83 TMT 2.78

2.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$8.80 TMT 29.56

26.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$0.44 TMT 1.49

236.36%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$45.1K TMT 151.7K

7.76%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$56.8K TMT 190.8K

-26.09%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$582 TMT 1,957

-84.08%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$56.9 TMT 191

-80.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$103 TMT 347

-84.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$8.60 TMT 28.91

-6.40%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$23.06 TMT 77.5

4012.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$27.0K TMT 90.6K

36.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$55.7 TMT 187

-3.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$115 TMT 387

-63.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$363 TMT 1,219

-72.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$195 TMT 656

-53.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

9.5

325.47%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kaka: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Kaka

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Kaka

$676 30.6% 162% $417

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Kaka

$437 19.8% 97.8% $216

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Kaka

$328 14.9% 153% $198

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Kaka

$743 33.7% 520% $623

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Kaka

$17 * 0.8% 81% $74

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Kaka

$7.1 * 0.3% 90.6% $68

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 $86 in Kaka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $676 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇲 Kaka

🕒 Local time

09:37 9:37 AM

11:37 11:37 AM

2 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

33,315

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1 TMT = 0.298 USD

1 TMT = 0.265 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TMT, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.36 TMT (1 TMT = 0.298 USD). 1 EUR = 3.77 TMT (1 TMT = 0.265 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Kaka 2,660 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Kaka

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 Kaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kaka is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $3,311 in Kaka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $86 in Kaka. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 162% more in Kaka, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,519 in Istanbul and $2,207 in Kaka. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,519 in Istanbul to $2,207 in Kaka. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.