Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Karabuk

For one person, living is cheaper in Karabuk: $656 a month against $1,516 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Karabuk
Learn more

Karabuk Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Karabuk

🇹🇷 Turkey

$656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Karabuk

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

A single person spends $1,516 per month in Istanbul vs $656 in Karabuk, rent included.

Istanbul $1,516
Karabuk $656

A couple spends around $2,356 per month in Istanbul vs $1,031 in Karabuk, rent included.

Istanbul $2,356
Karabuk $1,031

A family of three spends $3,197 per month in Istanbul vs $1,405 in Karabuk, rent included.

Istanbul $3,197
Karabuk $1,405

Istanbul costs about 131% more than Karabuk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 11% above the global median, while Karabuk is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 ₺577

$7.85 ₺391

47.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,725

$23.97 ₺1,194

128.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 ₺468

$7.96 ₺397

17.96%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₺211

$3.45 ₺172

22.61%

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

$1.72 ₺85.6

$1.08 ₺53.8

59.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₺28.26

$0.31 ₺15.47

83.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 ₺232

$1.59 ₺79.1

192.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 ₺341

$2.75 ₺137

148.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₺60.0

$0.85 ₺42.23

41.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₺46.97

$0.31 ₺15.50

203.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ₺112

$2.59 ₺129

-13.51%

Eggs

$2.42 ₺121

$2.60 ₺129

-6.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₺510

$6.00 ₺299

70.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 ₺268

$4.08 ₺203

31.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 ₺1,056

$9.97 ₺497

112.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₺94.3

$1.44 ₺71.6

31.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 ₺111

$1.69 ₺84.3

31.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺62.7

$0.76 ₺37.93

65.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ₺90.0

$0.78 ₺39.08

132.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₺34.84

$0.50 ₺24.71

40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.13

$0.43 ₺21.25

48.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ₺60.9

$0.38 ₺19.13

221.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₺27.35

$0.31 ₺15.57

77.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₺116

$1.77 ₺88.2

31.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.31 ₺663

$5.01 ₺249

165.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₺116

$1.57 ₺78.1

48.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ₺172

$2.06 ₺103

67.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ₺45.18

$0.62 ₺31.02

46.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 ₺3,306

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.2

$0.58 ₺28.81

122.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ₺42.66

$0.86 ₺42.83

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺553

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₺70.8

$1.31 ₺65.5

8.40%

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

$49.2K ₺2.5M

$41.2K ₺2.1M

19.24%

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

$42.8K ₺2.1M

$38.4K ₺1.9M

11.40%

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

$87.7 ₺4,373

$76.9 ₺3,832

14.10%

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

$11.28 ₺562

$5.14 ₺256

119.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺792

$10.19 ₺508

55.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 ₺3,783

$17.04 ₺849

345.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,148

$6.01 ₺300

283.36%

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 ₺409

$3.98 ₺198

106.03%

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

$1,028 ₺51.2K

$450 ₺22.4K

128.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K ₺1.3M

$6,045 ₺301.3K

329.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,658

$20.44 ₺1,019

160.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ₺1,978

$28.20 ₺1,405

40.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 ₺4,972

$40.49 ₺2,018

146.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,661

$40.76 ₺2,031

129.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 ₺50.0K

$247 ₺12.3K

305.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₺31.3K

$172 ₺8,557

265.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 ₺97.8K

$450 ₺22.4K

336.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₺55.9K

$331 ₺16.5K

239.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 ₺153.2K

$1,632 ₺81.3K

88.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 ₺87.3K

$592 ₺29.5K

195.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 ₺58.8K

$1,215 ₺60.6K

-2.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

-0.76%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Last update for Karabuk: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$628 41.5%

Karabuk

$172 26.2% 72.7% $456

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Karabuk

$155 23.5% 40.1% $104

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.4%

Karabuk

$147 22.4% 32.5% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Karabuk

$58 8.9% 54.6% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$115 7.6%

Karabuk

$92 14.1% 19.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$92 6.1%

Karabuk

$25 3.8% 72.9% $67

Getting Around

Istanbul

$76 5%

Karabuk

$7.4 * 1.1% 90.2% $68

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 $247 in Karabuk. 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 3% higher in Karabuk, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $24 in Karabuk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $155 – making Karabuk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇷 Karabuk

🕒 Local time

22:58 10:58 PM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

123,309

💱 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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Istanbul Karabuk 310 km

From you

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 Karabuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 131%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,274 per month in Istanbul and $984 in Karabuk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karabuk, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $247 there versus $1,003 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $24 in Karabuk. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 67% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Karabuk, where all-in costs run around $656, than in Istanbul at $1,516. In Karabuk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Karabuk – 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.