Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kastamonu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kastamonu: $1,023 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Kastamonu
Learn more

Kastamonu Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Kastamonu

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,023

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kastamonu

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,023 in Kastamonu, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Kastamonu $1,023

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,644 in Kastamonu, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Kastamonu $1,644

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,265 in Kastamonu, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Kastamonu $2,265

Istanbul costs about 48% more than Kastamonu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Kastamonu is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺591

$9.91 ₺496

19.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,747

$60.6 ₺3,031

-9.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺463

$10.63 ₺532

-12.89%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺215

$3.89 ₺194

10.54%

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

$1.77 ₺88.7

$0.78 ₺38.89

126.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.24

$0.29 ₺14.36

93.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺234

$1.84 ₺92.1

154.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺356

$1.98 ₺99.3

259.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.6

$1.17 ₺58.4

6.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.05

$1.94 ₺97.0

-54.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺110

$2.72 ₺136

-19.12%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.93 ₺96.7

25.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺524

$8.42 ₺421

24.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺266

$3.91 ₺196

35.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,056

$26.75 ₺1,338

-21.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺92.8

$2.35 ₺118

-20.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.83 ₺91.4

25.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺60.8

$1.48 ₺74.2

-17.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.9

$1.01 ₺50.6

78.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.73

$0.29 ₺14.33

137.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.08

$0.25 ₺12.37

156.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺67.8

$0.84 ₺41.94

61.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.87

$0.65 ₺32.71

-10.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$2.06 ₺103

13.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺652

$9.15 ₺457

42.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.64 ₺81.8

43.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$2.19 ₺110

51.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺43.95

$0.68 ₺33.94

29.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,307

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.3

$1.99 ₺99.4

-35.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.68

$0.67 ₺33.51

26.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺555

$6.52 ₺326

70.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺73.8

$1.23 ₺61.4

20.33%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$40.2K ₺2.0M

21.00%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$40.8K ₺2.0M

2.78%

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

$92.7 ₺4,637

$87.4 ₺4,373

6.03%

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

$11.20 ₺560

$4.24 ₺212

164.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺795

$12.45 ₺623

27.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,735

$55.7 ₺2,784

34.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,148

$3.03 ₺152

657.43%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺403

$3.99 ₺199

101.75%

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

$948 ₺47.4K

$252 ₺12.6K

276.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.8M

$10.3K ₺517.4K

256.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,695

$39.22 ₺1,962

37.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,075

$30.00 ₺1,500

38.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,046

$70.4 ₺3,520

43.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,567

$60.4 ₺3,020

51.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.7K

$425 ₺21.2K

138.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.2K

$330 ₺16.5K

89.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.3K

$765 ₺38.3K

162.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.3K

$561 ₺28.1K

100.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.4K

$1,290 ₺64.5K

131.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.5K

$1,007 ₺50.4K

71.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺56.8K

$1,264 ₺63.2K

-10.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

-17.51%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kastamonu: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Kastamonu

$330 32.3% 47.2% $295

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Kastamonu

$252 24.6% 2.5% $6.4

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Kastamonu

$175 17.1% 20.7% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Kastamonu

$90 8.8% 30.5% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Kastamonu

$104 10.2% 13.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Kastamonu

$64 6.2% 29.9% $27

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Kastamonu

$8.1 * 0.8% 89.3% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $425 in Kastamonu. 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 11% higher in Kastamonu, 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 $61 in Kastamonu. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Istanbul vs $252 in Kastamonu – so Kastamonu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇷 Kastamonu

🕒 Local time

00:45 12:45 AM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

152,541

💱 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

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Istanbul Kastamonu 400 km

From you

Istanbul
Kastamonu

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 Kastamonu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,534 in Kastamonu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kastamonu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $425 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $61 in Kastamonu. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $252 in Kastamonu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,519 in Istanbul and $1,023 in Kastamonu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Kastamonu – 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.