Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kobuleti

For one person, living is cheaper in Kobuleti: $1,030 a month against $1,525 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Kobuleti
Learn more

Kobuleti Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Kobuleti

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,030

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kobuleti

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $1,030 in Kobuleti, rent included.

Istanbul $1,525
Kobuleti $1,030

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $1,561 in Kobuleti, rent included.

Istanbul $2,390
Kobuleti $1,561

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $2,092 in Kobuleti, rent included.

Istanbul $3,256
Kobuleti $2,092

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

Istanbul sits 13% above the global median, while Kobuleti is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ₺592

$11.37 ₾29.44

5.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 ₺2,834

$32.74 ₾84.8

74.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 ₺471

$9.49 ₾24.57

0.21%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$3.57 ₾9.24

23.25%

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

$1.75 ₺86.6

$1.06 ₾2.74

65.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.57

$0.54 ₾1.41

3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 ₺233

$2.18 ₾5.63

116.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₺304

$2.76 ₾7.14

122.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.6

$2.17 ₾5.61

-42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.25

$0.73 ₾1.88

30.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$1.55 ₾4.01

47.10%

Eggs

$2.45 ₺121

$2.67 ₾6.90

-8.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₺523

$9.91 ₾25.66

6.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 ₺272

$6.09 ₾15.75

-9.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.65 ₺1,072

$10.16 ₾26.31

113.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ₺90.6

$1.50 ₾3.87

22.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.77 ₾4.59

29.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.4

$1.49 ₾3.85

-14.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 ₺90.1

$2.13 ₾5.50

-14.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₺32.74

$0.83 ₾2.14

-20.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.14

$0.69 ₾1.78

-8.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₺62.8

$1.42 ₾3.67

-10.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.62

$0.72 ₾1.85

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺117

$3.20 ₾8.29

-26.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 ₺642

$5.82 ₾15.08

123.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₺123

$1.49 ₾3.87

66.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₺174

$2.09 ₾5.42

67.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.77

$0.30 ₾0.77

173.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₺3,228

$11.49 ₾29.74

467.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₺65.7

$1.18 ₾3.06

12.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₺44.60

$0.67 ₾1.74

34.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 ₺540

$11.55 ₾29.89

-5.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₺70.7

$1.49 ₾3.87

-4.03%

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

$49.6K ₺2.5M

$16.1K ₾41.6K

208.73%

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

$43.2K ₺2.1M

$21.7K ₾56.1K

99.38%

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

$88.8 ₺4,395

$76.2 ₾197

16.51%

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

$11.69 ₺579

$11.13 ₾28.81

5.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 ₺797

$15.70 ₾40.65

2.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 ₺3,776

$47.60 ₾123

60.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 ₺1,125

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ₺409

$6.59 ₾17.07

25.34%

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

$1,015 ₺50.2K

$301 ₾780

236.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$3,110 ₾8,052

730.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,636

$97.9 ₾253

-45.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 ₺2,008

$40.06 ₾104

1.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₺4,956

$116 ₾301

-14.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,630

$118 ₾305

-20.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₺48.4K

$406 ₾1,051

140.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺31.0K

$284 ₾736

120.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 ₺98.0K

$707 ₾1,831

179.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ₺56.8K

$414 ₾1,072

177.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 ₺153.2K

$1,084 ₾2,807

185.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 ₺88.5K

$775 ₾2,006

130.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 ₺60.1K

$531 ₾1,374

128.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

12.62

222.42%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Kobuleti: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$627 41.1%

Kobuleti

$284 27.6% 54.7% $343

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$263 17.2%

Kobuleti

$213 20.6% 19% $50

Eating Out

Istanbul

$222 14.6%

Kobuleti

$185 18% 16.7% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Kobuleti

$167 16.3% 29.4% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.6%

Kobuleti

$103 10% 11.6% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6.1%

Kobuleti

$61 5.9% 34.5% $32

Getting Around

Istanbul

$74 4.9%

Kobuleti

$17 1.7% 76.8% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $406 in Kobuleti. 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 129% 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 $57.0 in Istanbul versus $33.00 in Kobuleti. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $213 – making Kobuleti the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇬🇪 Kobuleti

🕒 Local time

20:54 8:54 PM

21:54 9:54 PM

1 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

17,435

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Kobuleti 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Kobuleti

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 Kobuleti: 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 $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $1,545 in Kobuleti. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kobuleti, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,015 per month in Istanbul and $301 in Kobuleti. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kobuleti, where all-in costs run around $1,030, than in Istanbul at $1,525. In Kobuleti it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kobuleti – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kobuleti. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.