Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Koura

For one person, living is cheaper in Koura: $1,238 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Istanbul outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Koura
Learn more

Koura Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Koura

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,238

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Koura

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,238 in Koura, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Koura $1,238

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,955 in Koura, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Koura $1,955

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,671 in Koura, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Koura $2,671

Istanbul costs about 23% more than Koura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Koura is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$14.87 LBP 1.3M

-20.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$68.4 LBP 6.1M

-19.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$9.89 LBP 884.8K

-6.37%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$4.86 LBP 434.6K

-11.52%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$2.31 LBP 206.7K

-23.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.77 LBP 68.6K

-27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$5.11 LBP 457.5K

-8.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$4.82 LBP 431.5K

47.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.92 LBP 172.1K

-34.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.91 LBP 81.8K

-3.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$2.25 LBP 201.1K

-2.22%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$3.52 LBP 315.4K

-30.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$11.25 LBP 1.0M

-6.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$10.00 LBP 895.1K

-46.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$14.84 LBP 1.3M

42.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$3.07 LBP 275.0K

-39.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.72 LBP 154.0K

33.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.63 LBP 146.0K

-25.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$1.54 LBP 137.6K

16.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$1.25 LBP 111.7K

-44.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$1.58 LBP 141.8K

-59.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$1.16 LBP 104.1K

17.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.68 LBP 61.3K

-14.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$3.02 LBP 270.4K

-22.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$11.12 LBP 995.0K

17.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.29 LBP 115.2K

82.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$2.59 LBP 231.7K

28.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$2.01 LBP 179.9K

-56.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$5.03 LBP 450.4K

-74.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$2.23 LBP 199.7K

-61.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$22.54 LBP 2.0M

-50.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$0.91 LBP 81.0K

62.64%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$52.8K LBP 4.7B

-7.95%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$33.0K LBP 2.9B

27.36%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$211 LBP 18.9M

-56.06%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$23.43 LBP 2.1M

-52.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$37.90 LBP 3.4M

-58.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$25.17 LBP 2.3M

196.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$9.89 LBP 885.0K

132.05%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$10.04 LBP 898.5K

-19.82%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$672 LBP 60.2M

41.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$12.6K LBP 1.1B

193.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$66.5 LBP 6.0M

-19.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$49.17 LBP 4.4M

-15.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$139 LBP 12.4M

-27.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$121 LBP 10.8M

-24.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$251 LBP 22.4M

304.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$199 LBP 17.8M

213.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$444 LBP 39.7M

351.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$352 LBP 31.5M

219.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$1,172 LBP 104.9M

154.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$837 LBP 74.9M

106.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$596 LBP 53.3M

90.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

267.45%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Koura: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Koura

$199 16.1% 68.1% $425

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Koura

$273 22.1% 5.8% $15

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Koura

$254 20.6% 15.2% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Koura

$169 13.7% 30.5% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Koura

$272 22% 127% $153

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Koura

$45 3.7% 50.2% $46

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Koura

$24 * 2% 67.8% $51

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 $251 in Koura. 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 91% higher in Istanbul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $68 in Koura. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $273 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇧 Koura

🕒 Local time

14:06 2:06 PM

13:06 1:06 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, 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 = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,517 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.95 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Koura 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Koura

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 Koura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 23%, 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 $1,857 in Koura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Koura, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $251 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $68 in Koura. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,519 in Istanbul and $1,238 in Koura. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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