Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kozhikode

For one person, living is cheaper in Kozhikode: $397 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Kozhikode
Learn more

Kozhikode Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Kozhikode

🇮🇳 India

$397

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kozhikode

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $397 in Kozhikode, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Kozhikode $397

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $614 in Kozhikode, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Kozhikode $614

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $832 in Kozhikode, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Kozhikode $832

Istanbul costs about 285% more than Kozhikode, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Kozhikode is 70% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$1.57 ₹152

656.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$9.12 ₹883

504.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$3.20 ₹310

185.63%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$1.36 ₹132

211.76%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.34 ₹32.65

414.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.13 ₹12.31

315.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$1.42 ₹137

230.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$1.86 ₹180

220.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$0.57 ₹54.8

121.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.48 ₹46.60

97.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.49 ₹47.29

371.43%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$0.83 ₹80.0

197.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$3.72 ₹360

183.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$3.62 ₹351

54.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$2.01 ₹194

-3.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$0.57 ₹54.8

301.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.87 ₹84.2

47.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$0.45 ₹43.51

308.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$0.35 ₹33.47

91.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.41 ₹39.31

43.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$0.59 ₹57.1

125.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.27 ₹26.33

118.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$4.91 ₹475

-51.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$5.21 ₹504

158.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.96 ₹189

23.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$2.12 ₹206

66.98%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$3.31 ₹321

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.18 ₹17.70

361.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$5.20 ₹504

1177.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$0.87 ₹84.1

55.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$0.45 ₹43.95

88.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$2.07 ₹200

424.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.12 ₹108

31.25%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$13.1K ₹1.3M

293.14%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$19.3K ₹1.9M

130.52%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$53.9 ₹5,219

65.47%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$3.06 ₹296

279.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$5.95 ₹576

170.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$19.45 ₹1,882

297.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$5.92 ₹573

282.77%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$2.57 ₹249

224.51%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$45.46 ₹4,400

2042.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$496 ₹48.1K

5091.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$28.03 ₹2,713

88.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$27.34 ₹2,646

43.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$69.5 ₹6,727

48.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$36.95 ₹3,576

161.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$111 ₹10.7K

796.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$73.4 ₹7,103

757.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$309 ₹29.9K

555.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$163 ₹15.8K

606.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$880 ₹85.1K

259.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$666 ₹64.5K

175.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$277 ₹26.8K

334.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

9.37

338.53%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Kozhikode: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Kozhikode

$73 18.8% 88.3% $556

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Kozhikode

$96 24.6% 63.6% $168

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Kozhikode

$51 13.1% 76.5% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Kozhikode

$73 18.7% 44.5% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Kozhikode

$63 16.1% 46.2% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Kozhikode

$25 6.3% 73.8% $69

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Kozhikode

$9.1 2.3% 88% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $111 in Kozhikode. 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 335% 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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $9.00 in Kozhikode. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $96.0 – making Kozhikode the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇳 Kozhikode

🕒 Local time

10:13 10:13 AM

12:43 12:43 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

550,440

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Kozhikode 5,630 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Kozhikode

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 Kozhikode: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 285%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $595 in Kozhikode. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $974 per month in Istanbul and $45.46 in Kozhikode. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 175% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kozhikode, where all-in costs run around $397, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Kozhikode it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kozhikode – 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 Kozhikode. 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.