Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kukes

For one person, living is cheaper in Kukes: $742 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Kukes
Learn more

Kukes Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Kukes

🇦🇱 Albania

$742

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kukes

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $742 in Kukes, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Kukes $742

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,109 in Kukes, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Kukes $1,109

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,475 in Kukes, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Kukes $1,475

Istanbul costs about 109% more than Kukes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Kukes is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$3.69 ALL 297

233.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$22.05 ALL 1,776

148.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.36 ALL 593

25.27%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.50 ALL 121

193.33%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.38 ALL 111

21.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.64 ALL 51.4

-7.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.88 ALL 152

150.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.22 ALL 178

166.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.61 ALL 129

-24.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.84 ALL 67.8

5.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.01 ALL 162

8.96%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.61 ALL 210

-9.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$9.36 ALL 754

11.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$7.31 ALL 589

-22.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$10.53 ALL 848

98.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$0.95 ALL 76.5

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.88 ALL 151

22.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.02 ALL 81.9

25.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.60 ALL 129

12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.77 ALL 62.0

-15.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.07 ALL 86.1

-40.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.06 ALL 85.3

17.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.69 ALL 55.6

-18.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$4.23 ALL 341

-43.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$7.13 ALL 574

88.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.12 ALL 90.3

114.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.60 ALL 129

117.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.48 ALL 38.41

85.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$19.03 ALL 1,533

254.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$3.61 ALL 290

-64.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$3.72 ALL 299

-75.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$4.88 ALL 393

124.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.18 ALL 176

-32.57%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$33.5K ALL 2.7M

51.70%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$24.8K ALL 2.0M

79.59%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$61.4 ALL 4,944

44.34%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$16.45 ALL 1,325

-29.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$17.19 ALL 1,384

-8.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$55.8 ALL 4,490

38.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$12.42 ALL 1,000

83.09%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$3.71 ALL 299

119.41%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$96.7 ALL 7,789

942.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$37.17 ALL 2,993

45.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$27.07 ALL 2,180

50.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$49.30 ALL 3,970

100.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$43.58 ALL 3,509

121.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$231 ALL 18.6K

326.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$171 ALL 13.8K

279.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$275 ALL 22.1K

622.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$212 ALL 17.1K

457.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$1,802 ALL 145.1K

74.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,203 ALL 96.9K

47.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$528 ALL 42.5K

128.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

718.40%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kukes: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Kukes

$171 23.1% 73.6% $478

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Kukes

$207 27.9% 20.2% $52

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Kukes

$92 12.3% 59% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Kukes

$71 9.5% 45.9% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Kukes

$95 12.8% 18.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Kukes

$63 8.5% 32.4% $30

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Kukes

$43 5.8% 43.9% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $231 in Kukes. 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 128% 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 $22.00 in Kukes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $207 – making Kukes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇦🇱 Kukes

🕒 Local time

11:17 11:17 AM

10:17 10:17 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

47,985

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Kukes 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Kukes

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 Kukes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 109%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $1,113 in Kukes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $96.7 in Kukes. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% 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 Kukes, where all-in costs run around $742, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Kukes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kukes – 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 Kukes. 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.