Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kumasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Kumasi: $488 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Kumasi
Learn more

Kumasi Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Kumasi

🇬🇭 Ghana

$488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kumasi

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $488 in Kumasi, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Kumasi $488

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $805 in Kumasi, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Kumasi $805

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,123 in Kumasi, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Kumasi $1,123

Istanbul costs about 217% more than Kumasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Kumasi is 64% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$3.50 GHS 40.74

251.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$33.71 GHS 392

62.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$10.15 GHS 118

-9.16%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.08 GHS 12.53

307.41%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.71 GHS 8.22

136.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.26 GHS 3.05

126.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$0.91 GHS 10.53

416.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$1.66 GHS 19.34

256.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.78 GHS 20.65

-32.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.64 GHS 19.09

-45.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.75 GHS 20.35

25.14%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.39 GHS 27.81

-1.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$5.49 GHS 63.8

89.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$4.54 GHS 52.8

24.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$4.81 GHS 55.9

335.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.68 GHS 19.50

13.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.83 GHS 9.66

178.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.84 GHS 9.73

52.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$2.10 GHS 24.39

-14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.66 GHS 19.34

-60.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.28 GHS 14.89

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.75 GHS 8.70

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.57 GHS 6.59

-1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$0.87 GHS 10.18

172.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$1.25 GHS 14.56

973.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.22 GHS 14.22

96.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.40 GHS 27.88

45.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.52 GHS 6.09

71.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$20.34 GHS 237

231.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.82 GHS 9.49

57.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.24 GHS 14.44

-25.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$1.72 GHS 20.03

537.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.13 GHS 13.18

30.09%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$7,902 GHS 91.9K

542.69%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$9,972 GHS 116.0K

346.54%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$41.97 GHS 488

111.13%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$19.43 GHS 226

-40.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$42.24 GHS 491

-62.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$30.23 GHS 352

155.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$12.60 GHS 147

-35.40%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$459 GHS 5,337

119.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,536 GHS 64.4K

361.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$14.50 GHS 169

272.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$18.32 GHS 213

122.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$35.88 GHS 417

175.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$51.8 GHS 602

86.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$408 GHS 4,750

195.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

26.75

52.97%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kumasi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Kumasi

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Kumasi

$162 33.3% 37.5% $97

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Kumasi

$83 17% 62.8% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Kumasi

$54 11.1% 58.5% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Kumasi

$104 21.2% 10.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Kumasi

$55 11.4% 40.7% $38

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Kumasi

$29 6% 61.7% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 195% 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 $34.00 in Kumasi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $162 – making Kumasi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇬🇭 Kumasi

🕒 Local time

00:51 12:51 AM

21:51 9:51 PM

3 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,517,000

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 GHS = 8.6 USD

100 GHS = 7.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GHS, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 11.63 GHS (100 GHS = 8.6 USD). 1 EUR = 13.07 GHS (100 GHS = 7.65 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Kumasi 4,870 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Kumasi

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 Kumasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 217%, 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 $732 in Kumasi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $459 in Kumasi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 60% 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 Kumasi, where all-in costs run around $488, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Kumasi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kumasi – 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 Kumasi. 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.