Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kurgan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kurgan: $606 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Kurgan
Learn more

Kurgan Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Kurgan

🇷🇺 Russia

$606

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kurgan

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $606 in Kurgan, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Kurgan $606

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $969 in Kurgan, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Kurgan $969

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $1,332 in Kurgan, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Kurgan $1,332

Istanbul costs about 151% more than Kurgan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Kurgan is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$8.52 ₽695

38.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$29.53 ₽2,408

85.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$5.58 ₽455

65.95%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$2.79 ₽228

54.12%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$1.16 ₽94.3

52.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.60 ₽48.95

-6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$3.63 ₽296

29.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$4.78 ₽390

48.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.18 ₽96.5

5.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.86 ₽70.5

2.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.09 ₽89.2

101.83%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.22 ₽99.7

99.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$10.10 ₽824

3.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$4.83 ₽394

9.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$10.09 ₽823

109.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.69 ₽137

10.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.73 ₽141

32.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$2.21 ₽180

-44.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$1.77 ₽144

1.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.59 ₽48.19

16.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.56 ₽45.80

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$1.87 ₽152

-27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.55 ₽44.78

5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$2.80 ₽229

-16.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$5.05 ₽412

158.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$0.79 ₽64.6

198.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.38 ₽112

140.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.49 ₽39.60

79.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$2.49 ₽203

-48.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.63 ₽51.7

34.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$7.28 ₽594

52.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$0.81 ₽66.1

82.72%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$53.6K ₽4.4M

-9.26%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$41.7K ₽3.4M

0.59%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$111 ₽9,056

-16.51%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$6.09 ₽497

83.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$8.58 ₽700

85.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$4.35 ₽355

85.06%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$99.1 ₽8,083

-45.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$30.97 ₽2,526

33.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$93.8 ₽7,647

7.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$56.4 ₽4,597

61.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$987 ₽80.5K

15.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

20.32

98.92%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kurgan: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Kurgan

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Kurgan

$185 30.5% 28.5% $74

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Kurgan

$153 25.3% 30.7% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Kurgan

$126 20.8% 2.6% $3.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Kurgan

$126 20.8% 4.9% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Kurgan

$8.7 * 1.4% 90.4% $82

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Kurgan

$7.6 * 1.3% 89.9% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 15% 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 in Istanbul versus $30 in Kurgan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $185 – making Kurgan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇷🇺 Kurgan

🕒 Local time

13:46 1:46 PM

15:46 3:46 PM

2 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

309,285

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100 RUB = 1.23 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, 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).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 81.56 RUB (100 RUB = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 91.6 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Kurgan 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Kurgan

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 Kurgan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 151%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $909 in Kurgan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $30 in Kurgan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kurgan, where all-in costs run around $606, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Kurgan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $606 in Kurgan to $1,519 in Istanbul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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