Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kutaisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Kutaisi: $886 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Kutaisi
Learn more

Kutaisi Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Kutaisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$886

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kutaisi

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $886 in Kutaisi, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Kutaisi $886

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $1,318 in Kutaisi, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Kutaisi $1,318

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $1,750 in Kutaisi, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Kutaisi $1,750

Istanbul costs about 72% more than Kutaisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Kutaisi is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$9.85 ₾25.53

20.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$31.26 ₾81.0

76.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$10.59 ₾27.44

-13.69%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$2.06 ₾5.33

105.83%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.74 ₾1.92

136.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.55 ₾1.42

-1.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$1.21 ₾3.15

287.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$1.90 ₾4.92

214.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.75 ₾4.54

-28.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.51 ₾1.31

86.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.19 ₾3.09

94.12%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$2.37 ₾6.14

4.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$6.11 ₾15.84

72.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$4.80 ₾12.45

16.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$10.54 ₾27.32

101.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$1.21 ₾3.14

59.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.60 ₾4.14

43.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.54 ₾4.00

-16.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$1.72 ₾4.47

6.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$0.71 ₾1.83

-5.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.65 ₾1.69

-9.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.22 ₾3.15

9.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.63 ₾1.63

-6.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$3.06 ₾7.94

-22.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$3.77 ₾9.76

257.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.57 ₾4.06

54.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$2.59 ₾6.72

36.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.33 ₾0.87

151.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$7.73 ₾20.03

759.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$0.75 ₾1.94

80.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$0.74 ₾1.93

14.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$5.63 ₾14.59

92.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.27 ₾3.30

15.75%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$23.1K ₾59.9K

123.34%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$22.3K ₾57.8K

99.40%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$77.5 ₾201

15.08%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$8.75 ₾22.67

32.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$15.25 ₾39.52

5.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$41.90 ₾109

84.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$8.49 ₾22.00

166.90%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$4.77 ₾12.36

74.84%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$132 ₾342

638.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$2,675 ₾6,934

863.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$57.6 ₾149

-8.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$39.87 ₾103

-1.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$96.2 ₾249

7.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$86.5 ₾224

11.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$362 ₾938

174.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$262 ₾679

140.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$517 ₾1,340

291.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$343 ₾888

236.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$1,069 ₾2,772

195.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$669 ₾1,735

174.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$474 ₾1,229

153.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

15.67

162.22%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Kutaisi: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Kutaisi

$262 29.7% 58.4% $368

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Kutaisi

$178 20.1% 32.7% $86

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Kutaisi

$150 17% 31% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Kutaisi

$126 14.3% 4% $5.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Kutaisi

$102 11.5% 13.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Kutaisi

$51 5.8% 45.2% $42

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Kutaisi

$14 1.5% 82% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $362 in Kutaisi. 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 154% 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 $31.00 in Kutaisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $178 – making Kutaisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇬🇪 Kutaisi

🕒 Local time

08:41 8:41 AM

09:41 9:41 AM

1 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

130,411

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, 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).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Kutaisi 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Kutaisi

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 Kutaisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 72%, 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 $1,329 in Kutaisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kutaisi, 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 $132 in Kutaisi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 49% 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 Kutaisi, where all-in costs run around $886, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Kutaisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kutaisi – 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 Kutaisi. 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.