Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kyrenia

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,519 a month against $1,620 in Kyrenia, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Istanbul, Turkey
Kyrenia, Cyprus
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,519
/mo nomad
Kyrenia
🇨🇾 Cyprus
$1,620
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kyrenia

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,620 in Kyrenia, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,519
  • Kyrenia $1,620

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $2,624 in Kyrenia, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,365
  • Kyrenia $2,624

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $3,628 in Kyrenia, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,212
  • Kyrenia $3,628

Istanbul is about 6% cheaper than Kyrenia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Istanbul and Kyrenia sit above the global median – Istanbul by 12%, Kyrenia by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Kyrenia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.81 ₺592
$22.06 €19.74
-46.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.9 ₺2,754
$68.5 €61.3
-19.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.26 ₺465
$13.58 €12.15
-31.81%
Cappuccino
$4.30 ₺216
$5.04 €4.51
-14.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 ₺89.0
$1.79 €1.60
-1.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺28.32
$0.89 €0.79
-37.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.69 ₺235
$2.23 €2.00
110.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.12 ₺357
$5.30 €4.74
34.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Kyrenia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 ₺62.7
$1.32 €1.18
-5.30%
White Bread (500g)
$0.88 ₺44.17
$1.27 €1.13
-30.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 ₺111
$2.15 €1.92
2.33%
Eggs
$2.43 ₺122
$2.53 €2.26
-3.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.48 ₺526
$9.82 €8.79
6.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.31 ₺267
$6.76 €6.05
-21.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.10 ₺1,058
$20.54 €18.38
2.73%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 ₺93.1
$2.29 €2.05
-18.78%
Banana (1kg)
$2.30 ₺115
$2.00 €1.79
15.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.22 ₺61.0
$1.52 €1.36
-19.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺90.2
$2.53 €2.26
-28.85%
Potato (1kg)
$0.69 ₺34.83
$1.68 €1.50
-58.93%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺32.16
$1.39 €1.24
-53.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 ₺68.0
$0.75 €0.67
81.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 ₺28.94
$1.02 €0.91
-43.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.34 ₺117
$2.42 €2.16
-3.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 ₺653
$5.56 €4.97
134.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.36 ₺118
$1.66 €1.48
42.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 ₺166
$2.13 €1.91
55.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Kyrenia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 ₺44.07
$1.82 €1.63
-51.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.1 ₺3,316
$50.3 €45.02
31.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 ₺64.4
$4.50 €4.03
-71.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 ₺42.80
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.09 ₺556
$13.39 €11.98
-17.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 ₺74.0
$1.65 €1.48
-10.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.6K ₺2.4M
$34.6K €30.9K
40.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.0K ₺2.1M
$34.5K €30.8K
21.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Kyrenia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.7 ₺4,650
$175 €157
-47.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.20 ₺562
$21.39 €19.14
-47.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.89 ₺797
$23.17 €20.74
-31.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Kyrenia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.7 ₺3,745
$38.92 €34.83
91.88%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.95 ₺1,151
$21.41 €19.15
7.19%
Cinema Ticket
$8.05 ₺404
$12.22 €10.94
-34.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Kyrenia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$948 ₺47.6K
$394 €353
140.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$36.9K ₺1.9M
$8,061 €7,213
357.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Kyrenia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₺2,702
$56.8 €50.8
-5.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.49 ₺2,081
$43.61 €39.02
-4.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 ₺5,060
$115 €103
-11.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.3 ₺4,580
$134 €120
-31.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Kyrenia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,014 ₺50.8K
$698 €624
45.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$625 ₺31.3K
$550 €492
13.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,005 ₺100.6K
$1,220 €1,092
64.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,126 ₺56.5K
$1,166 €1,044
-3.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,988 ₺149.8K
$1,705 €1,526
75.20%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,730 ₺86.8K
$1,497 €1,339
15.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Kyrenia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,136 ₺57.0K
$1,144 €1,024
-0.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.42
3.27
1136.09%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kyrenia: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$625
Kyrenia
$550 11.9% $75
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$258
Kyrenia
$258 0% $0.1
Eating Out
Istanbul
$221
Kyrenia
$310 40.4% $89
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Kyrenia
$157 21.3% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$120
Kyrenia
$220 83.3% $100
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$91
Kyrenia
$63 30.2% $27
Getting Around
Istanbul
$75
Kyrenia
$62 * 17.4% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $698 in Kyrenia. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $69 in Kyrenia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $258 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇨🇾 Kyrenia
🕒 Local time
23:14 11:14 PM
22:14 10:14 PM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
33,207
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.05 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.895 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Kyrenia 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Kyrenia

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 Kyrenia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Istanbul cheaper than Kyrenia?
Yes – Kyrenia is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $2,430 in Kyrenia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kyrenia, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $698 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.
Is eating out cheaper in Istanbul or in Kyrenia?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $69 in Kyrenia. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 24% less in Kyrenia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 enough to cover costs in Istanbul or in Kyrenia?
$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,519 in Istanbul and $1,620 in Kyrenia. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Istanbul or in Kyrenia?
It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,519 in Istanbul to $1,620 in Kyrenia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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