Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kyzylorda

For one person, living is cheaper in Kyzylorda: $658 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Istanbul, Turkey
Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,519
/mo nomad
Kyzylorda
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$658
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kyzylorda

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $658 in Kyzylorda, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,519
  • Kyzylorda $658

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,023 in Kyzylorda, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,365
  • Kyzylorda $1,023

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $1,388 in Kyzylorda, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,212
  • Kyzylorda $1,388

Istanbul costs about 131% more than Kyzylorda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Kyzylorda is 51% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Kyzylorda
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.81 ₺592
$9.01 ₸4,041
31.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.9 ₺2,754
$33.73 ₸15.1K
62.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.26 ₺465
-
-
Cappuccino
$4.30 ₺216
$2.36 ₸1,060
82.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 ₺89.0
$1.36 ₸608
30.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺28.32
$0.43 ₸192
30.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.69 ₺235
$2.38 ₸1,066
97.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.12 ₺357
$3.29 ₸1,477
116.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Kyzylorda
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 ₺62.7
$1.34 ₸600
-6.72%
White Bread (500g)
$0.88 ₺44.17
$0.26 ₸118
238.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 ₺111
$0.95 ₸425
131.58%
Eggs
$2.43 ₺122
$1.36 ₸611
78.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.48 ₺526
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.31 ₺267
$2.04 ₸917
160.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.10 ₺1,058
$4.68 ₸2,098
350.85%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 ₺93.1
$1.33 ₸598
39.85%
Banana (1kg)
$2.30 ₺115
$2.12 ₸950
8.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.22 ₺61.0
$1.99 ₸892
-38.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺90.2
$2.55 ₸1,145
-29.41%
Potato (1kg)
$0.69 ₺34.83
$1.31 ₸588
-47.33%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺32.16
$0.62 ₸280
3.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 ₺68.0
$1.31 ₸586
3.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 ₺28.94
$0.94 ₸420
-38.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.34 ₺117
$2.40 ₸1,078
-2.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 ₺653
$2.37 ₸1,062
449.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.36 ₺118
$1.19 ₸535
98.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 ₺166
$1.86 ₸833
78.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Kyzylorda
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 ₺44.07
$0.19 ₸84.5
363.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.1 ₺3,316
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 ₺64.4
$0.85 ₸383
50.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 ₺42.80
$0.79 ₸353
7.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.09 ₺556
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 ₺74.0
$0.57 ₸258
159.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.6K ₺2.4M
$29.2K ₸13.1M
66.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.0K ₺2.1M
$30.7K ₸13.7M
36.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Kyzylorda
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.7 ₺4,650
$76.6 ₸34.3K
21.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.20 ₺562
$8.73 ₸3,916
28.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.89 ₺797
$15.44 ₸6,926
2.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Kyzylorda
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.7 ₺3,745
$32.68 ₸14.7K
128.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.95 ₺1,151
$17.51 ₸7,852
31.07%
Cinema Ticket
$8.05 ₺404
$5.92 ₸2,657
35.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Kyzylorda
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$948 ₺47.6K
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$36.9K ₺1.9M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Kyzylorda
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₺2,702
$44.18 ₸19.8K
21.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.49 ₺2,081
$56.3 ₸25.2K
-26.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 ₺5,060
$52.3 ₸23.5K
92.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.3 ₺4,580
$66.8 ₸30.0K
36.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Kyzylorda
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,014 ₺50.8K
$185 ₸83.0K
447.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$625 ₺31.3K
$157 ₸70.3K
298.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,005 ₺100.6K
$283 ₸126.9K
608.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,126 ₺56.5K
$219 ₸98.3K
413.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,988 ₺149.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,730 ₺86.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Kyzylorda
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,136 ₺57.0K
$328 ₸147.2K
246.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.42
23
75.74%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kyzylorda: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$625
Kyzylorda
$157 74.9% $468
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$258
Kyzylorda
$126 * 51.3% $133
Eating Out
Istanbul
$221
Kyzylorda
$126 * 42.9% $95
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Kyzylorda
$99 23.7% $31
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$120
Kyzylorda
$101 15.9% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$91
Kyzylorda
$45 50.9% $46
Getting Around
Istanbul
$75
Kyzylorda
$5.5 * 92.6% $70

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 $185 in Kyzylorda. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Istanbul are about 3.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $34 in Kyzylorda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $126 – making Kyzylorda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇰🇿 Kyzylorda
🕒 Local time
05:19 5:19 AM
07:19 7:19 AM
2 h ahead of Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
206,719
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.05 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 448 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 501 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Kyzylorda 2,980 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Kyzylorda

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 Kyzylorda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kyzylorda cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 131%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $987 in Kyzylorda. 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 Kyzylorda, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $185 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.
How do food prices compare in Istanbul and in Kyzylorda?
Groceries cost about 106% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Istanbul or in Kyzylorda?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $34 in Kyzylorda. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $800 a realistic budget for living in Istanbul or in Kyzylorda?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kyzylorda, where all-in costs run around $658, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Kyzylorda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Istanbul or in Kyzylorda?
It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $658 in Kyzylorda to $1,519 in Istanbul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Kyzylorda. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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