Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Moscow

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,516 a month against $1,922 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
Learn more

Moscow Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Moscow

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

A single person spends $1,516 per month in Istanbul vs $1,922 in Moscow, rent included.

Istanbul $1,516
Moscow $1,922

A couple spends around $2,356 per month in Istanbul vs $2,941 in Moscow, rent included.

Istanbul $2,356
Moscow $2,941

A family of three spends $3,197 per month in Istanbul vs $3,960 in Moscow, rent included.

Istanbul $3,197
Moscow $3,960

Istanbul is about 21% cheaper than Moscow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Istanbul and Moscow sit above the global median – Istanbul by 11%, Moscow by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 ₺577

$12.50 ₽1,008

-7.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,725

$61.2 ₽4,939

-10.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 ₺468

$7.65 ₽617

22.75%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₺211

$3.84 ₽309

10.16%

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

$1.72 ₺85.6

$1.74 ₽140

-1.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₺28.26

$0.85 ₽68.8

-32.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 ₺232

$4.83 ₽390

-3.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 ₺341

$5.17 ₽417

32.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₺60.0

$1.32 ₽107

-9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₺46.97

$1.04 ₽84.0

-9.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ₺112

$1.77 ₽143

26.55%

Eggs

$2.42 ₺121

$2.02 ₽163

19.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₺510

$15.08 ₽1,216

-32.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 ₺268

$6.86 ₽553

-21.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 ₺1,056

$15.29 ₽1,233

38.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₺94.3

$2.14 ₽173

-11.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 ₺111

$1.83 ₽148

21.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺62.7

$2.03 ₽164

-37.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ₺90.0

$4.14 ₽334

-56.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₺34.84

$0.94 ₽76.0

-25.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.13

$0.77 ₽62.0

-16.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ₺60.9

$1.69 ₽137

-27.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₺27.35

$1.01 ₽81.3

-45.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₺116

$3.71 ₽299

-37.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.31 ₺663

$12.23 ₽986

8.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₺116

$1.26 ₽102

84.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ₺172

$2.73 ₽220

26.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ₺45.18

$0.96 ₽77.4

-5.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 ₺3,306

$43.33 ₽3,494

53.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.2

$3.68 ₽296

-64.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ₺42.66

$0.84 ₽67.6

2.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺553

$12.33 ₽994

-10.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₺70.8

$0.96 ₽77.4

47.92%

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

$49.2K ₺2.5M

$45.4K ₽3.7M

8.39%

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

$42.8K ₺2.1M

$41.2K ₽3.3M

3.89%

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

$87.7 ₺4,373

$199 ₽16.0K

-55.87%

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

$11.28 ₺562

$9.04 ₽729

24.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺792

$10.05 ₽810

58.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 ₺3,783

$44.51 ₽3,589

70.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,148

$47.40 ₽3,823

-51.39%

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 ₺409

$9.63 ₽777

-14.85%

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

$1,028 ₺51.2K

$898 ₽72.4K

14.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K ₺1.3M

$29.3K ₽2.4M

-11.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,658

$117 ₽9,411

-54.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ₺1,978

$69.4 ₽5,595

-42.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 ₺4,972

$153 ₽12.3K

-34.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,661

$188 ₽15.1K

-50.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 ₺50.0K

$1,533 ₽123.6K

-34.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₺31.3K

$860 ₽69.4K

-26.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 ₺97.8K

$3,127 ₽252.2K

-37.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₺55.9K

$1,552 ₽125.1K

-27.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 ₺153.2K

$10.5K ₽845.5K

-70.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 ₺87.3K

$4,981 ₽401.7K

-64.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 ₺58.8K

$1,798 ₽145.0K

-34.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

19.58

107.81%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Last update for Moscow: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$628 41.5%

Moscow

$860 44.7% 36.9% $232

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Moscow

$274 14.3% 6.2% $16

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.4%

Moscow

$214 11.1% 1.8% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Moscow

$237 12.3% 84% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$115 7.6%

Moscow

$218 11.3% 89.6% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$92 6.1%

Moscow

$64 3.3% 30.9% $29

Getting Around

Istanbul

$76 5%

Moscow

$55 2.9% 27.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Istanbul versus $1,533 in Moscow. 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 52% higher in Moscow. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $61 in Moscow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $274 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇷🇺 Moscow

🕒 Local time

21:49 9:49 PM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

12,700,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 49.83 TRY (100 TRY = 2.01 USD). 1 EUR = 55.48 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 80.65 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.78 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Moscow 1,760 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Moscow

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 Moscow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Moscow is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,274 per month in Istanbul and $2,883 in Moscow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Istanbul, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,003 there versus $1,533 in Moscow.

Kindergarten costs $1,028 per month in Istanbul and $898 in Moscow. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Moscow, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,516 in Istanbul and $1,922 in Moscow. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Istanbul costs $1,516 versus $1,922 in Moscow. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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