Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Oral

For one person, living is cheaper in Oral: $720 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Oral

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Oral

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $720 in Oral, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Oral $720

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,097 in Oral, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Oral $1,097

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $1,474 in Oral, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Oral $1,474

Istanbul costs about 111% more than Oral, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Oral is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$8.31 ₸3,726

42.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$34.52 ₸15.5K

59.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$8.42 ₸3,777

9.98%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$1.86 ₸833

131.18%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$1.03 ₸463

71.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.60 ₸268

-6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$0.89 ₸401

426.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$1.96 ₸881

263.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.46 ₸653

-14.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.47 ₸210

87.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.61 ₸722

36.65%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.52 ₸682

59.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$8.87 ₸3,979

18.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$4.36 ₸1,954

21.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$10.88 ₸4,877

93.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.20 ₸537

55.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$2.02 ₸908

13.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$2.30 ₸1,030

-46.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$3.39 ₸1,521

-46.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.45 ₸202

53.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.35 ₸157

82.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$0.66 ₸295

106.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$1.08 ₸484

-46.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$2.22 ₸997

5.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$7.92 ₸3,552

64.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$0.68 ₸305

247.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.21 ₸93.8

319.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$0.69 ₸309

85.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$5.44 ₸2,437

103.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$0.67 ₸301

120.90%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$30.1K ₸13.5M

39.47%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$82.7 ₸37.1K

12.05%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$8.61 ₸3,860

30.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$14.39 ₸6,452

10.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$56.3 ₸25.2K

32.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$3.26 ₸1,463

146.93%

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

$33.36 ₸15.0K

61.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$282 ₸126.6K

259.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$212 ₸95.1K

194.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$450 ₸201.7K

345.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$313 ₸140.3K

259.98%

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

$434 ₸194.4K

162.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Oral: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Oral

–

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Oral

–

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Oral

–

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Oral

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Oral

–

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Oral

–

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Oral

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $282 in Oral. 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 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $35 in Oral. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $194 – making Oral the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇰🇿 Oral

🕒 Local time

20:39 8:39 PM

22:39 10:39 PM

2 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

256,960

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.23 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, 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).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 448 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.99 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

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Between locations

Istanbul Oral 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Oral

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 Oral: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 111%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,080 in Oral. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oral, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $282 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $35 in Oral. 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 Oral, where all-in costs run around $720, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Oral 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 $720 in Oral to $1,519 in Istanbul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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