Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Ordu

For one person, living is cheaper in Ordu: $908 a month against $1,516 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Ordu
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Ordu Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Ordu

🇹🇷 Turkey

$908

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Ordu

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

A single person spends $1,516 per month in Istanbul vs $908 in Ordu, rent included.

Istanbul $1,516
Ordu $908

A couple spends around $2,356 per month in Istanbul vs $1,414 in Ordu, rent included.

Istanbul $2,356
Ordu $1,414

A family of three spends $3,197 per month in Istanbul vs $1,920 in Ordu, rent included.

Istanbul $3,197
Ordu $1,920

Istanbul costs about 67% more than Ordu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 11% above the global median, while Ordu is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 ₺579

$11.15 ₺557

3.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,733

$28.31 ₺1,415

93.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 ₺469

$8.27 ₺413

13.54%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₺212

$2.67 ₺133

58.43%

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

$1.72 ₺85.9

$1.37 ₺68.6

25.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₺28.34

$0.32 ₺15.90

78.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 ₺232

$4.10 ₺205

13.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 ₺342

$2.89 ₺144

136.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₺60.2

$0.98 ₺48.81

22.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₺47.11

$0.42 ₺21.11

123.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ₺112

$2.28 ₺114

-1.75%

Eggs

$2.42 ₺121

$1.43 ₺71.6

69.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₺512

$8.20 ₺410

24.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 ₺269

$4.50 ₺225

19.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 ₺1,059

$15.40 ₺770

37.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₺94.5

$1.12 ₺56.0

68.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 ₺111

$1.52 ₺76.2

46.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺62.9

$0.84 ₺41.85

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ₺90.3

$0.98 ₺48.76

84.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₺34.95

$0.47 ₺23.56

48.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.22

$0.37 ₺18.32

72.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$0.81 ₺40.59

50.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₺27.44

$0.63 ₺31.36

-12.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₺116

$2.06 ₺103

12.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.31 ₺665

$14.77 ₺738

-9.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₺116

$2.31 ₺116

0.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ₺173

$1.57 ₺78.6

120.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ₺45.32

$0.88 ₺44.18

3.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 ₺3,316

$26.04 ₺1,302

154.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.4

$3.03 ₺151

-57.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ₺42.79

$0.61 ₺30.74

40.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺554

$6.41 ₺321

73.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₺71.0

$1.31 ₺65.6

8.40%

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

$49.2K ₺2.5M

$39.9K ₺2.0M

23.25%

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

$42.8K ₺2.1M

$39.2K ₺2.0M

9.32%

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

$87.7 ₺4,386

$69.2 ₺3,458

26.81%

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

$11.28 ₺564

$12.45 ₺622

-9.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺794

$11.69 ₺585

35.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 ₺3,794

$51.1 ₺2,554

48.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 ₺410

$7.09 ₺355

15.66%

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

$1,028 ₺51.4K

$246 ₺12.3K

317.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,666

$23.17 ₺1,158

130.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ₺1,984

$34.29 ₺1,714

15.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 ₺4,987

$48.85 ₺2,442

104.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,675

$71.1 ₺3,554

31.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 ₺50.2K

$399 ₺19.9K

151.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₺31.4K

$253 ₺12.6K

148.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 ₺98.1K

$594 ₺29.7K

230.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₺56.1K

$480 ₺24.0K

133.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 ₺153.7K

$818 ₺40.9K

275.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 ₺87.6K

$632 ₺31.6K

177.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 ₺59.0K

$1,226 ₺61.3K

-3.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

103.45%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ordu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$628 41.5%

Ordu

$253 27.8% 59.7% $375

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Ordu

$202 22.3% 21.6% $56

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.4%

Ordu

$179 19.7% 17.8% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Ordu

$80 8.8% 38% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$115 7.6%

Ordu

$93 10.3% 18.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$92 6.1%

Ordu

$65 7.2% 29.3% $27

Getting Around

Istanbul

$76 5%

Ordu

$36 3.9% 52.8% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Istanbul versus $399 in Ordu. 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 4% higher in Ordu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $28 in Ordu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $202 – making Ordu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇷 Ordu

🕒 Local time

11:44 11:44 AM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

750,588

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.79 EUR

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.79 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Istanbul Ordu 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Ordu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Istanbul vs Ordu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,274 per month in Istanbul and $1,362 in Ordu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ordu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $399 there versus $1,003 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $1,028 per month in Istanbul and $246 in Ordu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ordu, where all-in costs run around $908, than in Istanbul at $1,516. In Ordu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ordu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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

For expats, Ordu is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 40% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.