Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Polevskoy

For one person, living is cheaper in Polevskoy: $977 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Polevskoy
Learn more

Polevskoy Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Polevskoy

🇷🇺 Russia

$977

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Polevskoy

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $977 in Polevskoy, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Polevskoy $977

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,481 in Polevskoy, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Polevskoy $1,481

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $1,985 in Polevskoy, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Polevskoy $1,985

Istanbul costs about 56% more than Polevskoy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Polevskoy is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$8.40 ₽689

40.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$33.49 ₽2,743

63.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$5.44 ₽446

70.22%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$2.79 ₽229

54.12%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$1.17 ₽95.7

51.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.69 ₽56.3

-18.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$3.61 ₽296

29.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$4.97 ₽407

43.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.19 ₽97.8

5.04%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.82 ₽66.9

7.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.14 ₽93.2

92.98%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.29 ₽106

88.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$9.56 ₽783

9.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$4.69 ₽384

13.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$9.96 ₽816

111.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.68 ₽137

10.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.80 ₽148

27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$2.13 ₽174

-42.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$1.77 ₽145

1.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.60 ₽49.48

15.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.59 ₽48.58

8.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$1.81 ₽148

-24.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.59 ₽48.50

-1.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$2.82 ₽231

-17.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$5.02 ₽412

159.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$0.85 ₽69.5

177.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.38 ₽113

140.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.52 ₽42.19

69.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$23.95 ₽1,962

176.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$2.44 ₽200

-47.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.35 ₽29.06

142.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$7.33 ₽601

51.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$0.82 ₽67.1

80.49%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$54.2K ₽4.4M

-10.34%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$42.5K ₽3.5M

-1.32%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$114 ₽9,337

-18.65%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$6.23 ₽510

79.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$8.42 ₽690

88.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$37.31 ₽3,057

100.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$28.10 ₽2,302

-18.33%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$6.32 ₽518

27.37%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$368 ₽30.2K

157.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$6,326 ₽518.2K

483.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$48.85 ₽4,002

10.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$30.41 ₽2,492

36.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$93.6 ₽7,665

7.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$54.5 ₽4,462

67.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$541 ₽44.3K

87.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$330 ₽27.1K

89.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$895 ₽73.3K

124.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$534 ₽43.7K

111.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$2,108 ₽172.7K

41.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$1,533 ₽125.6K

12.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

20.32

98.92%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Polevskoy: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Polevskoy

$330 33.8% 47.1% $294

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Polevskoy

$183 18.7% 29.2% $75

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Polevskoy

$152 15.6% 31% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Polevskoy

$102 10.5% 21% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Polevskoy

$129 13.2% 7.4% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Polevskoy

$50 5.1% 45% $41

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Polevskoy

$30 3.1% 59.8% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $541 in Polevskoy. 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 $33 in Polevskoy. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $183 – making Polevskoy the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇷🇺 Polevskoy

🕒 Local time

20:44 8:44 PM

22:44 10:44 PM

2 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

55,182

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 81.92 RUB (100 RUB = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 92.01 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Polevskoy 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Polevskoy

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 Polevskoy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 56%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,465 in Polevskoy. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Polevskoy, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $541 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $368 in Polevskoy. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Polevskoy, where all-in costs run around $977, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Polevskoy it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Polevskoy is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 36% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.