Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Qarshi

For one person, living is cheaper in Qarshi: $569 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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

Qarshi

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$569

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Qarshi

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $569 in Qarshi, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Qarshi $569

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $877 in Qarshi, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Qarshi $877

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $1,186 in Qarshi, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Qarshi $1,186

Istanbul costs about 167% more than Qarshi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Qarshi is 58% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$10.12 UZS 121.1K

16.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$16.78 UZS 200.9K

227.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$9.33 UZS 111.7K

-0.75%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$0.98 UZS 11.7K

338.78%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$0.52 UZS 6,190

240.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.19 UZS 2,282

194.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$0.69 UZS 8,317

579.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.21 UZS 14.4K

3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.44 UZS 5,268

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.19 UZS 14.3K

84.87%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.53 UZS 18.3K

58.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$10.09 UZS 120.8K

3.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$3.26 UZS 39.0K

62.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$10.79 UZS 129.2K

95.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.11 UZS 13.3K

67.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.68 UZS 20.2K

36.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.86 UZS 22.2K

-34.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$1.27 UZS 15.2K

41.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.48 UZS 5,790

43.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.24 UZS 2,872

166.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.43 UZS 5,160

34.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$3.31 UZS 39.7K

-29.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.26 UZS 3,141

238.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$9.75 UZS 116.8K

578.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.35 UZS 4,132

142.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.33 UZS 16.0K

11.28%

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

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$66.0 UZS 790.9K

40.38%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$3.85 UZS 46.1K

190.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$12.42 UZS 148.8K

27.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$34.04 UZS 407.6K

119.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

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

$948 ₺47.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$4,537 UZS 54.3M

713.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

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

$277 UZS 3.3M

265.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$170 UZS 2.0M

267.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$426 UZS 5.1M

370.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$308 UZS 3.7M

265.48%

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

$346 UZS 4.1M

228.47%

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 Qarshi: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Qarshi

–

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Qarshi

–

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Qarshi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Qarshi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Qarshi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Qarshi

–

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Qarshi

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $277 in Qarshi. 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 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $17 in Qarshi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $143 – making Qarshi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇺🇿 Qarshi

🕒 Local time

19:35 7:35 PM

21:35 9:35 PM

2 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

289,600

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UZS, 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).

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 11,975 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD). 1 EUR = 13,449 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.44 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

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Between locations

Istanbul Qarshi 3,130 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Qarshi

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 Qarshi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 167%, 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 $853 in Qarshi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Qarshi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $277 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Public transport costs about 85% less in Qarshi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 81% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Qarshi, where all-in costs run around $569, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Qarshi 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 $569 in Qarshi 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 Qarshi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.