Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Ramat Gan

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,519 a month against $2,978 in Ramat Gan, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 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
142

Cost of Living Index in Ramat Gan
Learn more

Ramat Gan Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Ramat Gan

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Ramat Gan

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $2,978 in Ramat Gan, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Ramat Gan $2,978

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $4,301 in Ramat Gan, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Ramat Gan $4,301

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $5,625 in Ramat Gan, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Ramat Gan $5,625

Istanbul is about 49% cheaper than Ramat Gan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Ramat Gan sit above the global median – Istanbul by 12%, Ramat Gan by 120%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$22.93 ₪73.3

-48.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$90.1 ₪288

-39.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$18.97 ₪60.7

-51.19%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$4.53 ₪14.47

-5.08%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$3.42 ₪10.93

-48.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$2.64 ₪8.44

-78.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$9.76 ₪31.21

-51.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$10.12 ₪32.35

-29.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$2.59 ₪8.29

-51.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$3.18 ₪10.18

-72.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$3.26 ₪10.41

-32.52%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$4.50 ₪14.40

-46.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$12.99 ₪41.53

-19.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$18.38 ₪58.8

-71.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$25.26 ₪80.8

-16.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$4.19 ₪13.40

-55.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$3.13 ₪9.99

-26.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$2.52 ₪8.07

-51.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$2.37 ₪7.59

-24.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$1.81 ₪5.79

-61.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$1.63 ₪5.20

-60.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$1.91 ₪6.12

-28.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$1.87 ₪5.99

-68.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$13.46 ₪43.02

-82.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$12.95 ₪41.42

0.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$4.43 ₪14.17

-46.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$3.93 ₪12.57

-15.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$2.53 ₪8.08

-65.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$104 ₪334

-36.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$3.91 ₪12.51

-67.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$1.27 ₪4.07

-33.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$37.16 ₪119

-70.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$2.52 ₪8.06

-41.27%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$54.4K ₪174.1K

-10.66%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$52.8K ₪168.8K

-20.48%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$283 ₪904

-67.21%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$11.82 ₪37.81

-5.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$40.35 ₪129

-60.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$68.8 ₪220

8.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$25.17 ₪80.5

-8.82%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$14.79 ₪47.30

-45.57%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$1,397 ₪4,467

-32.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$24.4K ₪77.9K

51.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$102 ₪327

-47.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$64.9 ₪208

-36.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$149 ₪475

-32.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$159 ₪510

-42.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$1,613 ₪5,158

-37.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$1,366 ₪4,367

-54.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$2,575 ₪8,233

-22.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$2,061 ₪6,589

-45.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$13.6K ₪43.4K

-78.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$9,834 ₪31.4K

-82.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$4,540 ₪14.5K

-74.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

4.99

710.02%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ramat Gan: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Ramat Gan

$1.4K 45.9% 119% $741

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Ramat Gan

$452 15.2% 75% $194

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Ramat Gan

$388 13% 75.6% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Ramat Gan

$214 7.2% 65.3% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Ramat Gan

$335 11.3% 180% $215

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Ramat Gan

$98 3.3% 8.3% $7.6

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Ramat Gan

$125 4.2% 66.1% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $1,613 in Ramat Gan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ramat Gan are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $90 in Ramat Gan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $452 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇱 Ramat Gan

🕒 Local time

16:39 4:39 PM

15:39 3:39 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

164,764

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1 ILS = 0.313 USD

1 ILS = 0.278 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, 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).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.2 ILS (1 ILS = 0.313 USD). 1 EUR = 3.59 ILS (1 ILS = 0.278 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Ramat Gan 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Ramat Gan

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 Ramat Gan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ramat Gan is pricier by about 96%, 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 $4,467 in Ramat Gan. 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 $1,014 there versus $1,613 in Ramat Gan.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $1,397 in Ramat Gan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 75% more in Ramat Gan, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,519 in Istanbul and $2,978 in Ramat Gan. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Istanbul costs $1,519 versus $2,978 in Ramat Gan. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Istanbul. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ramat Gan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.