Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Sakarya

For one person, living is cheaper in Sakarya: $949 a month against $1,525 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Sakarya
Learn more

Sakarya Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Sakarya

🇹🇷 Turkey

$949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Sakarya

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $949 in Sakarya, rent included.

Istanbul $1,525
Sakarya $949

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $1,457 in Sakarya, rent included.

Istanbul $2,390
Sakarya $1,457

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $1,965 in Sakarya, rent included.

Istanbul $3,256
Sakarya $1,965

Istanbul costs about 61% more than Sakarya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 13% above the global median, while Sakarya is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ₺592

$6.89 ₺341

73.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 ₺2,834

$29.75 ₺1,473

92.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 ₺471

$7.20 ₺356

32.08%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$3.59 ₺178

22.56%

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

$1.75 ₺86.6

$0.96 ₺47.49

82.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.57

$0.40 ₺19.72

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 ₺233

$1.85 ₺91.7

154.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₺304

$2.39 ₺118

156.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.6

$0.91 ₺44.97

36.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.25

$0.95 ₺47.15

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$2.16 ₺107

5.56%

Eggs

$2.45 ₺121

$2.05 ₺102

19.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₺523

$7.64 ₺378

38.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 ₺272

$2.84 ₺141

93.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.65 ₺1,072

$17.67 ₺875

22.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ₺90.6

$1.93 ₺95.5

-5.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.87 ₺92.4

22.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.4

$0.84 ₺41.39

52.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 ₺90.1

$1.29 ₺64.1

41.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₺32.74

$0.53 ₺26.45

24.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.14

$0.30 ₺15.04

110.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₺62.8

$0.75 ₺37.14

69.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.62

$0.74 ₺36.87

-24.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺117

$2.00 ₺99.1

18.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 ₺642

$14.22 ₺704

-8.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₺123

$1.94 ₺95.9

27.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₺174

$3.61 ₺179

-3.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.77

$0.43 ₺21.38

90.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₺3,228

$60.3 ₺2,983

8.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₺65.7

$1.04 ₺51.6

27.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₺44.60

$1.09 ₺54.2

-17.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 ₺540

$4.18 ₺207

161.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₺70.7

$1.31 ₺65.1

9.16%

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

$49.6K ₺2.5M

$43.1K ₺2.1M

15.11%

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

$43.2K ₺2.1M

$40.0K ₺2.0M

7.91%

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

$88.8 ₺4,395

$44.60 ₺2,208

99.04%

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

$11.69 ₺579

$9.95 ₺492

17.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 ₺797

$14.02 ₺694

14.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 ₺3,776

$40.33 ₺1,997

89.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 ₺1,125

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ₺409

$6.19 ₺306

33.44%

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

$1,015 ₺50.2K

$904 ₺44.7K

12.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$14.9K ₺737.0K

73.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,636

$37.62 ₺1,863

41.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 ₺2,008

$42.00 ₺2,079

-3.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₺4,956

$83.6 ₺4,137

19.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,630

$69.2 ₺3,426

35.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₺48.4K

$400 ₺19.8K

144.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺31.0K

$300 ₺14.9K

109.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 ₺98.0K

$762 ₺37.7K

159.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ₺56.8K

$496 ₺24.5K

131.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 ₺153.2K

$1,230 ₺60.9K

151.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 ₺88.5K

$677 ₺33.5K

163.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 ₺60.1K

$877 ₺43.4K

38.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

39.8

2.24%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sakarya: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$627 41.1%

Sakarya

$300 31.6% 52.2% $327

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$263 17.2%

Sakarya

$216 22.7% 17.8% $47

Eating Out

Istanbul

$222 14.6%

Sakarya

$139 14.7% 37.3% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Sakarya

$105 11% 19.2% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.6%

Sakarya

$69 7.2% 41.2% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6.1%

Sakarya

$53 5.6% 43.2% $40

Getting Around

Istanbul

$74 4.9%

Sakarya

$68 7.2% 7.9% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $400 in Sakarya. 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 38% higher in Istanbul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Istanbul versus $30.00 in Sakarya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $216 – making Sakarya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇷 Sakarya

🕒 Local time

04:31 4:31 AM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,094,481

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Istanbul vs Sakarya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 61%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $1,424 in Sakarya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sakarya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,015 per month in Istanbul and $904 in Sakarya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sakarya, where all-in costs run around $949, than in Istanbul at $1,525. In Sakarya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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