Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Samaxi

For one person, living is cheaper in Samaxi: $839 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Samaxi
Learn more

Samaxi Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Samaxi

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan

$839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Samaxi

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $839 in Samaxi, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Samaxi $839

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $1,503 in Samaxi, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Samaxi $1,503

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $2,168 in Samaxi, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Samaxi $2,168

Istanbul costs about 82% more than Samaxi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Samaxi is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$8.06 ₼13.69

47.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$29.62 ₼50.3

85.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$5.72 ₼9.71

59.79%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$2.72 ₼4.61

55.88%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.92 ₼1.56

90.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.34 ₼0.58

58.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$1.19 ₼2.03

294.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$2.30 ₼3.92

159.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.30 ₼2.20

-3.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.33 ₼0.56

187.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.36 ₼4.01

-2.12%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$1.18 ₼2.01

109.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$2.91 ₼4.95

262.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$4.48 ₼7.61

25.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$8.59 ₼14.61

146.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$0.63 ₼1.08

206.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.54 ₼2.62

48.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.37 ₼2.34

-6.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$1.01 ₼1.72

82.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$0.65 ₼1.10

3.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.49 ₼0.83

20.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$0.47 ₼0.79

182.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.59 ₼1.01

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$3.54 ₼6.02

-33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$5.39 ₼9.16

149.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$0.92 ₼1.56

163.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$1.96 ₼3.34

80.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.30 ₼0.52

176.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$14.94 ₼25.38

344.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$1.72 ₼2.92

-21.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$0.28 ₼0.47

203.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$2.97 ₼5.04

265.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$0.61 ₼1.03

140.98%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$23.2K ₼39.4K

122.77%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$24.5K ₼41.6K

81.64%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$33.45 ₼56.9

166.73%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$12.71 ₼21.61

-8.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$14.59 ₼24.79

10.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$29.88 ₼50.8

158.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$14.99 ₼25.47

51.17%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$7.25 ₼12.33

15.03%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$238 ₼404

309.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$11.8K ₼20.0K

119.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$46.91 ₼79.7

12.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$58.8 ₼100

-33.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$120 ₼204

-13.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$118 ₼200

-17.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$375 ₼637

165.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$289 ₼491

118.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$717 ₼1,219

182.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$871 ₼1,481

32.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$2,028 ₼3,447

55.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$1,197 ₼2,034

53.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$339 ₼576

255.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

413.63%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Samaxi: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Samaxi

$289 34.4% 54.1% $341

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Samaxi

$141 16.9% 46.4% $123

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Samaxi

$130 15.5% 40.4% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Samaxi

$154 18.4% 17.7% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Samaxi

$61 7.2% 48% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Samaxi

$44 5.3% 52.7% $50

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Samaxi

$19 2.3% 74.5% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $375 in Samaxi. 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 255% 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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $30.00 in Samaxi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $141 – making Samaxi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇦🇿 Samaxi

🕒 Local time

06:48 6:48 AM

07:48 7:48 AM

1 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

41,000

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Azerbaijani Manat AZN ₼

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 AZN = 0.588 USD

1 AZN = 0.525 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AZN, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Azerbaijani Manat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.7 AZN (1 AZN = 0.588 USD). 1 EUR = 1.91 AZN (1 AZN = 0.525 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Samaxi 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Samaxi

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 Samaxi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 82%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $1,259 in Samaxi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $974 per month in Istanbul and $238 in Samaxi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 87% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Samaxi, where all-in costs run around $839, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Samaxi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Samaxi – 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 Samaxi. 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.