Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Samsun

For one person, living is cheaper in Samsun: $950 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Samsun
Learn more

Samsun Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Samsun

🇹🇷 Turkey

$950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Samsun

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $950 in Samsun, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Samsun $950

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,647 in Samsun, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Samsun $1,647

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,344 in Samsun, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Samsun $2,344

Istanbul costs about 63% more than Samsun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Samsun is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$10.15 ₺503

21.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$60.6 ₺3,001

-9.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$10.54 ₺522

-12.52%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$3.94 ₺195

11.68%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.79 ₺39.25

112.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.29 ₺14.32

103.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.77 ₺87.8

165.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.05 ₺101

188.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.18 ₺58.2

2.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$2.00 ₺99.2

-55.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.67 ₺132

-17.98%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.48 ₺123

-5.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$8.50 ₺421

22.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$26.52 ₺1,313

-21.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.33 ₺116

-18.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.47 ₺122

-6.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.53 ₺75.8

-16.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.04 ₺51.6

73.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.44 ₺21.59

47.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.36 ₺17.89

77.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.83 ₺41.25

50.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.68 ₺33.65

-17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$2.11 ₺105

12.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$9.19 ₺455

46.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.66 ₺82.0

44.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.24 ₺111

55.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.62 ₺30.48

43.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$12.22 ₺605

451.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.99 ₺98.3

-35.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.62 ₺30.92

48.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$6.34 ₺314

72.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.33 ₺65.8

10.53%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$41.6K ₺2.1M

22.01%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$40.6K ₺2.0M

9.56%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$88.1 ₺4,360

0.61%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$12.35 ₺612

-6.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$12.44 ₺616

27.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$30.40 ₺1,505

153.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$5.95 ₺294

282.18%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$4.13 ₺204

97.09%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$252 ₺12.5K

299.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$24.48 ₺1,212

120.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$30.45 ₺1,507

34.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$72.1 ₺3,569

37.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$60.6 ₺2,999

59.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$349 ₺17.3K

181.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$248 ₺12.3K

161.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$755 ₺37.4K

162.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$613 ₺30.4K

92.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$976 ₺48.3K

221.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$656 ₺32.5K

171.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$918 ₺45.5K

31.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

-16.49%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Samsun: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Samsun

$248 26.2% 61.8% $401

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Samsun

$268 28.3% 3.3% $8.5

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Samsun

$177 18.7% 20.6% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Samsun

$84 8.9% 35.4% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Samsun

$113 11.9% 2.7% $3.2

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Samsun

$39 4.1% 58.6% $55

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Samsun

$20 2.1% 74.3% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $349 in Samsun. 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 31% 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 $61.0 in Samsun. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $268 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇷 Samsun

🕒 Local time

03:22 3:22 AM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,295,927

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Samsun 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Samsun

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 Samsun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $1,425 in Samsun. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $252 in Samsun. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Samsun, where all-in costs run around $950, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Samsun it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Samsun – 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 Samsun. 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.