Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Sanliurfa

For one person, living is cheaper in Sanliurfa: $848 a month against $1,516 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Sanliurfa
Learn more

Sanliurfa Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Sanliurfa

🇹🇷 Turkey

$848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Sanliurfa

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

A single person spends $1,516 per month in Istanbul vs $848 in Sanliurfa, rent included.

Istanbul $1,516
Sanliurfa $848

A couple spends around $2,356 per month in Istanbul vs $1,283 in Sanliurfa, rent included.

Istanbul $2,356
Sanliurfa $1,283

A family of three spends $3,197 per month in Istanbul vs $1,718 in Sanliurfa, rent included.

Istanbul $3,197
Sanliurfa $1,718

Istanbul costs about 79% more than Sanliurfa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 11% above the global median, while Sanliurfa is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 ₺577

$4.00 ₺199

189.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,725

$15.96 ₺795

242.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 ₺468

$7.05 ₺352

33.19%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₺211

$3.27 ₺163

29.36%

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

$1.72 ₺85.6

$1.01 ₺50.6

70.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₺28.26

$0.19 ₺9.43

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 ₺232

$3.22 ₺160

44.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 ₺341

$3.65 ₺182

87.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₺60.0

$0.89 ₺44.56

34.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₺46.97

$0.67 ₺33.45

40.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ₺112

$1.59 ₺79.2

40.88%

Eggs

$2.42 ₺121

$1.72 ₺85.7

40.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₺510

$5.50 ₺274

86.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 ₺268

$3.24 ₺162

66.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 ₺1,056

$15.30 ₺762

38.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₺94.3

$1.57 ₺78.2

20.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 ₺111

$1.57 ₺78.2

41.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺62.7

$0.82 ₺41.04

53.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ₺90.0

$0.83 ₺41.11

118.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₺34.84

$0.54 ₺26.86

29.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.13

$0.48 ₺23.84

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ₺60.9

$0.76 ₺37.92

60.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₺27.35

$0.39 ₺19.24

41.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₺116

$1.93 ₺96.2

20.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.31 ₺663

$8.06 ₺402

65.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₺116

$2.26 ₺112

3.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ₺172

$1.96 ₺97.6

76.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ₺45.18

$0.72 ₺35.82

26.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 ₺3,306

$9.91 ₺494

569.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.2

$1.57 ₺78.2

-17.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ₺42.66

$0.67 ₺33.26

28.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺553

$7.35 ₺366

50.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₺70.8

$1.13 ₺56.3

25.66%

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

$49.2K ₺2.5M

$42.1K ₺2.1M

16.82%

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

$42.8K ₺2.1M

$38.4K ₺1.9M

11.45%

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

$87.7 ₺4,373

$80.0 ₺3,988

9.63%

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

$11.28 ₺562

$9.91 ₺494

13.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺792

$25.79 ₺1,285

-38.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 ₺3,783

$52.1 ₺2,594

45.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,148

$20.21 ₺1,007

14.00%

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 ₺409

$5.27 ₺263

55.60%

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

$1,028 ₺51.2K

$201 ₺10.0K

410.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K ₺1.3M

$10.3K ₺512.1K

152.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,658

$15.22 ₺759

250.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ₺1,978

$40.86 ₺2,036

-2.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 ₺4,972

$49.97 ₺2,490

99.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,661

$30.30 ₺1,510

208.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 ₺50.0K

$405 ₺20.2K

147.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₺31.3K

$297 ₺14.8K

111.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 ₺97.8K

$766 ₺38.2K

156.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₺55.9K

$562 ₺28.0K

99.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 ₺153.2K

$1,315 ₺65.6K

133.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 ₺87.3K

$975 ₺48.6K

79.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 ₺58.8K

$791 ₺39.4K

49.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

-26.02%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Last update for Sanliurfa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$628 41.5%

Sanliurfa

$297 35% 52.8% $332

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Sanliurfa

$174 20.5% 32.7% $84

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.4%

Sanliurfa

$121 14.2% 44.6% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Sanliurfa

$61 7.2% 52.4% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$115 7.6%

Sanliurfa

$116 13.6% 0.7% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$92 6.1%

Sanliurfa

$63 7.4% 32.2% $30

Getting Around

Istanbul

$76 5%

Sanliurfa

$18 2.1% 76.6% $58

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Istanbul versus $405 in Sanliurfa. 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 49% 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 in Istanbul versus $16 in Sanliurfa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $174 – making Sanliurfa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇷 Sanliurfa

🕒 Local time

21:49 9:49 PM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

2,143,020

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Sanliurfa 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Sanliurfa

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 Sanliurfa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 79%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,274 per month in Istanbul and $1,272 in Sanliurfa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sanliurfa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $405 there versus $1,003 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $1,028 per month in Istanbul and $201 in Sanliurfa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 49% 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 $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Sanliurfa, where all-in costs run around $848, than in Istanbul at $1,516. In Sanliurfa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sanliurfa – 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 Sanliurfa. 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.