Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Seki

For one person, living is cheaper in Seki: $756 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Seki
Learn more

Seki Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Seki

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan

$756

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Seki

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $756 in Seki, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Seki $756

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,262 in Seki, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Seki $1,262

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,768 in Seki, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Seki $1,768

Istanbul costs about 105% more than Seki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Seki is 44% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$9.03 ₼15.35

36.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$39.66 ₼67.4

37.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$8.32 ₼14.15

10.82%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$3.43 ₼5.83

28.28%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.08 ₼1.84

55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.62 ₼1.06

-4.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.77 ₼3.01

165.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.87 ₼4.88

105.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.50 ₼2.54

-19.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.52 ₼0.89

71.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.44 ₼4.15

-10.25%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.00 ₼3.40

17.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$5.27 ₼8.96

97.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$5.06 ₼8.60

11.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$11.84 ₼20.13

76.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.35 ₼2.29

40.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.88 ₼3.19

22.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.56 ₼2.66

-17.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.84 ₼3.12

-2.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.73 ₼1.24

-10.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.61 ₼1.03

4.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.78 ₼1.33

60.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.74 ₼1.25

-24.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$2.89 ₼4.91

-17.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$8.81 ₼14.97

52.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.51 ₼2.56

58.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.80 ₼4.76

24.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.28 ₼0.48

217.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$17.84 ₼30.33

277.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$2.10 ₼3.57

-38.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.57 ₼0.97

61.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$3.51 ₼5.96

212.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$0.70 ₼1.19

110.00%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$23.7K ₼40.3K

114.20%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$21.1K ₼35.8K

111.28%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$23.36 ₼39.70

279.32%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$8.76 ₼14.89

32.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$11.16 ₼18.97

41.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$17.99 ₼30.58

328.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$23.61 ₼40.13

-3.68%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$5.94 ₼10.10

37.04%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$329 ₼559

206.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$6,751 ₼11.5K

278.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$65.8 ₼112

-17.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$55.1 ₼93.7

-25.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$126 ₼214

-21.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$113 ₼193

-14.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$218 ₼370

351.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$143 ₼243

353.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$455 ₼773

336.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$258 ₼439

357.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$636 ₼1,081

393.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$350 ₼595

408.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$247 ₼420

387.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

9.46

332.56%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Seki: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Seki

$143 18.9% 78% $507

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Seki

$194 25.7% 25.2% $65

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Seki

$160 21.1% 28.4% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Seki

$162 21.4% 24.1% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Seki

$43 5.7% 62.7% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Seki

$30 4% 68% $64

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Seki

$24 3.2% 68.9% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $218 in Seki. 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 387% 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 $40.00 in Seki. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $194 – making Seki the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇦🇿 Seki

🕒 Local time

23:32 11:32 PM

00:32 12:32 AM

1 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

68,400

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Azerbaijani Manat AZN ₼

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 AZN = 0.588 USD

1 AZN = 0.523 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.67 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Azerbaijani Manat exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.7 AZN (1 AZN = 0.588 USD). 1 EUR = 1.91 AZN (1 AZN = 0.523 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Seki 1,510 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Seki

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 Seki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 105%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $1,134 in Seki. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seki, 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 $329 in Seki. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seki, where all-in costs run around $756, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Seki it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Seki – 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 Seki. 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.