Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Serov

For one person, living is cheaper in Serov: $1,118 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Serov
Learn more

Serov Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Serov

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,118

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Serov

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,118 in Serov, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Serov $1,118

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,824 in Serov, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Serov $1,824

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,529 in Serov, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Serov $2,529

Istanbul costs about 36% more than Serov, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Serov is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$14.12 ₽1,152

-16.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$47.47 ₽3,871

15.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$5.75 ₽469

61.04%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$3.02 ₽246

42.38%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$1.14 ₽93.1

55.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.57 ₽46.84

-1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$1.59 ₽130

194.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$3.38 ₽275

110.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.25 ₽102

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.80 ₽65.1

10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.58 ₽129

39.24%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.44 ₽117

68.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$11.89 ₽970

-11.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$5.64 ₽460

-5.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$12.41 ₽1,012

70.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.58 ₽129

17.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.85 ₽151

24.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.73 ₽141

-29.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$2.86 ₽233

-37.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.84 ₽68.9

-17.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.58 ₽46.95

10.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$1.19 ₽97.4

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.64 ₽52.1

-9.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$2.86 ₽233

-18.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$8.73 ₽712

49.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.10 ₽89.6

114.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$2.10 ₽171

58.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.50 ₽40.74

76.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$29.76 ₽2,427

122.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$2.76 ₽225

-53.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.34 ₽27.86

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$6.47 ₽528

71.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$0.82 ₽66.7

80.49%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$56.8K ₽4.6M

-14.43%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$36.6K ₽3.0M

14.72%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$128 ₽10.4K

-27.29%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$6.95 ₽567

61.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$8.59 ₽701

84.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$36.42 ₽2,970

105.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$26.69 ₽2,177

-14.01%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$6.83 ₽557

17.86%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$369 ₽30.1K

157.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$6,566 ₽535.6K

462.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$102 ₽8,349

-47.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$50.4 ₽4,107

-17.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$150 ₽12.3K

-32.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$121 ₽9,906

-24.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$432 ₽35.2K

134.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$292 ₽23.8K

113.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$1,046 ₽85.3K

91.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$623 ₽50.8K

80.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$2,299 ₽187.5K

29.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$1,636 ₽133.4K

5.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

21.33

89.50%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Serov: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Serov

$292 26.2% 53.2% $332

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Serov

$217 19.4% 15.9% $41

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Serov

$188 16.8% 14.9% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Serov

$191 17.1% 47.7% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Serov

$143 12.8% 19.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Serov

$50 4.5% 44.8% $41

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Serov

$36 3.2% 51.8% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $432 in Serov. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $47 in Serov. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $217 – making Serov the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇷🇺 Serov

🕒 Local time

13:03 1:03 PM

15:03 3:03 PM

2 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

97,366

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100 RUB = 1.23 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 81.56 RUB (100 RUB = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 91.6 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Serov 3,000 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Serov

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 Serov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,677 in Serov. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Serov, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $432 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $369 in Serov. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Serov, where all-in costs run around $1,118, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Serov it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Serov is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 26% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.