Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Shirvan

For one person, living is cheaper in Shirvan: $221 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 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

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Shirvan

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan

$221

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Shirvan

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $221 in Shirvan, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Shirvan $221

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $354 in Shirvan, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Shirvan $354

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $486 in Shirvan, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Shirvan $486

Istanbul costs about 601% more than Shirvan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Shirvan is 84% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$8.88 ₼15.08

38.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.67 ₼2.83

163.47%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.28 ₼0.47

500.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.25 ₼0.43

136.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.75 ₼2.97

168.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.01 ₼5.12

96.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.39 ₼2.36

-12.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.37 ₼0.62

140.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.16 ₼1.97

88.79%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$0.72 ₼1.23

226.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$2.30 ₼3.91

353.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$3.44 ₼5.84

64.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$7.50 ₼12.75

179.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$0.61 ₼1.04

211.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.90 ₼1.53

156.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.45 ₼0.77

184.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.23 ₼0.39

182.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.30 ₼0.51

113.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.45 ₼0.77

24.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$1.49 ₼2.53

59.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$2.68 ₼4.55

400.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.63 ₼2.77

47.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$4.00 ₼6.80

-13.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.61 ₼1.04

50.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$0.69 ₼1.18

113.04%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

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

$11.59 ₺574

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Shirvan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Shirvan

–

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Shirvan

–

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Shirvan

–

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Shirvan

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Shirvan

–

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Shirvan

–

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Shirvan

–

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇦🇿 Shirvan

🕒 Local time

10:21 10:21 AM

11:21 11:21 AM

1 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

82,800

💱 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Azerbaijani Manat exchange rates as of October 18, 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

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Between locations

Istanbul Shirvan 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Shirvan

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 Shirvan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 601%, 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 $332 in Shirvan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,550 in Istanbul and $221 in Shirvan. That's a gap of about 601%.

Groceries cost about 136% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Shirvan, where all-in costs run around $221, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Shirvan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shirvan – 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 Shirvan. 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.