Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Side

For one person, living is cheaper in Side: $1,144 a month against $1,516 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Side
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Side Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Side

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,144

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Side

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

A single person spends $1,516 per month in Istanbul vs $1,144 in Side, rent included.

Istanbul $1,516
Side $1,144

A couple spends around $2,356 per month in Istanbul vs $1,790 in Side, rent included.

Istanbul $2,356
Side $1,790

A family of three spends $3,197 per month in Istanbul vs $2,435 in Side, rent included.

Istanbul $3,197
Side $2,435

Istanbul costs about 32% more than Side, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Istanbul sits 11% above the global median, while Side is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 ₺577

$10.26 ₺511

12.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,725

$29.76 ₺1,483

83.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 ₺468

$9.45 ₺471

-0.63%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₺211

$3.44 ₺171

22.97%

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

$1.72 ₺85.6

$2.19 ₺109

-21.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₺28.26

$0.39 ₺19.48

46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 ₺232

$4.01 ₺200

15.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 ₺341

$6.07 ₺303

12.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₺60.0

$1.07 ₺53.1

12.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₺46.97

$0.97 ₺48.33

-3.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ₺112

$2.61 ₺130

-14.18%

Eggs

$2.42 ₺121

$2.29 ₺114

5.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₺510

$13.70 ₺683

-25.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 ₺268

$6.16 ₺307

-12.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 ₺1,056

$26.79 ₺1,335

-20.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₺94.3

$1.57 ₺78.2

20.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 ₺111

$2.46 ₺123

-9.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺62.7

$1.39 ₺69.1

-9.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ₺90.0

$1.27 ₺63.5

42.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₺34.84

$0.79 ₺39.51

-11.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.13

$0.71 ₺35.38

-9.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ₺60.9

$1.74 ₺87.0

-29.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₺27.35

$0.76 ₺37.63

-27.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₺116

$2.78 ₺139

-16.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.31 ₺663

$13.85 ₺690

-3.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₺116

$1.69 ₺84.1

37.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ₺172

$3.13 ₺156

10.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ₺45.18

$0.69 ₺34.55

31.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 ₺3,306

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.2

$1.24 ₺61.7

4.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ₺42.66

$1.00 ₺49.64

-14.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺553

$6.69 ₺333

65.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₺70.8

$1.51 ₺75.2

-5.96%

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

$49.2K ₺2.5M

$42.1K ₺2.1M

16.84%

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

$42.8K ₺2.1M

$38.2K ₺1.9M

11.91%

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

$87.7 ₺4,373

$76.7 ₺3,824

14.36%

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

$11.28 ₺562

$10.57 ₺527

6.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺792

$23.12 ₺1,152

-31.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 ₺3,783

$52.8 ₺2,632

43.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,148

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 ₺409

$8.06 ₺402

1.74%

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

$1,028 ₺51.2K

$507 ₺25.3K

102.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K ₺1.3M

$10.9K ₺544.1K

137.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,658

$46.20 ₺2,302

15.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ₺1,978

$58.9 ₺2,937

-32.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 ₺4,972

$157 ₺7,812

-36.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,661

$117 ₺5,842

-20.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 ₺50.0K

$420 ₺20.9K

139.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₺31.3K

$302 ₺15.1K

107.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 ₺97.8K

$761 ₺37.9K

158.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₺55.9K

$573 ₺28.5K

95.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 ₺153.2K

$1,431 ₺71.3K

114.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 ₺87.3K

$1,018 ₺50.7K

72.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 ₺58.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

38.25

6.38%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Last update for Side: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$628 41.5%

Side

$302 26.4% 51.9% $326

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Side

$289 25.3% 11.9% $31

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.4%

Side

$194 17% 10.8% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Side

$171 14.9% 32.4% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$115 7.6%

Side

$110 9.7% 3.9% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$92 6.1%

Side

$69 6% 25.3% $23

Getting Around

Istanbul

$76 5%

Side

$9 * 0.8% 88.1% $67

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Istanbul versus $420 in Side. 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 $30 in Side. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Istanbul vs $289 in Side – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇷 Side

🕒 Local time

00:06 12:06 AM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

12,500

💱 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 Side 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Side

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 Side: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,274 per month in Istanbul and $1,717 in Side. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Side, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $420 there versus $1,003 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $30 in Side. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Side, where all-in costs run around $1,144, than in Istanbul at $1,516. In Side it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.