Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Tashkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Tashkent: $1,048 a month against $1,525 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Tashkent
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Tashkent Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Tashkent

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$1,048

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Tashkent

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $1,048 in Tashkent, rent included.

Istanbul $1,525
Tashkent $1,048

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $1,646 in Tashkent, rent included.

Istanbul $2,390
Tashkent $1,646

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $2,244 in Tashkent, rent included.

Istanbul $3,256
Tashkent $2,244

Istanbul costs about 45% more than Tashkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 13% above the global median, while Tashkent is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ₺592

$6.73 UZS 81.1K

77.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 ₺2,834

$32.94 UZS 397.0K

73.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 ₺471

$5.13 UZS 61.9K

85.38%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.55 UZS 30.7K

72.55%

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

$1.75 ₺86.6

$0.70 UZS 8,488

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.57

$0.33 UZS 3,955

69.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 ₺233

$2.09 UZS 25.2K

125.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₺304

$3.77 UZS 45.4K

62.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.6

$1.30 UZS 15.7K

-4.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.25

$0.85 UZS 10.2K

11.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$1.63 UZS 19.7K

39.88%

Eggs

$2.45 ₺121

$1.80 UZS 21.6K

36.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₺523

$8.04 UZS 96.9K

31.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 ₺272

$4.07 UZS 49.1K

35.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.65 ₺1,072

$12.49 UZS 150.6K

73.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ₺90.6

$1.49 UZS 18.0K

22.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.81 UZS 21.8K

26.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.4

$2.19 UZS 26.4K

-41.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 ₺90.1

$1.70 UZS 20.5K

7.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₺32.74

$0.60 UZS 7,171

10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.14

$0.37 UZS 4,488

70.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₺62.8

$1.02 UZS 12.3K

24.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.62

$0.44 UZS 5,351

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺117

$1.95 UZS 23.5K

21.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 ₺642

$7.33 UZS 88.4K

77.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₺123

$1.32 UZS 15.9K

87.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₺174

$3.55 UZS 42.7K

-1.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.77

$0.15 UZS 1,786

446.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₺3,228

$12.30 UZS 148.2K

430.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₺65.7

$0.86 UZS 10.4K

54.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₺44.60

$0.36 UZS 4,382

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 ₺540

$3.18 UZS 38.4K

243.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₺70.7

$1.13 UZS 13.6K

26.55%

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

$49.6K ₺2.5M

$17.3K UZS 208.5M

186.53%

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

$43.2K ₺2.1M

$20.7K UZS 249.8M

108.34%

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

$88.8 ₺4,395

$67.2 UZS 809.7K

32.12%

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

$11.69 ₺579

$4.40 UZS 53.0K

165.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 ₺797

$13.35 UZS 160.9K

20.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 ₺3,776

$67.5 UZS 813.2K

13.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 ₺1,125

$18.05 UZS 217.5K

25.87%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ₺409

$5.66 UZS 68.2K

45.94%

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

$1,015 ₺50.2K

$333 UZS 4.0M

205.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$9,238 UZS 111.3M

179.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,636

$49.73 UZS 599.3K

7.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 ₺2,008

$58.0 UZS 698.6K

-30.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₺4,956

$112 UZS 1.3M

-10.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,630

$134 UZS 1.6M

-30.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₺48.4K

$595 UZS 7.2M

64.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺31.0K

$395 UZS 4.8M

58.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 ₺98.0K

$1,188 UZS 14.3M

66.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ₺56.8K

$735 UZS 8.9M

55.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 ₺153.2K

$1,621 UZS 19.5M

91.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 ₺88.5K

$944 UZS 11.4M

89.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 ₺60.1K

$716 UZS 8.6M

69.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

23.31

74.56%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tashkent: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$627 41.1%

Tashkent

$395 37.7% 37% $232

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$263 17.2%

Tashkent

$193 18.4% 26.5% $69

Eating Out

Istanbul

$222 14.6%

Tashkent

$122 11.6% 45.1% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Tashkent

$159 15.2% 22.9% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.6%

Tashkent

$85 8.1% 27.1% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6.1%

Tashkent

$79 7.5% 15.1% $14

Getting Around

Istanbul

$74 4.9%

Tashkent

$16 1.5% 79% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $595 in Tashkent. 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 69% 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 $57.0 in Istanbul versus $33.00 in Tashkent. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $193 – making Tashkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇺🇿 Tashkent

🕒 Local time

08:43 8:43 AM

10:43 10:43 AM

2 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

2,956,384 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100,000 UZS = 8.3 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UZS, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 12,051 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.3 USD). 1 EUR = 13,548 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.38 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Tashkent 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Tashkent

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 Tashkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $1,572 in Tashkent. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tashkent, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,015 per month in Istanbul and $333 in Tashkent. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tashkent, where all-in costs run around $1,048, than in Istanbul at $1,525. In Tashkent it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tashkent – 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 Tashkent. 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.