Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Tokat

For one person, living is cheaper in Tokat: $1,061 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Tokat
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Tokat Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Tokat

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,061

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Tokat

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,061 in Tokat, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Tokat $1,061

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,552 in Tokat, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Tokat $1,552

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,043 in Tokat, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Tokat $2,043

Istanbul costs about 43% more than Tokat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Tokat is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺590

$7.20 ₺360

64.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,745

$20.24 ₺1,012

171.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺463

$6.79 ₺340

36.38%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺215

$4.17 ₺208

3.12%

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

$1.77 ₺88.7

$1.35 ₺67.6

31.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.23

$0.41 ₺20.50

36.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺234

$3.66 ₺183

28.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺356

$3.96 ₺198

79.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.5

$0.97 ₺48.44

28.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.03

$1.10 ₺55.0

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺110

$2.40 ₺120

-8.33%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$2.62 ₺131

-7.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺524

$10.73 ₺537

-2.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺266

$3.76 ₺188

41.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,055

$19.77 ₺988

6.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺92.8

$1.91 ₺95.6

-2.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.83 ₺91.5

25.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺60.8

$0.90 ₺45.19

35.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.9

$1.30 ₺65.0

38.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.72

$0.40 ₺20.13

72.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.06

$0.38 ₺18.81

68.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺67.8

$0.93 ₺46.64

46.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.85

$0.72 ₺35.88

-19.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$1.95 ₺97.4

20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺651

$10.94 ₺547

19.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$2.23 ₺111

5.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$2.85 ₺143

16.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺43.93

$0.68 ₺33.89

29.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,306

$35.69 ₺1,784

85.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.2

$1.07 ₺53.4

19.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.66

$0.83 ₺41.48

2.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺554

$7.64 ₺382

45.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺73.8

$1.31 ₺65.7

12.98%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$40.5K ₺2.0M

19.98%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$37.6K ₺1.9M

11.75%

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

$92.7 ₺4,635

$68.2 ₺3,407

36.02%

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

$11.20 ₺560

$9.03 ₺452

24.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺794

$11.93 ₺596

33.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,734

$57.8 ₺2,891

29.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,148

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺402

$4.88 ₺244

64.96%

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

$948 ₺47.4K

$427 ₺21.4K

122.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.8M

$9,417 ₺470.8K

292.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,694

$60.0 ₺3,001

-10.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,074

$57.0 ₺2,851

-27.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,044

$111 ₺5,528

-8.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,565

$55.3 ₺2,762

65.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.7K

$458 ₺22.9K

121.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.2K

$337 ₺16.9K

85.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.3K

$790 ₺39.5K

153.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.3K

$478 ₺23.9K

135.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.4K

$1,236 ₺61.8K

141.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.5K

$1,040 ₺52.0K

66.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺56.8K

$1,133 ₺56.6K

0.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

52.5

-23.01%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Tokat: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Tokat

$337 31.8% 46% $287

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Tokat

$235 22.1% 9.1% $23

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Tokat

$161 15.2% 27% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Tokat

$127 12% 1.6% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Tokat

$89 8.4% 25.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Tokat

$68 6.4% 25.5% $23

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Tokat

$44 4.1% 42% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $458 in Tokat. 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 $20 in Tokat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $235 – making Tokat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇷 Tokat

🕒 Local time

02:35 2:35 AM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

164,405

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.79 EUR

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.79 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Tokat 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Tokat

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 Tokat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,591 in Tokat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tokat, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $458 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $427 in Tokat. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tokat, where all-in costs run around $1,061, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Tokat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tokat – 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.

For expats, Tokat is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 30% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.