Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Trabzon

For one person, living is cheaper in Trabzon: $678 a month against $1,516 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Trabzon
Learn more

Trabzon Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Trabzon

🇹🇷 Turkey

$678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Trabzon

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

A single person spends $1,516 per month in Istanbul vs $678 in Trabzon, rent included.

Istanbul $1,516
Trabzon $678

A couple spends around $2,356 per month in Istanbul vs $1,254 in Trabzon, rent included.

Istanbul $2,356
Trabzon $1,254

A family of three spends $3,197 per month in Istanbul vs $1,831 in Trabzon, rent included.

Istanbul $3,197
Trabzon $1,831

Istanbul costs about 124% more than Trabzon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Istanbul sits 11% above the global median, while Trabzon is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 ₺579

$8.08 ₺403

43.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,730

$30.47 ₺1,521

79.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 ₺469

$10.53 ₺526

-10.83%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₺211

$3.94 ₺197

7.36%

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

$1.72 ₺85.8

$1.56 ₺77.8

10.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₺28.31

$0.19 ₺9.41

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 ₺232

$1.84 ₺91.7

152.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 ₺341

$2.04 ₺102

235.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₺60.1

$0.87 ₺43.67

37.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₺47.06

$1.17 ₺58.3

-19.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ₺112

$2.49 ₺125

-10.04%

Eggs

$2.42 ₺121

$2.53 ₺126

-4.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₺511

$8.34 ₺417

22.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 ₺268

$2.87 ₺143

87.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 ₺1,058

$17.21 ₺859

23.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₺94.4

$2.05 ₺102

-7.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 ₺111

$1.58 ₺78.7

40.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺62.8

$0.84 ₺41.93

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ₺90.2

$1.07 ₺53.3

69.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₺34.91

$0.45 ₺22.66

55.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.19

$0.34 ₺16.77

88.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$0.79 ₺39.35

54.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₺27.41

$0.66 ₺33.10

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₺116

$2.14 ₺107

8.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.31 ₺665

$9.19 ₺459

44.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₺116

$1.60 ₺79.7

45.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ₺173

$2.26 ₺113

53.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ₺45.27

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 ₺3,312

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.3

$2.05 ₺102

-37.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ₺42.74

$0.63 ₺31.25

36.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺554

$6.58 ₺328

68.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₺70.9

$1.28 ₺64.0

10.94%

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

$49.2K ₺2.5M

$41.0K ₺2.0M

19.85%

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

$42.8K ₺2.1M

$38.2K ₺1.9M

12.08%

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

$87.7 ₺4,381

$89.9 ₺4,491

-2.44%

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

$11.28 ₺563

$12.28 ₺613

-8.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺793

$12.41 ₺620

28.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 ₺3,790

$49.83 ₺2,488

52.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,150

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 ₺410

$4.99 ₺249

64.33%

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

$1,028 ₺51.3K

$248 ₺12.4K

314.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,663

$79.5 ₺3,967

-32.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ₺1,982

$59.9 ₺2,989

-33.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 ₺4,982

$91.0 ₺4,542

9.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,670

$59.3 ₺2,962

57.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 ₺50.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₺31.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 ₺98.0K

$438 ₺21.9K

347.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₺56.0K

$335 ₺16.7K

234.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 ₺153.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 ₺87.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 ₺58.9K

$1,203 ₺60.1K

-1.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

-16.96%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Last update for Trabzon: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$628 41.5%

Trabzon

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Trabzon

$204 30.1% 21% $54

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.4%

Trabzon

$164 24.2% 24.8% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Trabzon

$130 19.2% 1.1% $1.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$115 7.6%

Trabzon

$115 16.9% 0.2% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$92 6.1%

Trabzon

$60 8.8% 35.2% $33

Getting Around

Istanbul

$76 5%

Trabzon

$5.2 * 0.8% 93.1% $70

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $30 in Trabzon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $204 – making Trabzon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇷 Trabzon

🕒 Local time

02:13 2:13 AM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

816,684

💱 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 Trabzon 900 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Trabzon

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 Trabzon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 124%, 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 $1,016 in Trabzon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 27% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Trabzon, where all-in costs run around $678, than in Istanbul at $1,516. In Trabzon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $678 in Trabzon to $1,516 in Istanbul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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