Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Urganch

For one person, living is cheaper in Urganch: $414 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Urganch

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$414

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Urganch

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $414 in Urganch, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Urganch $414

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $701 in Urganch, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Urganch $701

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $987 in Urganch, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Urganch $987

Istanbul costs about 266% more than Urganch, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Urganch is 69% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$3.84 UZS 46.0K

207.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$29.71 UZS 355.8K

84.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$3.88 UZS 46.4K

138.66%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$2.00 UZS 23.9K

115.00%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$0.88 UZS 10.5K

101.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.26 UZS 3,132

115.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$1.29 UZS 15.5K

263.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$0.94 UZS 11.3K

32.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.92 UZS 11.0K

-4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.44 UZS 17.3K

52.78%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.86 UZS 22.3K

30.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$4.56 UZS 54.6K

129.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$4.79 UZS 57.3K

10.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$7.37 UZS 88.3K

186.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.36 UZS 16.3K

36.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.76 UZS 21.0K

30.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$2.53 UZS 30.3K

-51.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$2.03 UZS 24.3K

-11.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.77 UZS 9,262

-10.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.52 UZS 6,257

23.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$0.78 UZS 9,361

74.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.43 UZS 5,186

34.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$1.88 UZS 22.5K

24.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.28 UZS 3,310

214.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$0.34 UZS 4,074

276.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.40 UZS 4,788

112.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.24 UZS 14.9K

19.35%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

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

$11.20 ₺562

$3.38 UZS 40.4K

231.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$10.18 UZS 122.0K

56.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$13.98 UZS 167.4K

434.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$4.15 UZS 49.7K

93.98%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$12.59 UZS 150.8K

327.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$12.64 UZS 151.3K

228.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$41.28 UZS 494.3K

121.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$161 UZS 1.9M

529.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$127 UZS 1.5M

391.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$266 UZS 3.2M

654.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$205 UZS 2.5M

448.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$3,037 UZS 36.4M

-1.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$3,667 UZS 43.9M

-52.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$416 UZS 5.0M

173.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Urganch: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Urganch

–

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Urganch

–

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Urganch

–

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Urganch

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Urganch

–

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Urganch

–

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Urganch

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $161 in Urganch. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Istanbul are about 2.7 times higher, 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 $55 in Istanbul versus $30 in Urganch. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $141 – making Urganch the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇺🇿 Urganch

🕒 Local time

09:39 9:39 AM

11:39 11:39 AM

2 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

146,709

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.44 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 11,975 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD). 1 EUR = 13,443 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.44 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Urganch 2,630 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Urganch

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 Urganch: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 266%, 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 $622 in Urganch. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Urganch, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $161 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Groceries cost about 83% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Urganch, where all-in costs run around $414, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Urganch 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 $414 in Urganch to $1,519 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.

If budget matters most, go with Urganch. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.