Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Uzgen

For one person, living is cheaper in Uzgen: $362 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Uzgen

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Uzgen

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $362 in Uzgen, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Uzgen $362

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $609 in Uzgen, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Uzgen $609

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $856 in Uzgen, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Uzgen $856

Istanbul costs about 322% more than Uzgen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Uzgen is 73% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$4.52 KGS 395

162.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$22.89 KGS 2,001

140.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$9.03 KGS 790

1.22%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$1.90 KGS 166

123.16%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.78 KGS 68.1

124.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.26 KGS 22.66

107.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$1.17 KGS 102

300.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$1.29 KGS 113

362.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$0.86 KGS 74.9

46.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.35 KGS 30.40

171.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.17 KGS 102

97.44%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$1.47 KGS 128

68.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$4.92 KGS 430

114.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$3.43 KGS 300

63.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$7.76 KGS 679

173.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$0.67 KGS 58.7

188.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.53 KGS 134

49.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.20 KGS 192

-41.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$1.21 KGS 106

52.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$0.50 KGS 43.85

34.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.43 KGS 37.57

37.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$0.64 KGS 55.7

107.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.69 KGS 60.3

-14.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$2.03 KGS 178

16.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$5.06 KGS 443

166.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.17 KGS 102

106.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$1.69 KGS 148

109.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$0.22 KGS 19.12

513.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$0.34 KGS 29.57

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$7.70 KGS 673

41.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$0.99 KGS 86.2

48.48%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$18.1K KGS 1.6M

185.42%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$17.4K KGS 1.5M

155.31%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$38.75 KGS 3,388

130.25%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$4.65 KGS 406

149.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$6.51 KGS 569

147.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$3.51 KGS 306

137.61%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$168 KGS 14.7K

480.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$1,918 KGS 167.7K

1243.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$18.76 KGS 1,640

180.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$35.66 KGS 3,118

9.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$52.4 KGS 4,577

97.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$50.5 KGS 4,415

91.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Uzgen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Uzgen

–

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Uzgen

–

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Uzgen

–

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Uzgen

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Uzgen

–

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Uzgen

–

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Uzgen

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $23.00 in Uzgen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $138 – making Uzgen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇰🇬 Uzgen

🕒 Local time

10:14 10:14 AM

13:14 1:14 PM

3 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

49,410

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KGS, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Kyrgyzstani Som exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 87.42 KGS (100 KGS = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 98.05 KGS (100 KGS = 1.02 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

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Istanbul Uzgen 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Uzgen

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 Uzgen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 322%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $542 in Uzgen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $23.00 in Uzgen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 92% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Uzgen, where all-in costs run around $362, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Uzgen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Uzgen – 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 Uzgen. 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.