Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Yerevan

For one person, living costs are similar in Istanbul and in Yerevan: $1,526 and $1,579 a month, rent and utilities included.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Yerevan
Learn more

Yerevan Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Yerevan

🇦🇲 Armenia

$1,579

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Yerevan

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $1,579 in Yerevan, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Yerevan $1,579

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $2,338 in Yerevan, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Yerevan $2,338

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $3,096 in Yerevan, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Yerevan $3,096

Istanbul is about 3% cheaper than Yerevan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Istanbul and Yerevan sit above the global median – Istanbul by 14%, Yerevan by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$10.99 ֏3,971

8.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$62.8 ֏22.7K

-12.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$10.98 ֏3,968

-16.76%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$3.88 ֏1,404

9.28%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$1.22 ֏441

43.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.71 ֏257

-23.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$2.74 ֏992

71.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$3.53 ֏1,275

69.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.72 ֏623

-26.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.96 ֏346

-1.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.31 ֏833

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$2.73 ֏987

-9.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$8.80 ֏3,179

19.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$7.85 ֏2,837

-28.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$14.18 ֏5,126

49.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$1.48 ֏535

30.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.78 ֏643

28.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.93 ֏699

-33.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$2.62 ֏946

-29.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$0.68 ֏246

-1.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.69 ֏251

-14.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$0.98 ֏353

35.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.78 ֏280

-24.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$2.79 ֏1,009

-15.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$10.84 ֏3,920

24.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.59 ֏576

52.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$2.09 ֏756

69.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.40 ֏143

107.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$24.51 ֏8,860

171.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$1.41 ֏508

-4.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$0.58 ֏211

46.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$13.01 ֏4,703

-16.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.63 ֏589

-9.82%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$35.3K ֏12.8M

46.24%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$34.2K ֏12.4M

29.78%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$124 ֏44.7K

-27.87%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$9.02 ֏3,261

28.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$24.53 ֏8,865

-34.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$72.6 ֏26.2K

6.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$36.21 ֏13.1K

-37.42%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$8.38 ֏3,027

-0.48%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$371 ֏134.2K

162.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$10.1K ֏3.6M

156.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$104 ֏37.6K

-49.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$57.1 ֏20.6K

-31.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$141 ֏51.0K

-26.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$162 ֏58.6K

-40.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$914 ֏330.5K

8.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$618 ֏223.3K

1.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$1,449 ֏523.8K

39.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$877 ֏316.8K

31.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$3,358 ֏1.2M

-5.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$1,529 ֏552.5K

20.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$670 ֏242.3K

79.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

14.36

186.14%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Yerevan: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Yerevan

$618 40% 1.8% $12

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Yerevan

$245 15.8% 7.4% $19

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Yerevan

$196 12.7% 10.1% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Yerevan

$209 13.5% 59.2% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Yerevan

$157 10.2% 34.5% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Yerevan

$89 5.8% 4.9% $4.6

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Yerevan

$30 2% 59.6% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $914 in Yerevan. 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 80% higher in Istanbul, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $63.0 in Yerevan. Groceries tell a different story – $264 in Istanbul vs $245 in Yerevan – so Yerevan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇦🇲 Yerevan

🕒 Local time

10:15 10:15 AM

11:15 11:15 AM

1 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,129,300 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Armenian Dram AMD ֏

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1,000 AMD = 2.77 USD

1,000 AMD = 2.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AMD, 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).

Armenian Dram exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 361 AMD (1,000 AMD = 2.77 USD). 1 EUR = 405 AMD (1,000 AMD = 2.47 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Yerevan 1,310 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Yerevan

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 Yerevan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Yerevan is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $2,369 in Yerevan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $974 per month in Istanbul and $371 in Yerevan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Yerevan – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,526, than in Yerevan at $1,579. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yerevan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Istanbul – 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 Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Yerevan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.