Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Zaporizhzhya

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaporizhzhya: $713 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Zaporizhzhya
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Zaporizhzhya Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Zaporizhzhya

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$713

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Zaporizhzhya

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $713 in Zaporizhzhya, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Zaporizhzhya $713

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,107 in Zaporizhzhya, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Zaporizhzhya $1,107

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $1,500 in Zaporizhzhya, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Zaporizhzhya $1,500

Istanbul costs about 113% more than Zaporizhzhya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Zaporizhzhya is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$6.73 ₴306

75.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$21.61 ₴984

154.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$4.47 ₴204

107.16%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$1.10 ₴50.2

290.91%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$0.59 ₴26.80

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.36 ₴16.61

55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$0.89 ₴40.53

426.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$1.63 ₴74.2

336.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.05 ₴47.78

19.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.68 ₴31.18

29.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.21 ₴55.2

81.82%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.69 ₴76.8

43.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$7.95 ₴362

31.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$4.18 ₴190

27.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$7.08 ₴322

198.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.39 ₴63.2

33.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.58 ₴72.1

45.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.57 ₴71.6

-22.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$2.17 ₴98.7

-17.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.73 ₴33.29

-5.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.58 ₴26.23

10.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$1.20 ₴54.6

13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.63 ₴28.77

-7.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$2.66 ₴121

-12.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$4.41 ₴201

195.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$0.80 ₴36.62

195.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.15 ₴52.3

188.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.41 ₴18.51

114.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$33.19 ₴1,511

99.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$1.40 ₴63.9

-8.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.34 ₴15.57

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$2.21 ₴101

401.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.68 ₴76.5

-11.90%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$30.0K ₴1.4M

62.19%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$24.1K ₴1.1M

73.91%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$93.9 ₴4,275

-1.26%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$5.89 ₴268

90.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$5.51 ₴251

188.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$25.81 ₴1,176

189.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$4.48 ₴204

79.69%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$270 ₴12.3K

251.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$3,412 ₴155.4K

982.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$42.33 ₴1,928

27.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$39.40 ₴1,794

5.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$87.5 ₴3,983

15.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$102 ₴4,659

-10.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$203 ₴9,250

399.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$162 ₴7,375

285.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$393 ₴17.9K

410.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$302 ₴13.8K

272.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$620 ₴28.2K

381.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$435 ₴19.8K

297.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$505 ₴23.0K

125.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

152.63%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Zaporizhzhya: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Zaporizhzhya

$162 22.7% 74.1% $463

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Zaporizhzhya

$159 22.3% 38.3% $99

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Zaporizhzhya

$92 12.9% 58.4% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Zaporizhzhya

$122 17.1% 5.6% $7.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Zaporizhzhya

$105 14.8% 12.1% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Zaporizhzhya

$35 4.9% 61.7% $56

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Zaporizhzhya

$38 5.3% 49.5% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $203 in Zaporizhzhya. 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 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $22 in Zaporizhzhya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $159 – making Zaporizhzhya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇺🇦 Zaporizhzhya

🕒 Local time

03:17 3:17 AM

02:17 2:17 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

750,685

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100 UAH = 2.2 USD

100 UAH = 1.96 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UAH, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.05 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 45.54 UAH (100 UAH = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 50.89 UAH (100 UAH = 1.96 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Zaporizhzhya 900 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Zaporizhzhya

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 Zaporizhzhya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 113%, 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 $1,070 in Zaporizhzhya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zaporizhzhya, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $203 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $270 in Zaporizhzhya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 62% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Zaporizhzhya, where all-in costs run around $713, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Zaporizhzhya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zaporizhzhya – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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