Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Zaqatala

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaqatala: $347 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Zaqatala
Learn more

Zaqatala Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Zaqatala

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan

$347

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Zaqatala

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $347 in Zaqatala, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Zaqatala $347

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $581 in Zaqatala, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Zaqatala $581

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $815 in Zaqatala, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Zaqatala $815

Istanbul costs about 340% more than Zaqatala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Zaqatala is 74% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$4.61 ₼7.83

157.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$20.76 ₼35.28

165.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$5.26 ₼8.94

73.76%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$2.33 ₼3.97

81.97%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.56 ₼0.96

212.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.52 ₼0.88

3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$1.71 ₼2.90

174.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$2.97 ₼5.05

101.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$0.97 ₼1.66

29.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.42 ₼0.72

126.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.28 ₼3.87

1.32%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$1.38 ₼2.35

78.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$3.62 ₼6.16

191.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$2.42 ₼4.11

131.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$8.17 ₼13.89

159.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$0.80 ₼1.35

141.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.15 ₼1.96

99.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.58 ₼0.98

120.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$0.72 ₼1.23

155.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$0.30 ₼0.51

123.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.37 ₼0.63

59.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$0.92 ₼1.57

44.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.60 ₼1.02

-1.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$1.74 ₼2.96

35.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$8.97 ₼15.24

50.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.15 ₼1.96

110.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$2.03 ₼3.45

74.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.18 ₼0.30

361.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$0.67 ₼1.13

119.40%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

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

$11.60 ₺572

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$33.15 ₼56.3

133.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

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

$974 ₺48.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$116 ₼198

753.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$81.7 ₼139

670.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$235 ₼400

760.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$145 ₼246

698.06%

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 Zaqatala: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Zaqatala

$82 23.5% 87% $548

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Zaqatala

$133 38.3% 49.5% $131

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Zaqatala

$99 28.6% 54.4% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Zaqatala

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Zaqatala

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Zaqatala

$33 * 9.5% 64.7% $61

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Zaqatala

$0.7 * 0.2% 99.1% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $116 in Zaqatala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $21.00 in Zaqatala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $133 – making Zaqatala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇦🇿 Zaqatala

🕒 Local time

17:40 5:40 PM

18:40 6:40 PM

1 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

21,800

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Azerbaijani Manat AZN ₼

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 AZN = 0.588 USD

1 AZN = 0.525 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AZN, 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 = 55.2 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Azerbaijani Manat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.7 AZN (1 AZN = 0.588 USD). 1 EUR = 1.9 AZN (1 AZN = 0.525 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Zaqatala 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Zaqatala

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 Zaqatala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 340%, 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 $520 in Zaqatala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 98% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $21.00 in Zaqatala. 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 Zaqatala, where all-in costs run around $347, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Zaqatala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zaqatala – 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 Zaqatala. 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.