Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Zlatoust

For one person, living is cheaper in Zlatoust: $1,137 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Zlatoust
Learn more

Zlatoust Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Zlatoust

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,137

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Zlatoust

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,137 in Zlatoust, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Zlatoust $1,137

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,783 in Zlatoust, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Zlatoust $1,783

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,429 in Zlatoust, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Zlatoust $2,429

Istanbul costs about 34% more than Zlatoust, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Zlatoust is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$12.07 ₽989

-2.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$42.08 ₽3,447

30.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$6.47 ₽530

43.12%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$2.94 ₽241

46.26%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$1.20 ₽98.0

47.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.57 ₽46.91

-1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$1.87 ₽153

150.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$3.06 ₽251

132.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.20 ₽98.1

4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.73 ₽60.0

20.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.39 ₽114

58.27%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.67 ₽137

45.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$12.07 ₽989

-13.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$5.48 ₽449

-3.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$11.36 ₽930

85.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.81 ₽148

2.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.81 ₽148

27.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.73 ₽142

-29.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$3.35 ₽275

-46.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.80 ₽65.3

-13.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.60 ₽49.19

6.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$1.38 ₽113

-1.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.73 ₽59.8

-20.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$3.02 ₽247

-22.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$8.48 ₽695

53.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.09 ₽89.4

116.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$2.12 ₽174

56.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.57 ₽46.58

54.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$31.20 ₽2,556

111.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$2.26 ₽186

-43.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.38 ₽30.85

123.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$5.85 ₽479

89.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$0.81 ₽66.4

82.72%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$59.9K ₽4.9M

-18.74%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$45.7K ₽3.7M

-8.20%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$133 ₽10.9K

-30.48%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$6.69 ₽548

67.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$8.47 ₽694

87.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$33.31 ₽2,729

124.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$27.34 ₽2,239

-16.06%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$6.61 ₽542

21.79%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$407 ₽33.3K

133.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$6,679 ₽547.1K

452.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$98.6 ₽8,073

-45.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$50.8 ₽4,163

-18.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$157 ₽12.9K

-35.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$114 ₽9,359

-20.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$500 ₽40.9K

102.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$324 ₽26.5K

92.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$937 ₽76.7K

114.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$585 ₽47.9K

92.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$2,024 ₽165.8K

47.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$1,744 ₽142.9K

-0.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$622 ₽50.9K

82.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

21.33

89.50%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Zlatoust: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Zlatoust

$324 28.5% 48.2% $301

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Zlatoust

$217 19.1% 15.8% $41

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Zlatoust

$174 15.3% 21.3% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Zlatoust

$189 16.7% 46.3% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Zlatoust

$149 13.1% 24% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Zlatoust

$47 4.1% 48.7% $44

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Zlatoust

$38 3.3% 50% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $500 in Zlatoust. 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 83% higher in Istanbul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $42 in Zlatoust. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $217 – making Zlatoust the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇷🇺 Zlatoust

🕒 Local time

17:26 5:26 PM

19:26 7:26 PM

2 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

162,148

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, 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 = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 81.92 RUB (100 RUB = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 92.01 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Zlatoust 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Zlatoust

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 Zlatoust: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 34%, 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 $1,705 in Zlatoust. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zlatoust, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $500 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $407 in Zlatoust. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,519 in Istanbul and $1,137 in Zlatoust, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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