Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Zonguldak

For one person, living is cheaper in Zonguldak: $1,068 a month against $1,516 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Zonguldak
Learn more

Zonguldak Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Zonguldak

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,068

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Zonguldak

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

A single person spends $1,516 per month in Istanbul vs $1,068 in Zonguldak, rent included.

Istanbul $1,516
Zonguldak $1,068

A couple spends around $2,356 per month in Istanbul vs $1,574 in Zonguldak, rent included.

Istanbul $2,356
Zonguldak $1,574

A family of three spends $3,197 per month in Istanbul vs $2,079 in Zonguldak, rent included.

Istanbul $3,197
Zonguldak $2,079

Istanbul costs about 42% more than Zonguldak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Istanbul sits 11% above the global median, while Zonguldak is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 ₺577

$7.82 ₺390

48.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,725

$22.38 ₺1,115

144.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 ₺468

$7.10 ₺354

32.25%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₺211

$3.57 ₺178

18.49%

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

$1.72 ₺85.6

$1.50 ₺74.9

14.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₺28.26

$0.38 ₺19.09

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 ₺232

$4.09 ₺204

13.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 ₺341

$3.95 ₺197

73.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₺60.0

$0.93 ₺46.35

29.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₺46.97

$1.00 ₺49.88

-6.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ₺112

$2.27 ₺113

-1.32%

Eggs

$2.42 ₺121

$2.63 ₺131

-7.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₺510

$10.21 ₺509

0.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 ₺268

$5.34 ₺266

0.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 ₺1,056

$20.01 ₺997

5.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₺94.3

$1.90 ₺94.6

-0.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 ₺111

$2.16 ₺108

2.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺62.7

$1.28 ₺63.8

-1.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ₺90.0

$1.64 ₺81.7

10.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₺34.84

$0.61 ₺30.38

14.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.13

$0.54 ₺26.98

18.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ₺60.9

$1.04 ₺51.9

17.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₺27.35

$0.62 ₺30.83

-11.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₺116

$2.06 ₺103

12.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.31 ₺663

$12.34 ₺615

7.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₺116

$2.06 ₺103

13.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ₺172

$2.06 ₺103

67.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ₺45.18

$2.00 ₺99.7

-54.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 ₺3,306

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.2

$1.35 ₺67.1

-4.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ₺42.66

$0.83 ₺41.54

3.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺553

$6.43 ₺320

72.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₺70.8

$1.33 ₺66.5

6.77%

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

$49.2K ₺2.5M

$48.5K ₺2.4M

1.41%

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

$42.8K ₺2.1M

$39.8K ₺2.0M

7.42%

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

$87.7 ₺4,373

$64.6 ₺3,217

35.93%

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

$11.28 ₺562

$10.80 ₺538

4.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺792

$17.91 ₺892

-11.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 ₺3,783

$44.65 ₺2,225

69.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,148

$51.0 ₺2,543

-54.85%

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 ₺409

$5.65 ₺281

45.13%

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

$1,028 ₺51.2K

$1,040 ₺51.8K

-1.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K ₺1.3M

$19.7K ₺982.3K

31.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,658

$52.9 ₺2,638

0.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ₺1,978

$47.09 ₺2,347

-15.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 ₺4,972

$103 ₺5,109

-2.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,661

$96.3 ₺4,798

-2.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 ₺50.0K

$424 ₺21.1K

136.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₺31.3K

$363 ₺18.1K

73.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 ₺97.8K

$433 ₺21.6K

353.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₺55.9K

$482 ₺24.0K

132.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 ₺153.2K

$1,175 ₺58.6K

161.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 ₺87.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 ₺58.8K

$855 ₺42.6K

38.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

43.57

-6.61%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Last update for Zonguldak: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$628 41.5%

Zonguldak

$363 34% 42.2% $265

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Zonguldak

$246 23% 4.8% $12

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.4%

Zonguldak

$163 15.2% 25.3% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Zonguldak

$134 12.6% 4.4% $5.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$115 7.6%

Zonguldak

$93 8.7% 18.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$92 6.1%

Zonguldak

$56 5.2% 39.4% $36

Getting Around

Istanbul

$76 5%

Zonguldak

$14 * 1.3% 82.1% $62

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Istanbul versus $424 in Zonguldak. 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 38% higher in Istanbul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $22 in Zonguldak. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $246 – making Zonguldak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇷 Zonguldak

🕒 Local time

22:59 10:59 PM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

120,395

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Istanbul Zonguldak 240 km

From you

Istanbul
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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 Zonguldak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,274 per month in Istanbul and $1,603 in Zonguldak. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zonguldak, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $424 there versus $1,003 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $22 in Zonguldak. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,516 in Istanbul and $1,068 in Zonguldak, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,068 in Zonguldak to $1,516 in Istanbul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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