Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Izmir and Ankara

For one person, living is cheaper in Izmir: $1,212 a month against $1,393 in Ankara, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Izmir
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Izmir Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
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Ankara Living Index

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Izmir

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,212

/mo nomad

Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,393

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Izmir and in Ankara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Izmir and in Ankara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,212 per month in Izmir vs $1,393 in Ankara, rent included.

Izmir $1,212
Ankara $1,393

A couple spends around $1,898 per month in Izmir vs $2,079 in Ankara, rent included.

Izmir $1,898
Ankara $2,079

A family of three spends $2,584 per month in Izmir vs $2,765 in Ankara, rent included.

Izmir $2,584
Ankara $2,765

Izmir is about 13% cheaper than Ankara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Izmir sits 11% below the global median, while Ankara is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.89 ₺493

$9.90 ₺493

-0.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.55 ₺1,772

$42.89 ₺2,137

-17.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.41 ₺419

$9.31 ₺464

-9.67%

Cappuccino

$3.64 ₺181

$4.15 ₺207

-12.29%

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

$1.46 ₺72.7

$1.66 ₺82.6

-12.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.86

$0.76 ₺37.94

-23.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 ₺172

$5.15 ₺257

-33.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 ₺249

$5.85 ₺292

-14.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 ₺53.9

$1.20 ₺59.9

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 ₺52.6

$0.99 ₺49.46

6.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 ₺119

$2.15 ₺107

10.70%

Eggs

$2.46 ₺123

$2.69 ₺134

-8.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₺464

$10.22 ₺510

-8.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.10 ₺254

$5.45 ₺272

-6.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.03 ₺1,048

$20.32 ₺1,013

3.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 ₺97.4

$1.91 ₺95.0

2.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ₺108

$2.28 ₺113

-4.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 ₺52.7

$1.27 ₺63.2

-16.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 ₺67.9

$1.64 ₺81.7

-17.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.55

$0.67 ₺33.28

-11.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₺20.08

$0.57 ₺28.55

-29.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₺54.6

$1.03 ₺51.3

5.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ₺36.52

$0.64 ₺31.69

14.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 ₺111

$2.19 ₺109

1.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₺556

$12.46 ₺621

-10.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₺103

$2.24 ₺112

-8.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ₺149

$3.11 ₺155

-3.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 ₺34.06

$0.82 ₺40.87

-17.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.12 ₺2,149

$11.86 ₺591

263.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₺175

$1.28 ₺63.8

175.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ₺50.9

$0.81 ₺40.61

25.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.52 ₺275

$6.46 ₺322

-14.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ₺67.2

$1.40 ₺69.7

-3.57%

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

$46.6K ₺2.3M

$47.9K ₺2.4M

-2.79%

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

$43.7K ₺2.2M

$40.3K ₺2.0M

8.31%

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

$82.4 ₺4,104

$93.1 ₺4,639

-11.54%

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

$10.53 ₺525

$10.72 ₺534

-1.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.87 ₺791

$17.87 ₺891

-11.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 ₺3,197

$72.2 ₺3,597

-11.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.55 ₺1,722

$15.34 ₺765

125.23%

Cinema Ticket

$8.25 ₺411

$8.04 ₺401

2.61%

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

$683 ₺34.1K

$1,032 ₺51.4K

-33.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K ₺720.2K

$19.2K ₺955.7K

-24.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.34 ₺2,260

$53.4 ₺2,659

-15.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.24 ₺1,856

$48.30 ₺2,407

-22.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 ₺4,584

$104 ₺5,196

-11.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 ₺3,978

$96.0 ₺4,786

-16.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 ₺29.2K

$765 ₺38.1K

-23.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 ₺21.1K

$569 ₺28.4K

-25.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₺55.9K

$1,127 ₺56.2K

-0.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$793 ₺39.5K

$893 ₺44.5K

-11.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,444 ₺72.0K

$1,678 ₺83.6K

-13.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$999 ₺49.8K

$1,158 ₺57.7K

-13.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,134 ₺56.5K

$1,053 ₺52.5K

7.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

42.33

43.57

-2.85%

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

Last update for Izmir: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ankara: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Izmir

$424 35%

Ankara

$569 40.9% 34.1% $145

Groceries & Markets

Izmir

$245 20.3%

Ankara

$254 18.2% 3.4% $8.4

Eating Out

Izmir

$183 15.1%

Ankara

$204 14.7% 11.3% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Izmir

$114 9.5%

Ankara

$136 9.8% 18.7% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Izmir

$109 9%

Ankara

$122 8.7% 11.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Izmir

$81 6.7%

Ankara

$88 6.3% 9.4% $7.6

Getting Around

Izmir

$54 4.5%

Ankara

$21 1.5% 62.4% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $587 in Izmir versus $765 in Ankara. 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 8% higher in Izmir, 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 $36 in Izmir versus $43 in Ankara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $245 vs $254 – making Izmir the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Izmir

🇹🇷 Ankara

🕒 Local time

02:46 2:46 AM

Same time as Izmir

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,493,242

5,864,049 Capital

💱 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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Between locations

Izmir Ankara 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Izmir
Ankara

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

Izmir vs Ankara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ankara costs about 15% more than Izmir, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,818 per month in Izmir and $2,090 in Ankara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Izmir, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $587 there versus $765 in Ankara.

Kindergarten costs $683 per month in Izmir and $1,032 in Ankara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Ankara, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,212 in Izmir and $1,393 in Ankara. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Izmir costs $1,212 versus $1,393 in Ankara. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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