Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Izmir and Mersin

For one person, living is cheaper in Mersin: $1,017 a month against $1,212 in Izmir, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Izmir
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Izmir Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Mersin
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Mersin Living Index

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Izmir

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,212

/mo nomad

Mersin

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,017

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Izmir and in Mersin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,212 in Izmir versus $1,017 in Mersin.

Izmir $1,212
Mersin $1,017

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,898 in Izmir versus $1,532 in Mersin.

Izmir $1,898
Mersin $1,532

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,584 in Izmir versus $2,047 in Mersin.

Izmir $2,584
Mersin $2,047

Living in Izmir is roughly 19% more expensive than in Mersin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Izmir 11% lower, Mersin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.89 ₺493

$7.63 ₺380

29.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.55 ₺1,772

$29.67 ₺1,479

19.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.41 ₺419

$7.75 ₺386

8.52%

Cappuccino

$3.64 ₺181

$3.18 ₺158

14.47%

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

$1.46 ₺72.7

$1.34 ₺66.7

8.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.86

$0.25 ₺12.35

132.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 ₺172

$2.45 ₺122

40.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 ₺249

$2.65 ₺132

88.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 ₺53.9

$0.99 ₺49.12

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 ₺52.6

$0.93 ₺46.37

12.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 ₺119

$1.78 ₺88.7

33.71%

Eggs

$2.46 ₺123

$2.08 ₺103

18.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₺464

$9.19 ₺458

1.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.10 ₺254

$3.92 ₺195

30.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.03 ₺1,048

$17.93 ₺893

17.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 ₺97.4

$1.65 ₺82.5

18.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ₺108

$1.78 ₺88.7

22.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 ₺52.7

$0.92 ₺45.81

15.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 ₺67.9

$1.25 ₺62.5

8.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.55

$0.49 ₺24.47

20.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₺20.08

$0.40 ₺19.94

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₺54.6

$0.93 ₺46.34

17.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ₺36.52

$0.59 ₺29.62

23.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 ₺111

$2.05 ₺102

8.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₺556

$10.23 ₺510

8.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₺103

$2.35 ₺117

-12.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ₺149

$3.18 ₺158

-5.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 ₺34.06

$0.63 ₺31.64

7.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.12 ₺2,149

$20.00 ₺997

115.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₺175

$1.03 ₺51.1

241.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ₺50.9

$0.51 ₺25.58

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.52 ₺275

$9.97 ₺497

-44.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ₺67.2

$1.24 ₺61.9

8.87%

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

$46.6K ₺2.3M

$41.5K ₺2.1M

12.15%

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

$43.7K ₺2.2M

$38.4K ₺1.9M

13.79%

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

$82.4 ₺4,104

$90.0 ₺4,486

-8.51%

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

$10.53 ₺525

$9.27 ₺462

13.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.87 ₺791

$11.11 ₺553

42.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 ₺3,197

$52.1 ₺2,595

23.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.55 ₺1,722

$15.10 ₺752

128.81%

Cinema Ticket

$8.25 ₺411

$6.19 ₺308

33.28%

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

$683 ₺34.1K

$442 ₺22.0K

54.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K ₺720.2K

$7,104 ₺354.0K

103.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.34 ₺2,260

$54.1 ₺2,697

-16.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.24 ₺1,856

$29.01 ₺1,446

28.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 ₺4,584

$113 ₺5,653

-18.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 ₺3,978

$108 ₺5,388

-26.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 ₺29.2K

$407 ₺20.3K

44.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 ₺21.1K

$316 ₺15.8K

34.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₺55.9K

$698 ₺34.8K

60.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$793 ₺39.5K

$490 ₺24.4K

61.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,444 ₺72.0K

$1,234 ₺61.5K

17.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$999 ₺49.8K

$927 ₺46.2K

7.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,134 ₺56.5K

$816 ₺40.7K

39.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

42.33

41.5

2.00%

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

Last update for Izmir: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mersin: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Izmir

$424 35%

Mersin

$316 31.1% 25.4% $108

Groceries & Markets

Izmir

$245 20.3%

Mersin

$216 21.3% 12% $29

Eating Out

Izmir

$183 15.1%

Mersin

$146 14.4% 20.2% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Izmir

$114 9.5%

Mersin

$137 13.5% 19.8% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Izmir

$109 9%

Mersin

$110 10.9% 1.5% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Izmir

$81 6.7%

Mersin

$64 6.3% 20.1% $16

Getting Around

Izmir

$54 4.5%

Mersin

$26 2.6% 52% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $587 in Izmir and $407 in Mersin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Izmir pays 39% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Izmir vs $30 in Mersin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $245 vs $216 per month, with Mersin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Izmir

🇹🇷 Mersin

🕒 Local time

00:50 12:50 AM

Same time as Izmir

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,493,242

1,773,852

💱 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 Mersin 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Izmir
Mersin

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 Mersin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mersin wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Izmir. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mersin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 39% higher in Izmir, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $587 in Izmir versus $407 in Mersin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,212 per month in Izmir versus $1,017 in Mersin – Mersin is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Mersin runs roughly 54% less than in Izmir. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Mersin gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Izmir and Mersin are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Mersin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Izmir. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.