Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Izmir and Samsun

For one person, living is cheaper in Samsun: $950 a month against $1,207 in Izmir, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Izmir
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Izmir Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Samsun
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Samsun Living Index

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Izmir

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,207

/mo nomad

Samsun

🇹🇷 Turkey

$950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Izmir and in Samsun

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Izmir versus $950 in Samsun.

Izmir $1,207
Samsun $950

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,906 in Izmir versus $1,647 in Samsun.

Izmir $1,906
Samsun $1,647

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,606 in Izmir versus $2,344 in Samsun.

Izmir $2,606
Samsun $2,344

Living in Izmir is roughly 27% more expensive than in Samsun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Izmir 11% lower, Samsun 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.20 ₺505

$10.15 ₺503

0.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.97 ₺1,831

$60.6 ₺3,001

-39.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ₺417

$10.54 ₺522

-20.02%

Cappuccino

$3.54 ₺175

$3.94 ₺195

-10.15%

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

$1.50 ₺74.3

$0.79 ₺39.25

89.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₺31.18

$0.29 ₺14.32

117.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ₺168

$1.77 ₺87.8

91.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 ₺257

$2.05 ₺101

153.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 ₺54.4

$1.18 ₺58.2

-6.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 ₺52.5

$2.00 ₺99.2

-47.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 ₺115

$2.67 ₺132

-13.11%

Eggs

$2.55 ₺126

$2.48 ₺123

2.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.29 ₺460

$8.50 ₺421

9.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 ₺255

$5.65 ₺280

-9.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.02 ₺1,041

$26.52 ₺1,313

-20.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 ₺97.9

$2.33 ₺116

-15.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 ₺103

$2.47 ₺122

-15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ₺50.6

$1.53 ₺75.8

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 ₺71.0

$1.04 ₺51.6

37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 ₺27.60

$0.44 ₺21.59

27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₺20.50

$0.36 ₺17.89

13.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₺54.7

$0.83 ₺41.25

32.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₺37.49

$0.68 ₺33.65

11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.20 ₺109

$2.11 ₺105

4.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 ₺571

$9.19 ₺455

25.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₺100

$1.66 ₺82.0

22.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₺153

$2.24 ₺111

37.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 ₺33.71

$0.62 ₺30.48

9.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.37 ₺2,147

$12.22 ₺605

254.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 ₺179

$1.99 ₺98.3

81.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ₺51.3

$0.62 ₺30.92

67.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 ₺266

$6.34 ₺314

-15.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₺67.1

$1.33 ₺65.8

2.26%

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

$40.6K ₺2.0M

$41.6K ₺2.1M

-2.42%

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

$46.7K ₺2.3M

$40.6K ₺2.0M

15.01%

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

$82.5 ₺4,086

$88.1 ₺4,360

-6.29%

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

$10.63 ₺526

$12.35 ₺612

-13.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.18 ₺801

$12.44 ₺616

30.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.0 ₺3,171

$30.40 ₺1,505

110.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.09 ₺1,737

$5.95 ₺294

489.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.99 ₺396

$4.13 ₺204

93.46%

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

$685 ₺33.9K

$252 ₺12.5K

171.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K ₺700.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.16 ₺2,286

$24.48 ₺1,212

88.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.59 ₺1,812

$30.45 ₺1,507

20.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 ₺4,527

$72.1 ₺3,569

26.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.2 ₺3,971

$60.6 ₺2,999

32.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$606 ₺30.0K

$349 ₺17.3K

73.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 ₺20.6K

$248 ₺12.3K

67.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺55.7K

$755 ₺37.4K

49.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₺39.6K

$613 ₺30.4K

30.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,455 ₺72.0K

$976 ₺48.3K

49.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,006 ₺49.8K

$656 ₺32.5K

53.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,158 ₺57.3K

$918 ₺45.5K

26.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

42.33

-13.61%

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

Last update for Izmir: October 12, 2026

Last update for Samsun: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Izmir

$416 34.5%

Samsun

$248 26.2% 40.3% $168

Groceries & Markets

Izmir

$247 20.5%

Samsun

$268 28.3% 8.7% $21

Eating Out

Izmir

$185 15.4%

Samsun

$177 18.7% 4.2% $7.9

Clothing & Footwear

Izmir

$114 9.5%

Samsun

$84 8.9% 26.3% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Izmir

$109 9.1%

Samsun

$113 11.9% 3.2% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Izmir

$80 6.6%

Samsun

$39 4.1% 51.7% $41

Getting Around

Izmir

$55 4.6%

Samsun

$20 2.1% 63.9% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $606 in Izmir and $349 in Samsun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Izmir pays 26% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $37.00 in Izmir vs $61.0 in Samsun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $247 vs $268 per month, with Izmir cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Izmir

🇹🇷 Samsun

🕒 Local time

08:42 8:42 AM

Same time as Izmir

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,493,242

1,295,927

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Izmir Samsun 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Izmir
Samsun

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 Samsun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samsun wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Izmir. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Samsun the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 26% 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: $606 in Izmir versus $349 in Samsun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,207 per month in Izmir versus $950 in Samsun – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Samsun runs roughly 255% less than in Izmir. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $950 in Samsun versus $1,207 in Izmir, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Samsun but tight or insufficient in Izmir. The gap between the two cities makes Samsun the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Samsun delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $950 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Samsun hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Izmir and Samsun are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Samsun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Izmir. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.