Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Izmir and Side

For one person, living is cheaper in Side: $1,144 a month against $1,212 in Izmir, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Izmir outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

58

Cost of Living Index in Izmir
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Izmir Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Side
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Side Living Index

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Izmir

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,212

/mo nomad

Side

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,144

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Izmir and in Side

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,212 in Izmir versus $1,144 in Side.

Izmir $1,212
Side $1,144

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,898 in Izmir versus $1,790 in Side.

Izmir $1,898
Side $1,790

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,584 in Izmir versus $2,435 in Side.

Izmir $2,584
Side $2,435

Living in Izmir is roughly 6% more expensive than in Side, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Izmir 11% lower, Side 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.89 ₺493

$10.26 ₺511

-3.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.55 ₺1,771

$29.76 ₺1,483

19.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.41 ₺419

$9.45 ₺471

-11.01%

Cappuccino

$3.64 ₺181

$3.44 ₺171

5.81%

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

$1.46 ₺72.7

$2.19 ₺109

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.85

$0.39 ₺19.48

48.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 ₺172

$4.01 ₺200

-14.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 ₺249

$6.07 ₺302

-17.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 ₺53.9

$1.07 ₺53.1

0.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 ₺52.5

$0.97 ₺48.31

8.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 ₺118

$2.61 ₺130

-8.81%

Eggs

$2.46 ₺123

$2.29 ₺114

7.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₺464

$13.70 ₺683

-32.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.10 ₺254

$6.16 ₺307

-17.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.03 ₺1,048

$26.79 ₺1,335

-21.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 ₺97.4

$1.57 ₺78.2

24.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ₺108

$2.46 ₺123

-11.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 ₺52.7

$1.39 ₺69.1

-23.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 ₺67.9

$1.27 ₺63.5

7.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.54

$0.79 ₺39.50

-25.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₺20.07

$0.71 ₺35.37

-43.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₺54.6

$1.74 ₺86.9

-37.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ₺36.50

$0.76 ₺37.62

-3.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 ₺111

$2.78 ₺139

-20.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₺556

$13.85 ₺690

-19.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₺103

$1.69 ₺84.1

21.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ₺149

$3.13 ₺156

-4.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 ₺34.05

$0.69 ₺34.54

-1.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.12 ₺2,148

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₺175

$1.24 ₺61.7

183.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ₺50.9

$1.00 ₺49.63

2.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.52 ₺275

$6.69 ₺333

-17.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ₺67.2

$1.51 ₺75.2

-10.60%

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

$46.6K ₺2.3M

$42.1K ₺2.1M

10.68%

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

$43.7K ₺2.2M

$38.2K ₺1.9M

14.24%

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

$82.4 ₺4,103

$76.7 ₺3,822

7.34%

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

$10.53 ₺525

$10.57 ₺527

-0.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.87 ₺791

$23.12 ₺1,152

-31.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 ₺3,196

$52.8 ₺2,631

21.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.55 ₺1,721

Cinema Ticket

$8.25 ₺411

$8.06 ₺402

2.36%

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

$683 ₺34.0K

$507 ₺25.3K

34.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K ₺720.0K

$10.9K ₺544.0K

32.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.34 ₺2,259

$46.20 ₺2,302

-1.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.24 ₺1,855

$58.9 ₺2,936

-36.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 ₺4,582

$157 ₺7,810

-41.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 ₺3,977

$117 ₺5,840

-31.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 ₺29.2K

$420 ₺20.9K

39.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 ₺21.1K

$302 ₺15.1K

40.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₺55.9K

$761 ₺37.9K

47.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$793 ₺39.5K

$573 ₺28.5K

38.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,444 ₺71.9K

$1,431 ₺71.3K

0.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$999 ₺49.8K

$1,018 ₺50.7K

-1.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,134 ₺56.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

42.33

38.25

10.67%

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

Last update for Izmir: October 25, 2026

Last update for Side: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Izmir

$424 35%

Side

$302 26.4% 28.8% $122

Groceries & Markets

Izmir

$245 20.3%

Side

$289 25.3% 17.7% $44

Eating Out

Izmir

$183 15.1%

Side

$194 17% 5.9% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Izmir

$114 9.5%

Side

$171 14.9% 49% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Izmir

$109 9%

Side

$110 9.7% 1.5% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Izmir

$81 6.7%

Side

$69 6% 14.5% $12

Getting Around

Izmir

$54 4.5%

Side

$9 * 0.8% 83.5% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $587 in Izmir and $420 in Side. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36 in Izmir vs $30 in Side. Groceries flip the comparison at $245 vs $289, with Izmir cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Izmir

🇹🇷 Side

🕒 Local time

11:38 11:38 AM

Same time as Izmir

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,493,242

12,500

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Izmir Side 420 km

From you

Izmir
Side

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 Side: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Side wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Izmir. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Side the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,818 in Izmir and $1,717 in Side to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $587 in Izmir versus $420 in Side. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Izmir pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,212 per month in Izmir versus $1,144 in Side – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Side 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 Side are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.