Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaka and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,519 a month against $2,207 in Kaka, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. The total is higher in Kaka despite lower rent and utilities.

106

Cost of Living Index in Kaka
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Kaka Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Kaka

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$2,207

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kaka and in Istanbul

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

A single person spends $2,207 per month in Kaka vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Kaka $2,207
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $3,326 per month in Kaka vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Kaka $3,326
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $4,444 per month in Kaka vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Kaka $4,444
Istanbul $3,212

Kaka costs about 45% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kaka and Istanbul sit above the global median – Kaka by 63%, Istanbul by 12%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.44 TMT 106

$11.81 ₺591

166.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.2 TMT 289

$54.9 ₺2,748

56.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.82 TMT 43.07

$9.26 ₺463

38.44%

Cappuccino

$6.68 TMT 22.43

$4.30 ₺215

55.35%

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

$1.62 TMT 5.43

$1.77 ₺88.8

-8.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 TMT 2.87

$0.56 ₺28.26

53.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 TMT 19.86

$4.69 ₺234

26.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.67 TMT 45.93

$7.12 ₺356

91.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.62 TMT 15.51

$1.25 ₺62.6

269.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 TMT 6.83

$0.88 ₺44.07

130.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.07 TMT 20.38

$2.20 ₺110

175.91%

Eggs

$5.92 TMT 19.90

$2.43 ₺122

143.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$37.85 TMT 127

$10.48 ₺524

261.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.00 TMT 67.2

$5.31 ₺266

276.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.12 TMT 77.7

$21.10 ₺1,056

9.57%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 TMT 17.29

$1.86 ₺92.9

176.88%

Banana (1kg)

$8.70 TMT 29.22

$2.30 ₺115

278.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.40 TMT 24.87

$1.22 ₺60.8

506.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.64 TMT 12.24

$1.80 ₺90.0

102.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.35 TMT 7.89

$0.69 ₺34.75

240.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 TMT 4.80

$0.64 ₺32.09

123.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 TMT 9.14

$1.36 ₺67.8

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 TMT 3.86

$0.58 ₺28.88

98.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.47 TMT 88.9

$2.34 ₺117

1031.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$42.50 TMT 143

$13.03 ₺652

226.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.42 TMT 18.22

$2.36 ₺118

129.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 TMT 9.67

$3.32 ₺166

-13.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺43.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,309

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 TMT 9.97

$1.28 ₺64.3

132.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 TMT 2.78

$0.85 ₺42.70

-2.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 TMT 29.56

$11.09 ₺555

-20.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.44 TMT 1.49

$1.48 ₺73.9

-70.27%

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

$45.1K TMT 151.7K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-7.20%

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

$56.8K TMT 190.8K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

35.30%

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

$582 TMT 1,957

$92.7 ₺4,639

528.27%

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

$56.9 TMT 191

$11.20 ₺560

408.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 TMT 347

$15.89 ₺795

550.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,737

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,149

Cinema Ticket

$8.60 TMT 28.91

$8.05 ₺403

6.83%

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

$23.06 TMT 77.5

$948 ₺47.5K

-97.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.0K TMT 90.6K

$36.9K ₺1.8M

-26.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 TMT 187

$53.9 ₺2,696

3.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$115 TMT 387

$41.49 ₺2,076

177.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$363 TMT 1,219

$101 ₺5,049

259.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$195 TMT 656

$91.3 ₺4,570

113.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺56.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.5

40.42

-76.50%

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

Last update for Kaka: November 2, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kaka

$743 33.7%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 83.9% $623

Groceries & Markets

Kaka

$676 30.6%

Istanbul

$258 17% 61.8% $417

Eating Out

Kaka

$437 19.8%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 49.4% $216

Clothing & Footwear

Kaka

$328 14.9%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 60.5% $198

Sport & Entertainment

Kaka

$17 * 0.8%

Istanbul

$91 6% 428% $74

Getting Around

Kaka

$7.1 * 0.3%

Istanbul

$75 5% 959% $68

Accommodation & Living

Kaka

- * 0%

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Kaka versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $676 vs $258 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇲 Kaka

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

02:53 2:53 AM

00:53 12:53 AM

2 h behind Kaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,315

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 TMT = 0.298 USD

1 TMT = 0.265 EUR

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to TMT – Turkmenistani Manat Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇲 Turkmenistani Manat (m)

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.36 TMT (1 TMT = 0.298 USD). 1 EUR = 3.77 TMT (1 TMT = 0.265 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 50.04 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.18 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to TMT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kaka Istanbul 2,660 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kaka
Istanbul

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

Kaka vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kaka is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,311 per month in Kaka and $2,278 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Kaka and $55 in Istanbul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 162% more in Kaka, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,207 in Kaka and $1,519 in Istanbul. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,519 in Istanbul to $2,207 in Kaka. 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.