Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karaganda and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Karaganda: $927 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Karaganda
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Karaganda Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Karaganda

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$927

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karaganda 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 Karaganda and in Istanbul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $927 per month in Karaganda vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Karaganda $927
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $1,497 per month in Karaganda vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Karaganda $1,497
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $2,066 per month in Karaganda vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Karaganda $2,066
Istanbul $3,212

Karaganda is about 39% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Karaganda sits 31% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.89 ₸4,455

$11.81 ₺591

-16.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.32 ₸15.9K

$54.9 ₺2,748

-35.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.41 ₸2,438

$9.26 ₺463

-41.58%

Cappuccino

$1.87 ₸844

$4.30 ₺215

-56.51%

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

$0.86 ₸387

$1.77 ₺88.8

-51.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₸273

$0.56 ₺28.26

8.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.32 ₸594

$4.69 ₺234

-71.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₸1,307

$7.12 ₺356

-59.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 ₸578

$1.25 ₺62.6

2.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ₸220

$0.88 ₺44.07

-44.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ₸590

$2.20 ₺110

-40.45%

Eggs

$1.79 ₸805

$2.43 ₺122

-26.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.39 ₸6,033

$10.48 ₺524

27.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.55 ₸2,501

$5.31 ₺266

4.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.06 ₸4,980

$21.10 ₺1,056

-47.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 ₸681

$1.86 ₺92.9

-18.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 ₸863

$2.30 ₺115

-16.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 ₸1,293

$1.22 ₺60.8

135.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 ₸979

$1.80 ₺90.0

20.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 ₸276

$0.69 ₺34.75

-11.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸262

$0.64 ₺32.09

-9.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₸460

$1.36 ₺67.8

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₸315

$0.58 ₺28.88

20.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 ₸1,010

$2.34 ₺117

-4.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.40 ₸3,781

$13.03 ₺652

-35.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸608

$2.36 ₺118

-42.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₸949

$3.32 ₺166

-36.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₸94.5

$0.88 ₺43.97

-76.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.38 ₸6,930

$66.1 ₺3,309

-76.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 ₸562

$1.28 ₺64.3

-2.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 ₸558

$0.85 ₺42.70

45.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 ₸1,517

$11.09 ₺555

-69.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 ₸254

$1.48 ₺73.9

-62.16%

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

$21.8K ₸9.8M

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-55.09%

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

$32.4K ₸14.6M

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-22.90%

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

$72.2 ₸32.5K

$92.7 ₺4,639

-22.09%

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

$10.09 ₸4,543

$11.20 ₺560

-9.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.06 ₸5,431

$15.89 ₺795

-24.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.75 ₸20.2K

$74.7 ₺3,737

-40.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.55 ₸8,355

$22.95 ₺1,149

-19.17%

Cinema Ticket

$5.21 ₸2,347

$8.05 ₺403

-35.28%

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

$132 ₸59.5K

$948 ₺47.5K

-86.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 ₸27.1K

$53.9 ₺2,696

11.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.1 ₸26.6K

$41.49 ₺2,076

42.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.0 ₸35.2K

$101 ₺5,049

-22.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.3 ₸38.9K

$91.3 ₺4,570

-5.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$406 ₸182.7K

$1,014 ₺50.7K

-59.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 ₸123.6K

$625 ₺31.3K

-56.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 ₸321.8K

$2,005 ₺100.4K

-64.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$544 ₸245.1K

$1,126 ₺56.3K

-51.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,054 ₸474.6K

$2,988 ₺149.5K

-64.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$698 ₸314.2K

$1,730 ₺86.6K

-59.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$569 ₸256.4K

$1,136 ₺56.9K

-49.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.25

40.42

-52.38%

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

Last update for Karaganda: November 1, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Karaganda

$274 29.6%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 128% $350

Groceries & Markets

Karaganda

$216 23.3%

Istanbul

$258 17% 19.7% $42

Eating Out

Karaganda

$136 14.7%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 62.3% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Karaganda

$128 13.8%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 1.4% $1.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karaganda

$94 10.2%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 26.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Karaganda

$55 6%

Istanbul

$91 6% 64.5% $36

Getting Around

Karaganda

$24 2.6%

Istanbul

$75 5% 218% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $406 in Karaganda versus $1,014 in Istanbul. 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 100% higher in Istanbul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Karaganda versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $258 – making Karaganda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Karaganda

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

04:25 4:25 AM

02:25 2:25 AM

2 h behind Karaganda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

520,486

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 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 KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karaganda Istanbul 3,530 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Karaganda
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

Karaganda vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,391 per month in Karaganda and $2,278 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karaganda, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $406 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $132 per month in Karaganda and $948 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Karaganda, where all-in costs run around $927, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Karaganda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Karaganda – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Karaganda. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.