Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karakol and Ankara

For one person, living is cheaper in Karakol: $436 a month against $1,389 in Ankara, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Ankara
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Ankara Living Index

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Karakol

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$436

/mo nomad

Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,389

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karakol and in Ankara

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

A single person spends $436 per month in Karakol vs $1,389 in Ankara, rent included.

Karakol $436
Ankara $1,389

A couple spends around $644 per month in Karakol vs $2,087 in Ankara, rent included.

Karakol $644
Ankara $2,087

A family of three spends $853 per month in Karakol vs $2,785 in Ankara, rent included.

Karakol $853
Ankara $2,785

Karakol is about 69% cheaper than Ankara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Karakol sits 68% below the global median, while Ankara is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.25 KGS 197

$10.10 ₺507

-77.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.42 KGS 825

$43.81 ₺2,197

-78.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.78 ₺490

Cappuccino

$1.74 KGS 153

$4.12 ₺207

-57.77%

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

$0.56 KGS 48.78

$1.68 ₺84.3

-66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 KGS 24.32

$0.72 ₺36.05

-61.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 KGS 101

$5.02 ₺252

-76.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 KGS 148

$6.60 ₺331

-74.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 KGS 67.5

$1.16 ₺58.4

-33.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.22 KGS 19.22

$0.96 ₺48.39

-77.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 KGS 123

$2.25 ₺113

-37.78%

Eggs

$1.63 KGS 143

$2.66 ₺134

-38.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.84 KGS 599

$10.09 ₺506

-32.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.94 KGS 345

$5.43 ₺272

-27.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.67 KGS 497

$19.99 ₺1,003

-71.64%

Apples (1kg)

$0.82 KGS 72.0

$1.91 ₺95.8

-57.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 KGS 117

$2.18 ₺109

-38.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺63.3

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 KGS 101

$1.65 ₺82.6

-30.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 KGS 48.29

$0.65 ₺32.69

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₺27.40

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.36 KGS 31.25

$0.99 ₺49.75

-63.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 KGS 48.86

$0.66 ₺32.90

-15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.75 KGS 153

$2.25 ₺113

-22.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 KGS 454

$12.37 ₺620

-58.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 KGS 102

$2.12 ₺106

-44.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 KGS 197

$3.20 ₺161

-29.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 KGS 18.65

$0.77 ₺38.86

-72.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.85 ₺595

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 KGS 111

$1.28 ₺64.3

-1.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₺42.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.22 ₺412

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 KGS 91.0

$1.39 ₺69.5

-25.18%

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

$48.4K ₺2.4M

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

$40.2K ₺2.0M

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

$38.16 KGS 3,343

$99.9 ₺5,011

-61.81%

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

$4.38 KGS 384

$11.15 ₺559

-60.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.80 KGS 858

$17.94 ₺900

-45.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.55 KGS 1,362

$72.0 ₺3,611

-78.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ₺742

Cinema Ticket

$7.77 ₺390

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

$91.0 KGS 7,972

$1,084 ₺54.3K

-91.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₺1.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ₺2,677

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.87 ₺2,401

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 ₺5,229

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.33 KGS 3,007

$97.8 ₺4,905

-64.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$233 KGS 20.4K

$748 ₺37.5K

-68.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$171 KGS 15.0K

$557 ₺27.9K

-69.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 KGS 24.7K

$1,142 ₺57.3K

-75.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 KGS 25.0K

$902 ₺45.2K

-68.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,644 ₺82.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,142 ₺57.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ₺53.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

43.85

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

Last update for Karakol: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ankara: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Karakol

–

Ankara

$557 40.1%

Groceries & Markets

Karakol

–

Ankara

$251 18.1%

Eating Out

Karakol

–

Ankara

$208 14.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Karakol

–

Ankara

$136 9.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karakol

–

Ankara

$129 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Karakol

–

Ankara

$88 6.3%

Getting Around

Karakol

–

Ankara

$20 1.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $233 in Karakol versus $748 in Ankara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9 in Karakol versus $44 in Ankara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $128 vs $251 – making Karakol the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇬 Karakol

🇹🇷 Ankara

🕒 Local time

18:06 6:06 PM

15:06 3:06 PM

3 h behind Karakol

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,400

5,864,049 Capital

💱 Currency

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to KGS – Kyrgyzstani Som Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstani Som (сом)

Kyrgyzstani Som exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 87.59 KGS (100 KGS = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 98.37 KGS (100 KGS = 1.02 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to KGS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karakol Ankara 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Karakol
Ankara

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

Karakol vs Ankara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ankara costs about 219% more than Karakol, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $653 per month in Karakol and $2,083 in Ankara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karakol, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $233 there versus $748 in Ankara.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9 in Karakol and $44 in Ankara. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 97% more in Ankara, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Karakol, where all-in costs run around $436, than in Ankara at $1,389. In Karakol it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ankara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.