Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kastamonu and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Kastamonu: $1,023 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Kastamonu
Learn more

Kastamonu Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Kastamonu

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,023

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,023 per month in Kastamonu vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Kastamonu $1,023
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $1,644 per month in Kastamonu vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Kastamonu $1,644
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $2,265 per month in Kastamonu vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Kastamonu $2,265
Istanbul $3,212

Kastamonu is about 33% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Kastamonu sits 24% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.91 ₺496

$11.81 ₺591

-16.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₺3,031

$54.9 ₺2,747

10.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 ₺532

$9.26 ₺463

14.79%

Cappuccino

$3.89 ₺194

$4.30 ₺215

-9.53%

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

$0.78 ₺38.89

$1.77 ₺88.8

-55.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₺14.37

$0.56 ₺28.25

-48.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 ₺92.1

$4.69 ₺234

-60.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₺99.3

$7.12 ₺356

-72.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 ₺58.4

$1.25 ₺62.6

-6.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 ₺97.0

$0.88 ₺44.05

120.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.72 ₺136

$2.20 ₺110

23.64%

Eggs

$1.93 ₺96.7

$2.43 ₺122

-20.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.42 ₺421

$10.48 ₺524

-19.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.91 ₺196

$5.31 ₺266

-26.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.75 ₺1,338

$21.10 ₺1,056

26.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₺118

$1.86 ₺92.8

26.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 ₺91.4

$2.30 ₺115

-20.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ₺74.2

$1.22 ₺60.8

21.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.01 ₺50.6

$1.80 ₺89.9

-43.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 ₺14.33

$0.69 ₺34.74

-57.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.25 ₺12.37

$0.64 ₺32.08

-60.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 ₺41.95

$1.36 ₺67.8

-38.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₺32.72

$0.58 ₺28.87

12.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.06 ₺103

$2.34 ₺117

-11.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.15 ₺458

$13.03 ₺652

-29.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₺81.9

$2.36 ₺118

-30.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 ₺110

$3.32 ₺166

-34.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 ₺33.94

$0.88 ₺43.96

-22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,307

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 ₺99.5

$1.28 ₺64.3

55.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₺33.52

$0.85 ₺42.69

-21.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.52 ₺326

$11.09 ₺555

-41.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₺61.4

$1.48 ₺73.8

-16.89%

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

$40.2K ₺2.0M

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-17.36%

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

$40.8K ₺2.0M

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-2.70%

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

$87.4 ₺4,374

$92.7 ₺4,638

-5.68%

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

$4.24 ₺212

$11.20 ₺560

-62.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.45 ₺623

$15.89 ₺795

-21.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 ₺2,785

$74.7 ₺3,736

-25.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.03 ₺152

$22.95 ₺1,148

-86.80%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 ₺199

$8.05 ₺403

-50.43%

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

$252 ₺12.6K

$948 ₺47.4K

-73.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K ₺517.5K

$36.9K ₺1.8M

-71.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.22 ₺1,962

$53.9 ₺2,695

-27.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.00 ₺1,500

$41.49 ₺2,075

-27.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.4 ₺3,520

$101 ₺5,047

-30.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.4 ₺3,021

$91.3 ₺4,568

-33.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 ₺21.3K

$1,014 ₺50.7K

-58.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 ₺16.5K

$625 ₺31.2K

-47.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 ₺38.3K

$2,005 ₺100.3K

-61.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 ₺28.1K

$1,126 ₺56.3K

-50.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,290 ₺64.5K

$2,988 ₺149.5K

-56.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,007 ₺50.4K

$1,730 ₺86.5K

-41.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,264 ₺63.2K

$1,136 ₺56.8K

11.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

21.23%

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

Last update for Kastamonu: November 2, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kastamonu

$330 32.3%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 89.2% $295

Groceries & Markets

Kastamonu

$252 24.6%

Istanbul

$258 17% 2.6% $6.4

Eating Out

Kastamonu

$175 17.1%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 26.1% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kastamonu

$104 10.2%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 15% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Kastamonu

$90 8.8%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 43.8% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Kastamonu

$64 6.2%

Istanbul

$91 6% 42.6% $27

Getting Around

Kastamonu

$8.1 * 0.8%

Istanbul

$75 5% 834% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $425 in Kastamonu 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 11% higher in Kastamonu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Kastamonu versus $55 in Istanbul. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Kastamonu vs $258 in Istanbul – so Kastamonu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Kastamonu

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

Same time as Kastamonu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

152,541

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kastamonu Istanbul 400 km

From you

Kastamonu
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

Kastamonu vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,534 per month in Kastamonu 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 Kastamonu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $425 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Kastamonu and $55 in Istanbul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $252 per month in Kastamonu and $948 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,023 in Kastamonu and $1,519 in Istanbul, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Kastamonu – 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.