Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kocaeli and Ankara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kocaeli: $1,250 a month against $1,397 in Ankara, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Kocaeli
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Kocaeli Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
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Ankara Living Index

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Kocaeli

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,250

/mo nomad

Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,397

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Kocaeli vs $1,397 in Ankara, rent included.

Kocaeli $1,250
Ankara $1,397

A couple spends around $1,771 per month in Kocaeli vs $2,075 in Ankara, rent included.

Kocaeli $1,771
Ankara $2,075

A family of three spends $2,291 per month in Kocaeli vs $2,753 in Ankara, rent included.

Kocaeli $2,291
Ankara $2,753

Kocaeli is about 11% cheaper than Ankara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Kocaeli sits 7% below the global median, while Ankara is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.14 ₺403

$10.10 ₺500

-19.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.28 ₺1,499

$43.03 ₺2,130

-29.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 ₺397

$9.87 ₺489

-18.74%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ₺172

$4.17 ₺206

-17.03%

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

$1.13 ₺56.0

$1.74 ₺86.2

-35.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₺15.55

$0.77 ₺38.35

-59.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 ₺126

$5.12 ₺254

-50.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 ₺140

$6.21 ₺308

-54.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 ₺45.54

$1.16 ₺57.2

-20.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 ₺41.33

$0.93 ₺46.15

-10.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 ₺130

$2.30 ₺114

14.35%

Eggs

$2.61 ₺129

$2.66 ₺132

-1.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 ₺492

$10.07 ₺499

-1.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.98 ₺197

$5.53 ₺274

-28.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.73 ₺1,026

$20.03 ₺992

3.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 ₺85.9

$1.97 ₺97.7

-12.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 ₺102

$2.16 ₺107

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 ₺51.2

$1.33 ₺65.6

-22.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ₺57.4

$1.68 ₺83.0

-30.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 ₺26.39

$0.63 ₺31.18

-15.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₺20.04

$0.54 ₺26.73

-25.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₺36.52

$1.01 ₺49.86

-26.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₺30.73

$0.69 ₺34.25

-10.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 ₺114

$2.16 ₺107

6.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.01 ₺397

$12.54 ₺621

-36.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₺113

$2.26 ₺112

0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ₺112

$3.23 ₺160

-29.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 ₺36.67

$0.70 ₺34.62

5.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.6 ₺3,692

$12.35 ₺611

503.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 ₺49.51

$1.29 ₺64.1

-22.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 ₺39.43

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 ₺336

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₺63.2

$1.44 ₺71.4

-11.11%

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

$41.7K ₺2.1M

$48.0K ₺2.4M

-13.24%

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

$39.7K ₺2.0M

$41.7K ₺2.1M

-4.86%

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

$78.3 ₺3,877

$92.9 ₺4,600

-15.70%

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

$11.85 ₺587

$10.81 ₺535

9.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.10 ₺649

$17.73 ₺878

-26.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ₺2,687

$72.5 ₺3,589

-25.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.01 ₺199

$15.27 ₺756

-73.74%

Cinema Ticket

$5.04 ₺250

$8.09 ₺400

-37.70%

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

$447 ₺22.1K

$1,038 ₺51.4K

-56.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,990 ₺296.6K

$19.5K ₺966.2K

-69.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.75 ₺2,364

$53.7 ₺2,656

-11.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 ₺2,687

$48.13 ₺2,383

12.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ₺6,014

$104 ₺5,149

16.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 ₺4,962

$97.3 ₺4,815

3.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₺38.9K

$747 ₺37.0K

5.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 ₺23.6K

$569 ₺28.2K

-16.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 ₺61.1K

$1,140 ₺56.5K

8.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$573 ₺28.4K

$873 ₺43.2K

-34.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,005 ₺49.8K

$1,674 ₺82.9K

-39.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$825 ₺40.9K

$1,174 ₺58.1K

-29.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,222 ₺60.5K

$1,068 ₺52.9K

14.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

43.57

-5.90%

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

Last update for Kocaeli: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ankara: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kocaeli

$477 38.2%

Ankara

$569 40.7% 19.2% $92

Groceries & Markets

Kocaeli

$226 18.1%

Ankara

$253 18.1% 12% $27

Eating Out

Kocaeli

$155 12.4%

Ankara

$209 14.9% 34.6% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Kocaeli

$146 11.7%

Ankara

$136 9.8% 6.4% $9.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kocaeli

$103 8.3%

Ankara

$121 8.7% 17.6% $18

Getting Around

Kocaeli

$79 * 6.3%

Ankara

$20 1.5% 74% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Kocaeli

$64 5.2%

Ankara

$89 6.3% 37.8% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Kocaeli versus $747 in Ankara. 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 14% higher in Kocaeli, 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 $30.00 in Kocaeli versus $43.00 in Ankara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $253 – making Kocaeli the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Kocaeli

🇹🇷 Ankara

🕒 Local time

00:28 12:28 AM

Same time as Kocaeli

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,079,072

5,864,049 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Kocaeli Ankara 260 km

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Kocaeli
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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

Kocaeli vs Ankara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ankara costs about 12% more than Kocaeli, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,875 per month in Kocaeli and $2,096 in Ankara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kocaeli, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $447 per month in Kocaeli and $1,038 in Ankara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Ankara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kocaeli, where all-in costs run around $1,250, than in Ankara at $1,397. In Kocaeli it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ankara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kocaeli costs $1,250 versus $1,397 in Ankara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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