Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Korce and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Korce: $1,001 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Korce
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Korce Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Korce

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,001

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,001 per month in Korce vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Korce $1,001
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $1,483 per month in Korce vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Korce $1,483
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $1,965 per month in Korce vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Korce $1,965
Istanbul $3,281

Korce is about 35% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Korce sits 26% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.07 ALL 489

$12.30 ₺609

-50.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.94 ALL 3,055

$54.7 ₺2,708

-30.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.99 ALL 482

$9.22 ₺456

-35.03%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ALL 155

$4.40 ₺218

-56.36%

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

$1.84 ALL 148

$1.68 ₺83.1

9.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ALL 55.0

$0.59 ₺29.40

15.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ALL 201

$4.70 ₺233

-47.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ALL 194

$5.91 ₺292

-59.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ALL 155

$1.21 ₺60.0

59.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 ALL 80.2

$0.89 ₺44.10

12.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 ALL 168

$2.19 ₺108

-5.02%

Eggs

$2.57 ALL 207

$2.35 ₺116

9.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.26 ALL 826

$10.42 ₺516

-1.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.69 ALL 700

$5.65 ₺280

53.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ALL 1,121

$20.94 ₺1,037

-33.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 ALL 98.2

$1.90 ₺94.1

-35.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ALL 186

$2.31 ₺114

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ALL 103

$1.28 ₺63.1

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ALL 132

$1.80 ₺89.0

-8.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 ALL 84.4

$0.65 ₺32.16

61.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 ALL 80.3

$0.64 ₺31.91

56.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 ALL 84.2

$1.25 ₺62.1

-16.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ALL 65.4

$0.56 ₺27.58

44.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ALL 353

$2.37 ₺118

84.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.03 ALL 647

$13.42 ₺664

-40.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ALL 145

$2.40 ₺119

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ALL 148

$3.48 ₺172

-47.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 ALL 51.3

$0.89 ₺43.84

-28.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.41 ALL 1,483

$67.4 ₺3,338

-72.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 ALL 300

$1.29 ₺64.1

188.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.74 ALL 301

$0.92 ₺45.70

306.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.53 ALL 1,492

$10.96 ₺542

69.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 ALL 180

$1.47 ₺72.9

52.38%

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

$33.5K ALL 2.7M

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-34.09%

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

$24.2K ALL 1.9M

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-45.70%

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

$59.9 ALL 4,826

$88.6 ₺4,387

-32.37%

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

$18.16 ALL 1,462

$11.59 ₺574

56.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.08 ALL 1,214

$15.81 ₺783

-4.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.08 ALL 2,664

$77.2 ₺3,820

-57.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.66 ALL 1,503

$22.74 ₺1,126

-17.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 ALL 799

$8.14 ₺403

21.87%

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

$224 ALL 18.0K

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-77.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.80 ALL 3,608

$54.0 ₺2,671

-16.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.9 ALL 4,336

$40.83 ₺2,021

31.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 ALL 8,376

$98.9 ₺4,895

5.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 ALL 11.6K

$96.6 ₺4,783

48.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 ALL 38.2K

$985 ₺48.7K

-51.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ALL 23.7K

$650 ₺32.2K

-54.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 ALL 39.9K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-75.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ALL 24.6K

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-74.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,377 ALL 110.9K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-56.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,120 ALL 90.2K

$1,780 ₺88.1K

-37.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$670 ALL 53.9K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

-44.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

-87.78%

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

Last update for Korce: October 11, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Korce

$294 29.4%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 121% $356

Groceries & Markets

Korce

$245 24.5%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 6% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Korce

$156 15.6%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 16.2% $25

Eating Out

Korce

$117 11.7%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 90.9% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Korce

$93 9.3%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 24.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Korce

$53 5.3%

Istanbul

$93 6% 76.5% $41

Getting Around

Korce

$43 4.3%

Istanbul

$77 5% 77.1% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $474 in Korce versus $985 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 80% higher in Istanbul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Korce versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $245 vs $260 – making Korce the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇱 Korce

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

00:37 12:37 AM

01:37 1:37 AM

1 h ahead of Korce

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,152

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Albanian Lek ALL L

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to ALL – Albanian Lek Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇱 Albanian Lek (L)

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to ALL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Korce Istanbul 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Korce
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

Korce vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,502 per month in Korce and $2,325 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Korce and $1,008 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Korce, where all-in costs run around $1,001, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Korce it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Korce. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.