Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kumasi and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Kumasi: $488 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Kumasi
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Kumasi Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Kumasi

🇬🇭 Ghana

$488

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $488 per month in Kumasi vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Kumasi $488
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $805 per month in Kumasi vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Kumasi $805
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $1,123 per month in Kumasi vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Kumasi $1,123
Istanbul $3,281

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

Kumasi sits 64% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 GHS 40.74

$12.30 ₺609

-71.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.71 GHS 392

$54.7 ₺2,708

-38.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 GHS 118

$9.22 ₺456

10.09%

Cappuccino

$1.08 GHS 12.53

$4.40 ₺218

-75.45%

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

$0.71 GHS 8.22

$1.68 ₺83.1

-57.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 GHS 3.05

$0.59 ₺29.40

-55.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.91 GHS 10.53

$4.70 ₺233

-80.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 GHS 19.34

$5.91 ₺292

-71.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 GHS 20.65

$1.21 ₺60.0

47.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 GHS 19.09

$0.89 ₺44.10

84.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 GHS 20.35

$2.19 ₺108

-20.09%

Eggs

$2.39 GHS 27.81

$2.35 ₺116

1.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.49 GHS 63.8

$10.42 ₺516

-47.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.54 GHS 52.8

$5.65 ₺280

-19.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.81 GHS 55.9

$20.94 ₺1,037

-77.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 GHS 19.50

$1.90 ₺94.1

-11.58%

Banana (1kg)

$0.83 GHS 9.66

$2.31 ₺114

-64.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.84 GHS 9.73

$1.28 ₺63.1

-34.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 GHS 24.39

$1.80 ₺89.0

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 GHS 19.34

$0.65 ₺32.16

155.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 GHS 14.89

$0.64 ₺31.91

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 GHS 8.70

$1.25 ₺62.1

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 GHS 6.59

$0.56 ₺27.58

1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.87 GHS 10.18

$2.37 ₺118

-63.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$1.25 GHS 14.56

$13.42 ₺664

-90.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 GHS 14.22

$2.40 ₺119

-49.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 GHS 27.88

$3.48 ₺172

-31.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 GHS 6.09

$0.89 ₺43.84

-41.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.34 GHS 237

$67.4 ₺3,338

-69.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 GHS 9.49

$1.29 ₺64.1

-36.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 GHS 14.44

$0.92 ₺45.70

34.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 GHS 20.03

$10.96 ₺542

-84.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 GHS 13.18

$1.47 ₺72.9

-23.13%

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

$7,902 GHS 91.9K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-84.44%

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

$9,972 GHS 116.0K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-77.61%

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

$41.97 GHS 488

$88.6 ₺4,387

-52.64%

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

$19.43 GHS 226

$11.59 ₺574

67.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.24 GHS 491

$15.81 ₺783

167.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.23 GHS 352

$77.2 ₺3,820

-60.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$12.60 GHS 147

$8.14 ₺403

54.79%

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

$459 GHS 5,337

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-54.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,536 GHS 64.4K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-78.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.50 GHS 169

$54.0 ₺2,671

-73.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.32 GHS 213

$40.83 ₺2,021

-55.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.88 GHS 417

$98.9 ₺4,895

-63.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.8 GHS 602

$96.6 ₺4,783

-46.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$408 GHS 4,750

$1,205 ₺59.7K

-66.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.75

40.92

-34.63%

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

Last update for Kumasi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kumasi

$162 33.3%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 60% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kumasi

$104 21.2%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 11.9% $12

Eating Out

Kumasi

$83 17%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 169% $140

Sport & Entertainment

Kumasi

$55 11.4%

Istanbul

$93 6% 68.6% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Kumasi

$54 11.1%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 141% $76

Getting Around

Kumasi

$29 6%

Istanbul

$77 5% 161% $47

Accommodation & Living

Kumasi

- * 0%

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 195% 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 $34.00 in Kumasi versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $162 vs $260 – making Kumasi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇭 Kumasi

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

22:12 10:12 PM

01:12 1:12 AM

3 h ahead of Kumasi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,517,000

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 GHS = 8.6 USD

100 GHS = 7.65 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to GHS – Ghanaian Cedi Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇭 Ghanaian Cedi (₵)

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 11.63 GHS (100 GHS = 8.6 USD). 1 EUR = 13.07 GHS (100 GHS = 7.65 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 GHS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kumasi Istanbul 4,870 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Kumasi
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

Kumasi vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 217%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $732 per month in Kumasi and $2,325 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $459 per month in Kumasi 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 60% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kumasi, where all-in costs run around $488, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Kumasi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kumasi – 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 Kumasi. 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.