Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyiv and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Kyiv: $996 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Kyiv
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Kyiv Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Kyiv

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$996

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $996 per month in Kyiv vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Kyiv $996
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $1,599 per month in Kyiv vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Kyiv $1,599
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $2,203 per month in Kyiv vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Kyiv $2,203
Istanbul $3,212

Kyiv is about 34% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kyiv sits 26% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.03 ₴502

$11.81 ₺592

-6.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.43 ₴1,522

$54.9 ₺2,754

-39.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ₴358

$9.26 ₺465

-15.12%

Cappuccino

$1.79 ₴81.6

$4.30 ₺216

-58.37%

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

$0.75 ₴34.04

$1.77 ₺89.0

-57.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₴26.78

$0.56 ₺28.32

5.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.28 ₴58.2

$4.69 ₺235

-72.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₴92.3

$7.12 ₺357

-71.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 ₴60.4

$1.25 ₺62.7

6.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₴39.86

$0.88 ₺44.17

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 ₴66.6

$2.20 ₺111

-33.64%

Eggs

$1.94 ₴88.5

$2.43 ₺122

-20.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 ₴433

$10.48 ₺526

-9.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.21 ₴237

$5.31 ₺267

-1.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.78 ₴400

$21.10 ₺1,058

-58.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 ₴52.7

$1.86 ₺93.1

-37.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ₴69.1

$2.30 ₺115

-33.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 ₴83.3

$1.22 ₺61.0

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.84 ₴129

$1.80 ₺90.2

57.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 ₴28.45

$0.69 ₺34.83

-10.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 ₴19.86

$0.64 ₺32.16

-31.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 ₴66.9

$1.36 ₺68.0

8.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₴29.78

$0.58 ₺28.94

12.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ₴156

$2.34 ₺117

46.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 ₴256

$13.03 ₺653

-56.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ₴42.70

$2.36 ₺118

-60.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ₴65.7

$3.32 ₺166

-56.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 ₴31.07

$0.88 ₺44.07

-22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.56 ₴617

$66.1 ₺3,316

-79.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₴102

$1.28 ₺64.4

75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 ₴22.66

$0.85 ₺42.80

-41.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.84 ₴221

$11.09 ₺556

-56.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 ₴79.1

$1.48 ₺74.0

17.57%

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

$31.0K ₴1.4M

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-36.30%

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

$25.4K ₴1.2M

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-39.44%

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

$99.7 ₴4,539

$92.7 ₺4,650

7.51%

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

$6.76 ₴308

$11.20 ₺562

-39.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.31 ₴287

$15.89 ₺797

-60.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.47 ₴1,661

$74.7 ₺3,745

-51.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.63 ₴848

$22.95 ₺1,151

-18.82%

Cinema Ticket

$5.59 ₴255

$8.05 ₺404

-30.56%

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

$428 ₴19.5K

$948 ₺47.6K

-54.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ₴689.7K

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-58.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.0 ₴3,324

$53.9 ₺2,702

35.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.34 ₴1,791

$41.49 ₺2,081

-5.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 ₴4,313

$101 ₺5,060

-6.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ₴5,365

$91.3 ₺4,580

29.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 ₴29.2K

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-36.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 ₴15.1K

$625 ₺31.3K

-47.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 ₴62.0K

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-32.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 ₴31.4K

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-38.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,614 ₴119.0K

$2,988 ₺149.8K

-12.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,245 ₴56.7K

$1,730 ₺86.8K

-28.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$806 ₴36.7K

$1,136 ₺57.0K

-29.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.83

40.42

-55.89%

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

Last update for Kyiv: October 31, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kyiv

$331 33.2%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 88.8% $294

Groceries & Markets

Kyiv

$188 18.9%

Istanbul

$258 17% 37.2% $70

Eating Out

Kyiv

$149 15%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 48.2% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Kyiv

$146 14.7%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 11.5% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kyiv

$113 11.3%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 6.3% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

Kyiv

$48 4.8%

Istanbul

$91 6% 90.5% $43

Getting Around

Kyiv

$21 2.1%

Istanbul

$75 5% 258% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $640 in Kyiv 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 41% 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 $33 in Kyiv versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $258 – making Kyiv the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇦 Kyiv

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

13:08 1:08 PM

14:08 2:08 PM

1 h ahead of Kyiv

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,908,249 Capital

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 UAH = 2.2 USD

100 UAH = 1.96 EUR

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to UAH – Ukrainian Hryvnia Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇦 Ukrainian Hryvnia (₴)

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 45.54 UAH (100 UAH = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 51.14 UAH (100 UAH = 1.96 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 UAH in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kyiv Istanbul 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kyiv
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

Kyiv vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,494 per month in Kyiv 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 Kyiv, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $640 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $428 per month in Kyiv and $948 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

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