Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mersin and Ankara

For one person, living is cheaper in Mersin: $1,017 a month against $1,393 in Ankara, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Mersin
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Mersin Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
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Ankara Living Index

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Mersin

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,017

/mo nomad

Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,393

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,017 per month in Mersin vs $1,393 in Ankara, rent included.

Mersin $1,017
Ankara $1,393

A couple spends around $1,532 per month in Mersin vs $2,079 in Ankara, rent included.

Mersin $1,532
Ankara $2,079

A family of three spends $2,047 per month in Mersin vs $2,765 in Ankara, rent included.

Mersin $2,047
Ankara $2,765

Mersin is about 27% cheaper than Ankara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mersin sits 25% below the global median, while Ankara is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.63 ₺380

$9.90 ₺493

-22.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.67 ₺1,479

$42.89 ₺2,137

-30.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ₺386

$9.31 ₺464

-16.76%

Cappuccino

$3.18 ₺158

$4.15 ₺207

-23.37%

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

$1.34 ₺66.7

$1.66 ₺82.6

-19.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ₺12.35

$0.76 ₺37.94

-67.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 ₺122

$5.15 ₺257

-52.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₺132

$5.85 ₺292

-54.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 ₺49.12

$1.20 ₺59.9

-17.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ₺46.37

$0.99 ₺49.46

-6.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 ₺88.7

$2.15 ₺107

-17.21%

Eggs

$2.08 ₺103

$2.69 ₺134

-22.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 ₺458

$10.22 ₺510

-10.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 ₺195

$5.45 ₺272

-28.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.93 ₺893

$20.32 ₺1,013

-11.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 ₺82.5

$1.91 ₺95.0

-13.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 ₺88.7

$2.28 ₺113

-21.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 ₺45.81

$1.27 ₺63.2

-27.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 ₺62.5

$1.64 ₺81.7

-23.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 ₺24.47

$0.67 ₺33.28

-26.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₺19.94

$0.57 ₺28.55

-29.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 ₺46.34

$1.03 ₺51.3

-9.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.62

$0.64 ₺31.69

-7.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.05 ₺102

$2.19 ₺109

-6.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 ₺510

$12.46 ₺621

-17.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₺117

$2.24 ₺112

4.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₺158

$3.11 ₺155

2.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ₺31.64

$0.82 ₺40.87

-23.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.00 ₺997

$11.86 ₺591

68.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₺51.1

$1.28 ₺63.8

-19.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 ₺25.58

$0.81 ₺40.61

-37.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 ₺497

$6.46 ₺322

54.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.9

$1.40 ₺69.7

-11.43%

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

$41.5K ₺2.1M

$47.9K ₺2.4M

-13.32%

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

$38.4K ₺1.9M

$40.3K ₺2.0M

-4.82%

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

$90.0 ₺4,486

$93.1 ₺4,639

-3.31%

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

$9.27 ₺462

$10.72 ₺534

-13.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.11 ₺553

$17.87 ₺891

-37.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ₺2,595

$72.2 ₺3,597

-27.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.10 ₺752

$15.34 ₺765

-1.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 ₺308

$8.04 ₺401

-23.01%

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

$442 ₺22.0K

$1,032 ₺51.4K

-57.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,104 ₺354.0K

$19.2K ₺955.7K

-62.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 ₺2,697

$53.4 ₺2,659

1.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.01 ₺1,446

$48.30 ₺2,407

-39.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ₺5,653

$104 ₺5,196

8.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₺5,388

$96.0 ₺4,786

12.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 ₺20.3K

$765 ₺38.1K

-46.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 ₺15.8K

$569 ₺28.4K

-44.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 ₺34.8K

$1,127 ₺56.2K

-38.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 ₺24.4K

$893 ₺44.5K

-45.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,234 ₺61.5K

$1,678 ₺83.6K

-26.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$927 ₺46.2K

$1,158 ₺57.7K

-19.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$816 ₺40.7K

$1,053 ₺52.5K

-22.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.5

43.57

-4.75%

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

Last update for Mersin: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ankara: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mersin

$316 31.1%

Ankara

$569 40.9% 79.9% $253

Groceries & Markets

Mersin

$216 21.3%

Ankara

$254 18.2% 17.5% $38

Eating Out

Mersin

$146 14.4%

Ankara

$204 14.7% 39.5% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Mersin

$137 13.5%

Ankara

$136 9.8% 0.9% $1.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mersin

$110 10.9%

Ankara

$122 8.7% 10.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Mersin

$64 6.3%

Ankara

$88 6.3% 36.9% $24

Getting Around

Mersin

$26 2.6%

Ankara

$21 1.5% 21.5% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $407 in Mersin versus $765 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 29% higher in Ankara, 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 $30 in Mersin versus $43 in Ankara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $254 – making Mersin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Mersin

🇹🇷 Ankara

🕒 Local time

23:27 11:27 PM

Same time as Mersin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,773,852

5,864,049 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Mersin vs Ankara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ankara costs about 37% more than Mersin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,525 per month in Mersin and $2,090 in Ankara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mersin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $407 there versus $765 in Ankara.

Kindergarten costs $442 per month in Mersin and $1,032 in Ankara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Ankara, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Mersin – 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.

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