Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oskemen and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Oskemen: $900 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Oskemen
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Oskemen Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Oskemen

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$900

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $900 per month in Oskemen vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Oskemen $900
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $1,514 per month in Oskemen vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Oskemen $1,514
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $2,128 per month in Oskemen vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Oskemen $2,128
Istanbul $3,212

Oskemen is about 41% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Oskemen sits 33% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.09 ₸5,900

$11.81 ₺592

10.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.48 ₸11.9K

$54.9 ₺2,754

-51.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.08 ₸1,837

$9.26 ₺465

-55.94%

Cappuccino

$3.34 ₸1,506

$4.30 ₺216

-22.33%

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

$0.98 ₸442

$1.77 ₺89.0

-44.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₸251

$0.56 ₺28.32

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 ₸683

$4.69 ₺235

-67.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₸731

$7.12 ₺357

-77.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ₸653

$1.25 ₺62.7

16.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ₸223

$0.88 ₺44.17

-44.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 ₸615

$2.20 ₺111

-38.18%

Eggs

$1.79 ₸808

$2.43 ₺122

-26.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 ₸4,676

$10.48 ₺526

-1.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.95 ₸2,684

$5.31 ₺267

12.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.07 ₸3,640

$21.10 ₺1,058

-61.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 ₸528

$1.86 ₺93.1

-37.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 ₸900

$2.30 ₺115

-13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 ₸1,207

$1.22 ₺61.0

119.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 ₸1,119

$1.80 ₺90.2

37.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ₸410

$0.69 ₺34.83

31.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 ₸238

$0.64 ₺32.16

-17.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ₸144

$1.36 ₺68.0

-76.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 ₸478

$0.58 ₺28.94

82.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 ₸1,018

$2.34 ₺117

-3.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.93 ₸2,223

$13.03 ₺653

-62.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₸656

$2.36 ₺118

-38.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₸734

$3.32 ₺166

-50.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₸137

$0.88 ₺44.07

-65.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 ₸491

$1.28 ₺64.4

-14.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₸133

$0.85 ₺42.80

-64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 ₸1,106

$11.09 ₺556

-77.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 ₸286

$1.48 ₺74.0

-57.43%

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

$31.9K ₸14.4M

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-34.33%

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

$31.0K ₸14.0M

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-26.25%

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

$46.49 ₸21.0K

$92.7 ₺4,650

-49.85%

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

$11.55 ₸5,206

$11.20 ₺562

3.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.42 ₸10.1K

$15.89 ₺797

41.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.09 ₸11.8K

$74.7 ₺3,745

-65.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.08 ₸9,050

$22.95 ₺1,151

-12.51%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 ₸2,255

$8.05 ₺404

-37.89%

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

$66.8 ₸30.1K

$948 ₺47.6K

-92.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,797 ₸1.3M

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-92.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 ₸51.8K

$53.9 ₺2,702

113.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.5 ₸36.7K

$41.49 ₺2,081

96.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 ₸44.4K

$101 ₺5,060

-2.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₸55.0K

$91.3 ₺4,580

33.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 ₸156.7K

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-65.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 ₸100.1K

$625 ₺31.3K

-64.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 ₸294.4K

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-67.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 ₸255.3K

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-49.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,132 ₸510.2K

$2,988 ₺149.8K

-62.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$831 ₸374.7K

$1,730 ₺86.8K

-51.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$779 ₸351.4K

$1,136 ₺57.0K

-31.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.5

40.42

-51.76%

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

Last update for Oskemen: November 3, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oskemen

$222 24.7%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 181% $402

Groceries & Markets

Oskemen

$196 21.8%

Istanbul

$258 17% 31.6% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Oskemen

$188 20.8%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 31% $58

Eating Out

Oskemen

$174 19.3%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 27% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oskemen

$80 8.9%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 48.9% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Oskemen

$36 4%

Istanbul

$91 6% 152% $55

Getting Around

Oskemen

$3.8 * 0.4%

Istanbul

$75 5% 1889% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $348 in Oskemen 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 46% 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 $26 in Oskemen versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $258 – making Oskemen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Oskemen

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

09:43 9:43 AM

07:43 7:43 AM

2 h behind Oskemen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

354,770

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 451 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Oskemen Istanbul 4,200 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Oskemen
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

Oskemen vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 69%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,350 per month in Oskemen 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 Oskemen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $348 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Oskemen and $55 in Istanbul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Oskemen, where all-in costs run around $900, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Oskemen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Oskemen – 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 Oskemen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.