Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Polokwane and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Polokwane: $959 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Polokwane
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Polokwane Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Polokwane

🇿🇦 South Africa

$959

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $959 per month in Polokwane vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Polokwane $959
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $1,417 per month in Polokwane vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Polokwane $1,417
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $1,875 per month in Polokwane vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Polokwane $1,875
Istanbul $3,281

Polokwane is about 38% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Polokwane sits 29% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.24 R 202

$12.30 ₺609

-0.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 R 489

$54.7 ₺2,708

-45.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 R 123

$9.22 ₺456

-19.09%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R 39.26

$4.40 ₺218

-45.91%

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

$0.77 R 12.68

$1.68 ₺83.1

-54.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.47

$0.59 ₺29.40

49.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 R 27.65

$4.70 ₺233

-64.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 R 30.95

$5.91 ₺292

-68.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.71

$1.21 ₺60.0

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 R 17.82

$0.89 ₺44.10

21.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.03

$2.19 ₺108

-22.37%

Eggs

$2.65 R 43.69

$2.35 ₺116

12.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.84 R 129

$10.42 ₺516

-24.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 R 75.6

$5.65 ₺280

-18.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.04 R 99.6

$20.94 ₺1,037

-71.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 R 33.19

$1.90 ₺94.1

5.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.53

$2.31 ₺114

-19.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.80

$1.28 ₺63.1

41.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.30

$1.80 ₺89.0

8.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.49

$0.65 ₺32.16

156.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.73

$0.64 ₺31.91

134.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 R 18.48

$1.25 ₺62.1

-10.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.46

$0.56 ₺27.58

46.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.68 R 44.22

$2.37 ₺118

13.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.87 R 80.2

$13.42 ₺664

-63.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 R 18.88

$2.40 ₺119

-52.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 R 26.54

$3.48 ₺172

-53.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 R 15.22

$0.89 ₺43.84

3.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.03 R 495

$67.4 ₺3,338

-55.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 R 14.41

$1.29 ₺64.1

-32.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.66

$0.92 ₺45.70

3.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.36 R 237

$10.96 ₺542

31.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 R 23.52

$1.47 ₺72.9

-2.72%

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

$26.1K R 430.1K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-48.60%

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

$28.5K R 469.0K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-36.07%

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

$138 R 2,281

$88.6 ₺4,387

56.26%

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

$38.10 R 628

$11.59 ₺574

228.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.99 R 544

$15.81 ₺783

108.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.29 R 384

$77.2 ₺3,820

-69.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.00 R 132

$8.14 ₺403

-1.72%

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

$179 R 2,946

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-82.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,452 R 23.9K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-94.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.30 R 746

$54.0 ₺2,671

-16.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.73 R 622

$40.83 ₺2,021

-7.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 R 1,328

$98.9 ₺4,895

-18.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.7 R 1,544

$96.6 ₺4,783

-2.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 R 4,785

$985 ₺48.7K

-70.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 R 3,338

$650 ₺32.2K

-68.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$420 R 6,922

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-78.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 R 4,683

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-75.91%

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)

$1,343 R 22.1K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

11.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

40.92

-73.34%

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

Last update for Polokwane: October 12, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Polokwane

$210 21.8%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 44.6% $94

Accommodation & Living

Polokwane

$203 21.1%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 221% $447

Groceries & Markets

Polokwane

$185 19.3%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 40.2% $74

Eating Out

Polokwane

$168 17.5%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 33.2% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Polokwane

$116 12.1%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 12.8% $15

Getting Around

Polokwane

$39 4.1%

Istanbul

$77 5% 95.4% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Polokwane

$39 4.1%

Istanbul

$93 6% 138% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $290 in Polokwane 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 11% higher in Polokwane, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Polokwane versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $260 – making Polokwane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Polokwane

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

14:20 2:20 PM

15:20 3:20 PM

1 h ahead of Polokwane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

628,999

15,701,602

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Polokwane Istanbul 7,220 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Polokwane
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

Polokwane vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 62%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,439 per month in Polokwane 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 Polokwane, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $179 per month in Polokwane 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 40% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Polokwane, where all-in costs run around $959, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Polokwane it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Polokwane – 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 Polokwane. 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.