Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qapshaghay and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Qapshaghay: $1,086 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Qapshaghay
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Qapshaghay Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Qapshaghay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,086

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,086 per month in Qapshaghay vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Qapshaghay $1,086
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $1,629 per month in Qapshaghay vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Qapshaghay $1,629
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $2,173 per month in Qapshaghay vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Qapshaghay $2,173
Istanbul $3,212

Qapshaghay is about 29% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Qapshaghay sits 20% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.06 ₸4,986

$11.81 ₺592

-6.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.89 ₸9,870

$54.9 ₺2,754

-60.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 ₸3,006

$9.26 ₺465

-27.97%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ₸815

$4.30 ₺216

-57.91%

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

$1.03 ₸463

$1.77 ₺89.0

-41.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₸294

$0.56 ₺28.32

16.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 ₸611

$4.69 ₺235

-71.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₸591

$7.12 ₺357

-81.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₸753

$1.25 ₺62.7

33.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 ₸217

$0.88 ₺44.17

-45.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 ₸899

$2.20 ₺111

-9.55%

Eggs

$2.44 ₸1,102

$2.43 ₺122

0.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.65 ₸5,703

$10.48 ₺526

20.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 ₸3,058

$5.31 ₺267

27.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.93 ₸4,929

$21.10 ₺1,058

-48.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ₸802

$1.86 ₺93.1

-4.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₸1,036

$2.30 ₺115

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₸1,350

$1.22 ₺61.0

145.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 ₸1,261

$1.80 ₺90.2

55.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 ₸352

$0.69 ₺34.83

13.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸263

$0.64 ₺32.16

-9.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 ₸750

$1.36 ₺68.0

22.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸448

$0.58 ₺28.94

70.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.66 ₸750

$2.34 ₺117

-29.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ₸4,921

$13.03 ₺653

-16.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₸554

$2.36 ₺118

-47.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₸1,066

$3.32 ₺166

-28.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₸81.9

$0.88 ₺44.07

-79.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.96 ₸7,645

$66.1 ₺3,316

-74.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 ₸382

$1.28 ₺64.4

-33.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₸297

$0.85 ₺42.80

-22.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 ₸1,779

$11.09 ₺556

-64.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 ₸258

$1.48 ₺74.0

-61.49%

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

$28.6K ₸12.9M

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-41.25%

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

$31.5K ₸14.2M

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-24.95%

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

$89.1 ₸40.2K

$92.7 ₺4,650

-3.93%

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

$10.97 ₸4,947

$11.20 ₺562

-2.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.61 ₸7,937

$15.89 ₺797

10.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.73 ₸19.3K

$74.7 ₺3,745

-42.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 ₸3,081

$8.05 ₺404

-15.16%

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

$147 ₸66.2K

$948 ₺47.6K

-84.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,423 ₸2.0M

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-88.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 ₸41.1K

$53.9 ₺2,702

69.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.06 ₸22.1K

$41.49 ₺2,081

18.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 ₸62.5K

$101 ₺5,060

37.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸59.8K

$91.3 ₺4,580

45.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 ₸197.7K

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-56.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 ₸140.2K

$625 ₺31.3K

-50.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 ₸330.1K

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-63.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₸223.1K

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-56.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,061 ₸478.5K

$2,988 ₺149.8K

-64.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$870 ₸392.2K

$1,730 ₺86.8K

-49.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

40.42

-48.91%

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

Last update for Qapshaghay: November 1, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Qapshaghay

$311 28.6%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 101% $314

Groceries & Markets

Qapshaghay

$247 22.8%

Istanbul

$258 17% 4.4% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Qapshaghay

$185 17.1%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 30.2% $56

Eating Out

Qapshaghay

$146 13.5%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 51% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Qapshaghay

$118 10.8%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 1.8% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Qapshaghay

$56 5.2%

Istanbul

$91 6% 61% $34

Getting Around

Qapshaghay

$22 2%

Istanbul

$75 5% 245% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $439 in Qapshaghay 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Qapshaghay versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $247 vs $258 – making Qapshaghay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Qapshaghay

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

15:50 3:50 PM

13:50 1:50 PM

2 h behind Qapshaghay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,167

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 = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Qapshaghay Istanbul 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Qapshaghay
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

Qapshaghay vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,629 per month in Qapshaghay 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 Qapshaghay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $439 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $147 per month in Qapshaghay 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 4% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,086 in Qapshaghay and $1,519 in Istanbul. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Qapshaghay is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 29% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.