Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sakarya and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Sakarya: $949 a month against $1,525 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Sakarya
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Sakarya Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Sakarya

🇹🇷 Turkey

$949

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $949 per month in Sakarya vs $1,525 in Istanbul, rent included.

Sakarya $949
Istanbul $1,525

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Sakarya vs $2,390 in Istanbul, rent included.

Sakarya $1,457
Istanbul $2,390

A family of three spends $1,965 per month in Sakarya vs $3,256 in Istanbul, rent included.

Sakarya $1,965
Istanbul $3,256

Sakarya is about 38% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sakarya sits 30% below the global median, while Istanbul is 13% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.89 ₺341

$11.96 ₺592

-42.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.75 ₺1,473

$57.2 ₺2,834

-48.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 ₺356

$9.51 ₺471

-24.29%

Cappuccino

$3.59 ₺178

$4.40 ₺218

-18.41%

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

$0.96 ₺47.49

$1.75 ₺86.6

-45.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ₺19.72

$0.56 ₺27.57

-28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 ₺91.7

$4.71 ₺233

-60.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₺118

$6.14 ₺304

-61.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 ₺44.97

$1.24 ₺61.6

-26.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.15

$0.95 ₺47.25

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ₺107

$2.28 ₺113

-5.26%

Eggs

$2.05 ₺102

$2.45 ₺121

-16.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.64 ₺378

$10.56 ₺523

-27.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.84 ₺141

$5.50 ₺272

-48.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.67 ₺875

$21.65 ₺1,072

-18.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.5

$1.83 ₺90.6

5.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 ₺92.4

$2.29 ₺113

-18.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.84 ₺41.39

$1.28 ₺63.4

-34.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.82 ₺90.1

-29.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 ₺26.45

$0.66 ₺32.74

-19.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.30 ₺15.04

$0.63 ₺31.14

-52.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ₺37.14

$1.27 ₺62.8

-40.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₺36.87

$0.56 ₺27.62

32.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.00 ₺99.1

$2.36 ₺117

-15.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.22 ₺704

$12.98 ₺642

9.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₺95.9

$2.48 ₺123

-21.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ₺179

$3.50 ₺174

3.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ₺21.38

$0.82 ₺40.77

-47.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.3 ₺2,983

$65.2 ₺3,228

-7.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ₺51.6

$1.33 ₺65.7

-21.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ₺54.2

$0.90 ₺44.60

21.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.18 ₺207

$10.91 ₺540

-61.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₺65.1

$1.43 ₺70.7

-8.39%

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

$43.1K ₺2.1M

$49.6K ₺2.5M

-13.12%

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

$40.0K ₺2.0M

$43.2K ₺2.1M

-7.33%

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

$44.60 ₺2,208

$88.8 ₺4,395

-49.76%

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

$9.95 ₺492

$11.69 ₺579

-14.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.02 ₺694

$16.09 ₺797

-12.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.33 ₺1,997

$76.3 ₺3,776

-47.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 ₺1,125

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 ₺306

$8.26 ₺409

-25.06%

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

$904 ₺44.7K

$1,015 ₺50.2K

-10.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ₺737.0K

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-42.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.62 ₺1,863

$53.3 ₺2,636

-29.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.00 ₺2,079

$40.55 ₺2,008

3.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 ₺4,137

$100 ₺4,956

-16.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.2 ₺3,426

$93.5 ₺4,630

-26.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$400 ₺19.8K

$977 ₺48.4K

-59.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 ₺14.9K

$627 ₺31.0K

-52.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 ₺37.7K

$1,980 ₺98.0K

-61.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$496 ₺24.5K

$1,147 ₺56.8K

-56.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,230 ₺60.9K

$3,095 ₺153.2K

-60.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$677 ₺33.5K

$1,787 ₺88.5K

-62.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$877 ₺43.4K

$1,213 ₺60.1K

-27.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

39.8

40.69

-2.19%

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

Last update for Sakarya: October 20, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sakarya

$300 31.6%

Istanbul

$627 41.1% 109% $327

Groceries & Markets

Sakarya

$216 22.7%

Istanbul

$263 17.2% 21.7% $47

Eating Out

Sakarya

$139 14.7%

Istanbul

$222 14.6% 59.5% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Sakarya

$105 11%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 23.7% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sakarya

$69 7.2%

Istanbul

$117 7.6% 70% $48

Getting Around

Sakarya

$68 7.2%

Istanbul

$74 4.9% 8.5% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Sakarya

$53 5.6%

Istanbul

$93 6.1% 76.1% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $400 in Sakarya versus $977 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 38% 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 $30.00 in Sakarya versus $57.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $263 – making Sakarya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Sakarya

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

03:54 3:54 AM

Same time as Sakarya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,094,481

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Sakarya vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 61%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,424 per month in Sakarya and $2,287 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sakarya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $904 per month in Sakarya and $1,015 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sakarya, where all-in costs run around $949, than in Istanbul at $1,525. In Sakarya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sakarya – 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 Sakarya. 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.