Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samaxi and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Samaxi: $839 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Samaxi
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Samaxi Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Samaxi

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan

$839

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $839 per month in Samaxi vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Samaxi $839
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $1,503 per month in Samaxi vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Samaxi $1,503
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $2,168 per month in Samaxi vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Samaxi $2,168
Istanbul $3,272

Samaxi is about 45% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Samaxi sits 37% below the global median, while Istanbul is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.06 ₼13.69

$11.88 ₺585

-32.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.62 ₼50.3

$55.1 ₺2,714

-46.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.72 ₼9.71

$9.14 ₺450

-37.42%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ₼4.61

$4.24 ₺209

-35.85%

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

$0.92 ₼1.56

$1.75 ₺86.0

-47.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₼0.58

$0.54 ₺26.83

-37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ₼2.03

$4.69 ₺231

-74.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 ₼3.92

$5.97 ₺294

-61.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 ₼2.20

$1.26 ₺62.1

3.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.33 ₼0.56

$0.95 ₺46.81

-65.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 ₼4.01

$2.31 ₺114

2.16%

Eggs

$1.18 ₼2.01

$2.47 ₺122

-52.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.91 ₼4.95

$10.55 ₺520

-72.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.48 ₼7.61

$5.60 ₺276

-20.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.59 ₼14.61

$21.21 ₺1,045

-59.50%

Apples (1kg)

$0.63 ₼1.08

$1.93 ₺95.1

-67.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 ₼2.62

$2.29 ₺113

-32.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 ₼2.34

$1.28 ₺63.1

7.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.01 ₼1.72

$1.84 ₺90.8

-45.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₼1.10

$0.67 ₺32.86

-2.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ₼0.83

$0.59 ₺29.31

-16.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 ₼0.79

$1.33 ₺65.4

-64.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₼1.01

$0.59 ₺29.10

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.54 ₼6.02

$2.36 ₺116

50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.39 ₼9.16

$13.47 ₺664

-59.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₼1.56

$2.42 ₺119

-61.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₼3.34

$3.54 ₺174

-44.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₼0.52

$0.83 ₺40.64

-63.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.94 ₼25.38

$66.5 ₺3,273

-77.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 ₼2.92

$1.35 ₺66.6

27.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 ₼0.47

$0.85 ₺42.05

-67.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 ₼5.04

$10.86 ₺535

-72.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 ₼1.03

$1.47 ₺72.3

-58.50%

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

$23.2K ₼39.4K

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-55.11%

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

$24.5K ₼41.6K

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-44.94%

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

$33.45 ₼56.9

$89.2 ₺4,395

-62.51%

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

$12.71 ₼21.61

$11.60 ₺572

9.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.59 ₼24.79

$16.10 ₺793

-9.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.88 ₼50.8

$77.3 ₺3,805

-61.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.99 ₼25.47

$22.66 ₺1,116

-33.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.25 ₼12.33

$8.34 ₺411

-13.07%

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

$238 ₼404

$974 ₺48.0K

-75.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K ₼20.0K

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-54.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.91 ₼79.7

$52.7 ₺2,597

-11.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 ₼100

$39.16 ₺1,929

50.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₼204

$103 ₺5,083

16.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ₼200

$96.6 ₺4,759

21.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$375 ₼637

$994 ₺49.0K

-62.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ₼491

$629 ₺31.0K

-54.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₼1,219

$2,024 ₺99.7K

-64.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$871 ₼1,481

$1,155 ₺56.9K

-24.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,028 ₼3,447

$3,160 ₺155.7K

-35.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 ₼2,034

$1,838 ₺90.5K

-34.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$339 ₼576

$1,203 ₺59.3K

-71.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

-80.53%

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

Last update for Samaxi: October 5, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Samaxi

$289 34.4%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 118% $341

Clothing & Footwear

Samaxi

$154 18.4%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 15% $23

Groceries & Markets

Samaxi

$141 16.9%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 86.6% $123

Eating Out

Samaxi

$130 15.5%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 67.9% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samaxi

$61 7.2%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 92.4% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Samaxi

$44 5.3%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 112% $50

Getting Around

Samaxi

$19 2.3%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 292% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $375 in Samaxi versus $994 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 255% 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 Samaxi versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $141 vs $264 – making Samaxi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇿 Samaxi

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

07:05 7:05 AM

06:05 6:05 AM

1 h behind Samaxi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,000

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Azerbaijani Manat AZN ₼

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 AZN = 0.588 USD

1 AZN = 0.525 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to AZN – Azerbaijani Manat Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇿 Azerbaijani Manat (₼)

Azerbaijani Manat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.7 AZN (1 AZN = 0.588 USD). 1 EUR = 1.91 AZN (1 AZN = 0.525 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to AZN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Samaxi Istanbul 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Samaxi
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

Samaxi vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 82%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,259 per month in Samaxi and $2,289 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $238 per month in Samaxi and $974 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 87% 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 Samaxi, where all-in costs run around $839, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Samaxi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Samaxi – 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 Samaxi. 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.