Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samsun and Ankara

For one person, living is cheaper in Samsun: $950 a month against $1,397 in Ankara, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Samsun
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Samsun Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
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Ankara Living Index

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Samsun

🇹🇷 Turkey

$950

/mo nomad

Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,397

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Samsun and in Ankara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Samsun and in Ankara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $950 per month in Samsun vs $1,397 in Ankara, rent included.

Samsun $950
Ankara $1,397

A couple spends around $1,647 per month in Samsun vs $2,075 in Ankara, rent included.

Samsun $1,647
Ankara $2,075

A family of three spends $2,344 per month in Samsun vs $2,753 in Ankara, rent included.

Samsun $2,344
Ankara $2,753

Samsun is about 32% cheaper than Ankara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Samsun sits 30% below the global median, while Ankara is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.15 ₺503

$10.10 ₺500

0.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₺3,001

$43.03 ₺2,130

40.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 ₺522

$9.87 ₺489

6.79%

Cappuccino

$3.94 ₺195

$4.17 ₺206

-5.52%

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

$0.79 ₺39.25

$1.74 ₺86.2

-54.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₺14.32

$0.77 ₺38.35

-62.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₺87.8

$5.12 ₺254

-65.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₺101

$6.21 ₺308

-66.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 ₺58.2

$1.16 ₺57.2

1.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 ₺99.2

$0.93 ₺46.15

115.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 ₺132

$2.30 ₺114

16.09%

Eggs

$2.48 ₺123

$2.66 ₺132

-6.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.50 ₺421

$10.07 ₺499

-15.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$5.53 ₺274

2.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.52 ₺1,313

$20.03 ₺992

32.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 ₺116

$1.97 ₺97.7

18.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 ₺122

$2.16 ₺107

14.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 ₺75.8

$1.33 ₺65.6

15.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ₺51.6

$1.68 ₺83.0

-38.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.44 ₺21.59

$0.63 ₺31.18

-30.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 ₺17.89

$0.54 ₺26.73

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 ₺41.25

$1.01 ₺49.86

-17.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₺33.65

$0.69 ₺34.25

-1.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.11 ₺105

$2.16 ₺107

-2.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.19 ₺455

$12.54 ₺621

-26.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₺82.0

$2.26 ₺112

-26.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 ₺111

$3.23 ₺160

-30.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ₺30.48

$0.70 ₺34.62

-11.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.22 ₺605

$12.35 ₺611

-1.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 ₺98.3

$1.29 ₺64.1

54.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₺30.92

$0.80 ₺39.43

-22.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 ₺314

$6.79 ₺336

-6.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₺65.8

$1.44 ₺71.4

-7.64%

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

$41.6K ₺2.1M

$48.0K ₺2.4M

-13.33%

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

$40.6K ₺2.0M

$41.7K ₺2.1M

-2.49%

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

$88.1 ₺4,360

$92.9 ₺4,600

-5.21%

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

$12.35 ₺612

$10.81 ₺535

14.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.44 ₺616

$17.73 ₺878

-29.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.40 ₺1,505

$72.5 ₺3,589

-58.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.95 ₺294

$15.27 ₺756

-61.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 ₺204

$8.09 ₺400

-48.95%

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

$252 ₺12.5K

$1,038 ₺51.4K

-75.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ₺966.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.48 ₺1,212

$53.7 ₺2,656

-54.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.45 ₺1,507

$48.13 ₺2,383

-36.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.1 ₺3,569

$104 ₺5,149

-30.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.6 ₺2,999

$97.3 ₺4,815

-37.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 ₺17.3K

$747 ₺37.0K

-53.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$248 ₺12.3K

$569 ₺28.2K

-56.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$755 ₺37.4K

$1,140 ₺56.5K

-33.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$613 ₺30.4K

$873 ₺43.2K

-29.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$976 ₺48.3K

$1,674 ₺82.9K

-41.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$656 ₺32.5K

$1,174 ₺58.1K

-44.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$918 ₺45.5K

$1,068 ₺52.9K

-14.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

43.57

12.46%

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

Last update for Samsun: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ankara: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Samsun

$268 28.3%

Ankara

$253 18.1% 5.5% $15

Accommodation & Living

Samsun

$248 26.2%

Ankara

$569 40.7% 129% $320

Eating Out

Samsun

$177 18.7%

Ankara

$209 14.9% 17.6% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samsun

$113 11.9%

Ankara

$121 8.7% 7.6% $8.6

Clothing & Footwear

Samsun

$84 8.9%

Ankara

$136 9.8% 61.5% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Samsun

$39 4.1%

Ankara

$89 6.3% 129% $50

Getting Around

Samsun

$20 2.1%

Ankara

$20 1.5% 3.2% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $349 in Samsun versus $747 in Ankara. 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 16% higher in Ankara, 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 $61.0 in Samsun versus $43.00 in Ankara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $253 – making Ankara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Samsun

🇹🇷 Ankara

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

Same time as Samsun

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,295,927

5,864,049 Capital

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Samsun Ankara 330 km

From you

Samsun
Ankara

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

Samsun vs Ankara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ankara costs about 47% more than Samsun, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,425 per month in Samsun and $2,096 in Ankara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $252 per month in Samsun and $1,038 in Ankara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Ankara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Samsun, where all-in costs run around $950, than in Ankara at $1,397. In Samsun it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ankara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Samsun costs $950 versus $1,397 in Ankara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Samsun. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ankara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.