Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Side and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Side: $1,144 a month against $1,516 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Side
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Side Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Side

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,144

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,144 per month in Side vs $1,516 in Istanbul, rent included.

Side $1,144
Istanbul $1,516

A couple spends around $1,790 per month in Side vs $2,356 in Istanbul, rent included.

Side $1,790
Istanbul $2,356

A family of three spends $2,435 per month in Side vs $3,197 in Istanbul, rent included.

Side $2,435
Istanbul $3,197

Side is about 24% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Side sits 16% below the global median, while Istanbul is 11% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.26 ₺511

$11.59 ₺577

-11.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.76 ₺1,483

$54.7 ₺2,725

-45.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 ₺471

$9.39 ₺468

0.64%

Cappuccino

$3.44 ₺171

$4.23 ₺211

-18.68%

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

$2.19 ₺109

$1.72 ₺85.6

27.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₺19.48

$0.57 ₺28.26

-31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 ₺200

$4.65 ₺232

-13.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 ₺303

$6.84 ₺341

-11.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 ₺53.1

$1.20 ₺60.0

-10.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ₺48.33

$0.94 ₺46.97

3.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 ₺130

$2.24 ₺112

16.52%

Eggs

$2.29 ₺114

$2.42 ₺121

-5.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.70 ₺683

$10.24 ₺510

33.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.16 ₺307

$5.38 ₺268

14.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.79 ₺1,335

$21.19 ₺1,056

26.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 ₺78.2

$1.89 ₺94.3

-16.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 ₺123

$2.22 ₺111

10.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 ₺69.1

$1.26 ₺62.7

10.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ₺63.5

$1.81 ₺90.0

-29.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 ₺39.51

$0.70 ₺34.84

12.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 ₺35.38

$0.64 ₺32.13

10.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 ₺87.0

$1.22 ₺60.9

42.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₺37.63

$0.55 ₺27.35

38.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.78 ₺139

$2.32 ₺116

19.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.85 ₺690

$13.31 ₺663

4.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₺84.1

$2.33 ₺116

-27.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₺156

$3.46 ₺172

-9.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ₺34.55

$0.91 ₺45.18

-24.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 ₺3,306

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 ₺61.7

$1.29 ₺64.2

-3.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ₺49.64

$0.86 ₺42.66

16.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.69 ₺333

$11.09 ₺553

-39.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₺75.2

$1.42 ₺70.8

6.34%

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

$42.1K ₺2.1M

$49.2K ₺2.5M

-14.42%

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

$38.2K ₺1.9M

$42.8K ₺2.1M

-10.64%

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

$76.7 ₺3,824

$87.7 ₺4,373

-12.56%

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

$10.57 ₺527

$11.28 ₺562

-6.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.12 ₺1,152

$15.89 ₺792

45.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ₺2,632

$75.9 ₺3,783

-30.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,148

Cinema Ticket

$8.06 ₺402

$8.20 ₺409

-1.71%

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

$507 ₺25.3K

$1,028 ₺51.2K

-50.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K ₺544.1K

$26.0K ₺1.3M

-57.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.20 ₺2,302

$53.3 ₺2,658

-13.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.9 ₺2,937

$39.69 ₺1,978

48.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$157 ₺7,812

$99.8 ₺4,972

57.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 ₺5,842

$93.5 ₺4,661

25.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$420 ₺20.9K

$1,003 ₺50.0K

-58.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 ₺15.1K

$628 ₺31.3K

-51.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 ₺37.9K

$1,963 ₺97.8K

-61.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$573 ₺28.5K

$1,122 ₺55.9K

-48.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,431 ₺71.3K

$3,075 ₺153.2K

-53.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,018 ₺50.7K

$1,753 ₺87.3K

-41.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 ₺58.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

38.25

40.69

-6.00%

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

Last update for Side: October 25, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Side

$302 26.4%

Istanbul

$628 41.5% 108% $326

Groceries & Markets

Side

$289 25.3%

Istanbul

$258 17% 10.7% $31

Eating Out

Side

$194 17%

Istanbul

$218 14.4% 12.1% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Side

$171 14.9%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 24.5% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Side

$110 9.7%

Istanbul

$115 7.6% 4.1% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Side

$69 6%

Istanbul

$92 6.1% 33.9% $23

Getting Around

Side

$9 * 0.8%

Istanbul

$76 5% 740% $67

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $420 in Side versus $1,003 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 $30 in Side versus $55 in Istanbul. Groceries tell a different story – $289 in Side vs $258 in Istanbul – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Side

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

23:21 11:21 PM

Same time as Side

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,500

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Side Istanbul 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Side
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

Side vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,717 per month in Side and $2,274 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Side, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $420 there versus $1,003 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Side and $55 in Istanbul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Side, where all-in costs run around $1,144, than in Istanbul at $1,516. In Side it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.