Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Side and Izmir

For one person, living is cheaper in Side: $1,144 a month against $1,212 in Izmir, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Izmir outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Side, Turkey
Izmir, Turkey
Side
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,144
/mo nomad
Izmir
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,212
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Side and in Izmir

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 Izmir actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,144 in Side versus $1,212 in Izmir.

  • Side $1,144
  • Izmir $1,212

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,790 in Side versus $1,898 in Izmir.

  • Side $1,790
  • Izmir $1,898

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,435 in Side versus $2,584 in Izmir.

  • Side $2,435
  • Izmir $2,584

Living in Side costs roughly 6% less than in Izmir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Side 16% lower, Izmir 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Side
Izmir
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.26 ₺511
$9.89 ₺493
3.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.76 ₺1,483
$35.55 ₺1,771
-16.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.45 ₺471
$8.41 ₺419
12.37%
Cappuccino
$3.44 ₺171
$3.64 ₺181
-5.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 ₺109
$1.46 ₺72.7
50.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.39 ₺19.48
$0.58 ₺28.85
-32.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 ₺200
$3.44 ₺172
16.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.07 ₺302
$5.00 ₺249
21.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Side
Izmir
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.07 ₺53.1
$1.08 ₺53.9
-0.93%
White Bread (500g)
$0.97 ₺48.31
$1.05 ₺52.5
-7.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.61 ₺130
$2.38 ₺118
9.66%
Eggs
$2.29 ₺114
$2.46 ₺123
-6.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.70 ₺683
$9.31 ₺464
47.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.16 ₺307
$5.10 ₺254
20.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$26.79 ₺1,335
$21.03 ₺1,048
27.39%
Apples (1kg)
$1.57 ₺78.2
$1.95 ₺97.4
-19.49%
Banana (1kg)
$2.46 ₺123
$2.18 ₺108
12.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.39 ₺69.1
$1.06 ₺52.7
31.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.27 ₺63.5
$1.36 ₺67.9
-6.62%
Potato (1kg)
$0.79 ₺39.50
$0.59 ₺29.54
33.90%
Onion (1kg)
$0.71 ₺35.37
$0.40 ₺20.07
77.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.74 ₺86.9
$1.09 ₺54.6
59.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 ₺37.62
$0.73 ₺36.50
4.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.78 ₺139
$2.22 ₺111
25.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.85 ₺690
$11.15 ₺556
24.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.69 ₺84.1
$2.06 ₺103
-17.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13 ₺156
$2.99 ₺149
4.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Side
Izmir
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.69 ₺34.54
$0.68 ₺34.05
1.47%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$43.12 ₺2,148
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.24 ₺61.7
$3.52 ₺175
-64.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.00 ₺49.63
$1.02 ₺50.9
-1.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.69 ₺333
$5.52 ₺275
21.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 ₺75.2
$1.35 ₺67.2
11.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.1K ₺2.1M
$46.6K ₺2.3M
-9.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.2K ₺1.9M
$43.7K ₺2.2M
-12.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Side
Izmir
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.7 ₺3,822
$82.4 ₺4,103
-6.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.57 ₺527
$10.53 ₺525
0.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.12 ₺1,152
$15.87 ₺791
45.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Side
Izmir
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.8 ₺2,631
$64.2 ₺3,196
-17.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.55 ₺1,721
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.06 ₺402
$8.25 ₺411
-2.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Side
Izmir
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$507 ₺25.3K
$683 ₺34.0K
-25.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.9K ₺544.0K
$14.5K ₺720.0K
-24.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Side
Izmir
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.20 ₺2,302
$45.34 ₺2,259
1.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.9 ₺2,936
$37.24 ₺1,855
58.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$157 ₺7,810
$92.0 ₺4,582
70.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 ₺5,840
$79.8 ₺3,977
46.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Side
Izmir
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$420 ₺20.9K
$587 ₺29.2K
-28.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$302 ₺15.1K
$424 ₺21.1K
-28.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$761 ₺37.9K
$1,122 ₺55.9K
-32.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$573 ₺28.5K
$793 ₺39.5K
-27.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,431 ₺71.3K
$1,444 ₺71.9K
-0.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,018 ₺50.7K
$999 ₺49.8K
1.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Side
Izmir
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,134 ₺56.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
38.25
42.33
-9.64%

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

Last update for Side: October 25, 2026

Last update for Izmir: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Side
$302
Izmir
$424 40.4% $122
Groceries & Markets
Side
$289
Izmir
$245 15.1% $44
Eating Out
Side
$194
Izmir
$183 5.6% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Side
$171
Izmir
$114 32.9% $56
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Side
$110
Izmir
$109 1.5% $1.7
Sport & Entertainment
Side
$69
Izmir
$81 17% $12
Getting Around
Side
$9 *
Izmir
$54 506% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $420 in Side and $587 in Izmir. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30 in Side vs $36 in Izmir. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $245, with Izmir cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Side
🇹🇷 Izmir
🕒 Local time
14:56 2:56 PM
14:56 2:56 PM
Same time as Side
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
12,500
4,493,242
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 49.82 TRY (100 TRY = 2.01 USD). 1 EUR = 55.45 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Side Izmir 420 km
From you
  • Side
  • Izmir

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 Izmir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Side or Izmir?
Side wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Izmir. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Side the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Side and in Izmir?
You’d need roughly $1,717 in Side and $1,818 in Izmir to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Side compared to Izmir?
Rent for a central apartment: $420 in Side versus $587 in Izmir. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Side or in Izmir?
Shoppers in Izmir pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How much does it cost to live in Side compared to Izmir?
All in, you’ll spend $1,144 per month in Side versus $1,212 in Izmir – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Side or in Izmir?
Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Side gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Side or Izmir?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
How safe is Side compared to Izmir?
Safety-wise, Side and Izmir are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Side vs other spots: cost of living compared

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