Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sivas and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Sivas: $972 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Sivas
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Sivas Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Sivas

🇹🇷 Turkey

$972

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $972 per month in Sivas vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Sivas $972
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $1,456 per month in Sivas vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Sivas $1,456
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $1,939 per month in Sivas vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Sivas $1,939
Istanbul $3,281

Sivas is about 37% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Sivas sits 28% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.24 ₺507

$12.30 ₺609

-16.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₺3,016

$54.7 ₺2,708

11.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.58 ₺524

$9.22 ₺456

14.75%

Cappuccino

$4.13 ₺205

$4.40 ₺218

-6.14%

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

$0.82 ₺40.64

$1.68 ₺83.1

-51.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₺15.38

$0.59 ₺29.40

-47.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₺88.8

$4.70 ₺233

-61.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₺102

$5.91 ₺292

-65.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 ₺48.34

$1.21 ₺60.0

-19.01%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 ₺38.24

$0.89 ₺44.10

-13.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₺124

$2.19 ₺108

14.61%

Eggs

$2.44 ₺121

$2.35 ₺116

3.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 ₺412

$10.42 ₺516

-20.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.80 ₺139

$5.65 ₺280

-50.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.22 ₺1,001

$20.94 ₺1,037

-3.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₺99.1

$1.90 ₺94.1

5.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₺81.6

$2.31 ₺114

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 ₺41.23

$1.28 ₺63.1

-35.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 ₺51.2

$1.80 ₺89.0

-42.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.42 ₺20.90

$0.65 ₺32.16

-35.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.29 ₺14.52

$0.64 ₺31.91

-54.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ₺36.91

$1.25 ₺62.1

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₺32.93

$0.56 ₺27.58

19.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.37 ₺118

-7.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.05 ₺448

$13.42 ₺664

-32.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₺79.1

$2.40 ₺119

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 ₺114

$3.48 ₺172

-33.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 ₺24.62

$0.89 ₺43.84

-43.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.33 ₺759

$67.4 ₺3,338

-77.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 ₺98.2

$1.29 ₺64.1

53.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₺29.66

$0.92 ₺45.70

-34.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.65 ₺329

$10.96 ₺542

-39.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ₺66.5

$1.47 ₺72.9

-8.84%

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

$41.4K ₺2.0M

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-18.55%

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

$39.8K ₺2.0M

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-10.65%

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

$89.3 ₺4,420

$88.6 ₺4,387

0.77%

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

$12.44 ₺616

$11.59 ₺574

7.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.73 ₺630

$15.81 ₺783

-19.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.24 ₺1,497

$77.2 ₺3,820

-60.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$4.16 ₺206

$8.14 ₺403

-48.89%

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

$253 ₺12.5K

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-74.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.61 ₺1,515

$54.0 ₺2,671

-43.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.5 ₺3,046

$40.83 ₺2,021

50.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.1 ₺4,013

$98.9 ₺4,895

-18.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.2 ₺2,980

$96.6 ₺4,783

-37.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$457 ₺22.6K

$985 ₺48.7K

-53.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 ₺15.0K

$650 ₺32.2K

-53.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 ₺25.4K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-74.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 ₺14.8K

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-74.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$896 ₺44.4K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

-25.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

-12.02%

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

Last update for Sivas: October 13, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sivas

$302 31.1%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 115% $347

Groceries & Markets

Sivas

$209 21.5%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 24.4% $51

Eating Out

Sivas

$181 18.6%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 23.5% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sivas

$114 11.8%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 1.4% $1.6

Clothing & Footwear

Sivas

$105 10.8%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 24.4% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Sivas

$39 4%

Istanbul

$93 6% 142% $55

Getting Around

Sivas

$22 2.3%

Istanbul

$77 5% 245% $55

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $457 in Sivas versus $985 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 35% 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 $61.0 in Sivas versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Groceries tell a different story – $209 in Sivas vs $260 in Istanbul – so Sivas wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Sivas

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

07:16 7:16 AM

Same time as Sivas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

621,224

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

On the map

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Between locations

Sivas Istanbul 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sivas
Istanbul

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated June 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Sivas vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 59%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,459 per month in Sivas and $2,325 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $253 per month in Sivas and $1,008 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% 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 Sivas, where all-in costs run around $972, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Sivas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sivas – 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 Sivas. 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.