Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sumy and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Sumy: $954 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Sumy, Ukraine
Istanbul, Turkey
Sumy
🇺🇦 Ukraine
$954
/mo nomad
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,519
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $954 per month in Sumy vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Sumy $954
  • Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $1,634 per month in Sumy vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Sumy $1,634
  • Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $2,314 per month in Sumy vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Sumy $2,314
  • Istanbul $3,212

Sumy is about 37% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sumy sits 29% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sumy
Istanbul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.15 ₴508
$11.81 ₺592
-5.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$33.09 ₴1,507
$54.9 ₺2,754
-39.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.88 ₴359
$9.26 ₺465
-14.90%
Cappuccino
$1.71 ₴78.0
$4.30 ₺216
-60.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74 ₴33.89
$1.77 ₺89.0
-58.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.61 ₴27.78
$0.56 ₺28.32
8.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.33 ₴60.6
$4.69 ₺235
-71.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 ₴88.7
$7.12 ₺357
-72.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sumy
Istanbul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.26 ₴57.5
$1.25 ₺62.7
0.80%
White Bread (500g)
$0.83 ₴37.57
$0.88 ₺44.17
-5.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.49 ₴67.7
$2.20 ₺111
-32.27%
Eggs
$1.96 ₴89.4
$2.43 ₺122
-19.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.88 ₴450
$10.48 ₺526
-5.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.20 ₴237
$5.31 ₺267
-2.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.83 ₴402
$21.10 ₺1,058
-58.15%
Apples (1kg)
$1.18 ₴53.6
$1.86 ₺93.1
-36.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 ₴71.6
$2.30 ₺115
-31.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 ₴84.5
$1.22 ₺61.0
52.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.86 ₴130
$1.80 ₺90.2
58.89%
Potato (1kg)
$0.63 ₴28.47
$0.69 ₺34.83
-8.70%
Onion (1kg)
$0.43 ₴19.70
$0.64 ₺32.16
-32.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.42 ₴64.9
$1.36 ₺68.0
4.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.62 ₴28.21
$0.58 ₺28.94
6.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.77 ₴126
$2.34 ₺117
18.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 ₴256
$13.03 ₺653
-56.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.92 ₴41.93
$2.36 ₺118
-61.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.88 ₴40.05
$3.32 ₺166
-73.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Sumy
Istanbul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.32 ₴14.43
$0.88 ₺44.07
-63.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.15 ₴417
$66.1 ₺3,316
-86.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.25 ₴103
$1.28 ₺64.4
75.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ₴24.11
$0.85 ₺42.80
-37.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.26 ₴194
$11.09 ₺556
-61.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 ₴70.4
$1.48 ₺74.0
4.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.8K ₴1.4M
$48.6K ₺2.4M
-36.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K ₴1.1M
$42.0K ₺2.1M
-41.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sumy
Istanbul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$103 ₴4,679
$92.7 ₺4,650
10.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.94 ₴316
$11.20 ₺562
-38.04%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$6.45 ₴294
$15.89 ₺797
-59.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sumy
Istanbul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.28 ₴1,379
$74.7 ₺3,745
-59.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.58 ₴983
$22.95 ₺1,151
-5.97%
Cinema Ticket
$3.52 ₴160
$8.05 ₺404
-56.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sumy
Istanbul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$233 ₴10.6K
$948 ₺47.6K
-75.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,186 ₴418.3K
$36.9K ₺1.9M
-75.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sumy
Istanbul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$73.5 ₴3,346
$53.9 ₺2,702
36.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.40 ₴1,384
$41.49 ₺2,081
-26.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.6 ₴4,262
$101 ₺5,060
-7.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 ₴5,424
$91.3 ₺4,580
30.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sumy
Istanbul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$553 ₴25.2K
$1,014 ₺50.8K
-45.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$306 ₴14.0K
$625 ₺31.3K
-50.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$992 ₴45.2K
$2,005 ₺100.6K
-50.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$838 ₴38.1K
$1,126 ₺56.5K
-25.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,094 ₴49.8K
$2,988 ₺149.8K
-63.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$832 ₴37.9K
$1,730 ₺86.8K
-51.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sumy
Istanbul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$379 ₴17.3K
$1,136 ₺57.0K
-66.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
15.9
40.42
-60.66%

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

Last update for Sumy: November 1, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sumy
$306
Istanbul
$625 104% $318
Groceries & Markets
Sumy
$187
Istanbul
$258 37.9% $71
Eating Out
Sumy
$149
Istanbul
$221 47.9% $72
Clothing & Footwear
Sumy
$142
Istanbul
$129 9.2% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sumy
$116
Istanbul
$120 3.2% $3.7
Sport & Entertainment
Sumy
$37
Istanbul
$91 143% $53
Getting Around
Sumy
$15
Istanbul
$75 391% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $553 in Sumy versus $1,014 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 in Istanbul are about 3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Sumy versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $187 vs $258 – making Sumy the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇦 Sumy
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🕒 Local time
08:22 8:22 AM
09:22 9:22 AM
1 h ahead of Sumy
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
267,633
15,701,602
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to UAH – Ukrainian Hryvnia Converter

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 45.54 UAH (100 UAH = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 51.12 UAH (100 UAH = 1.96 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sumy Istanbul 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sumy
  • 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
Sumy vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sumy cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 59%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,432 per month in Sumy and $2,278 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sumy, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $553 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $233 per month in Sumy and $948 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Sumy and in Istanbul?
Groceries cost about 38% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $800 enough to cover costs in Sumy or in Istanbul?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $954 in Sumy and $1,519 in Istanbul. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Sumy or Istanbul more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Sumy – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Sumy. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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