Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taraz and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Taraz: $625 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Taraz
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Taraz Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Taraz

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$625

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $625 per month in Taraz vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Taraz $625
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $1,000 per month in Taraz vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Taraz $1,000
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $1,374 per month in Taraz vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Taraz $1,374
Istanbul $3,212

Taraz is about 59% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Taraz sits 54% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.87 ₸3,997

$11.81 ₺591

-24.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.34 ₸10.1K

$54.9 ₺2,748

-59.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 ₸2,934

$9.26 ₺463

-29.70%

Cappuccino

$1.58 ₸711

$4.30 ₺215

-63.26%

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

$0.84 ₸380

$1.77 ₺88.8

-52.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₸193

$0.56 ₺28.26

-23.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ₸507

$4.69 ₺234

-75.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ₸812

$7.12 ₺356

-74.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 ₸512

$1.25 ₺62.6

-8.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 ₸196

$0.88 ₺44.07

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ₸604

$2.20 ₺110

-39.09%

Eggs

$1.65 ₸743

$2.43 ₺122

-32.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 ₸4,519

$10.48 ₺524

-4.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.29 ₸2,383

$5.31 ₺266

-0.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.62 ₸3,881

$21.10 ₺1,056

-59.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 ₸546

$1.86 ₺92.9

-34.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 ₸954

$2.30 ₺115

-7.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 ₸1,148

$1.22 ₺60.8

109.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 ₸610

$1.80 ₺90.0

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 ₸228

$0.69 ₺34.75

-26.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₸184

$0.64 ₺32.09

-35.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 ₸408

$1.36 ₺67.8

-33.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₸365

$0.58 ₺28.88

39.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.48 ₸1,118

$2.34 ₺117

5.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.37 ₸1,968

$13.03 ₺652

-66.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₸464

$2.36 ₺118

-56.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ₸706

$3.32 ₺166

-52.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₸89.0

$0.88 ₺43.97

-77.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,309

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 ₸380

$1.28 ₺64.3

-34.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ₸167

$0.85 ₺42.70

-56.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 ₸1,764

$11.09 ₺555

-64.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 ₸308

$1.48 ₺73.9

-54.05%

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

$28.1K ₸12.7M

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-42.24%

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

$27.4K ₸12.3M

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-34.78%

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

$46.45 ₸20.9K

$92.7 ₺4,639

-49.90%

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

$8.77 ₸3,949

$11.20 ₺560

-21.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.66 ₸3,901

$15.89 ₺795

-45.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.64 ₸16.5K

$74.7 ₺3,737

-50.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,149

Cinema Ticket

$4.31 ₸1,943

$8.05 ₺403

-46.46%

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

$57.2 ₸25.7K

$948 ₺47.5K

-93.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.06 ₸11.7K

$53.9 ₺2,696

-51.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.42 ₸15.1K

$41.49 ₺2,076

-19.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ₸48.8K

$101 ₺5,049

7.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.9 ₸23.4K

$91.3 ₺4,570

-43.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 ₸117.5K

$1,014 ₺50.7K

-74.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$111 ₸50.2K

$625 ₺31.3K

-82.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₸202.4K

$2,005 ₺100.4K

-77.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 ₸90.6K

$1,126 ₺56.3K

-82.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$843 ₸379.8K

$2,988 ₺149.5K

-71.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$600 ₸270.3K

$1,730 ₺86.6K

-65.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$271 ₸122.2K

$1,136 ₺56.9K

-76.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.83

40.42

-55.89%

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

Last update for Taraz: October 31, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Taraz

$179 28.6%

Istanbul

$258 17% 44.7% $80

Eating Out

Taraz

$124 19.8%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 78.5% $97

Accommodation & Living

Taraz

$111 17.8%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 461% $513

Clothing & Footwear

Taraz

$99 15.8%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 30.9% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taraz

$64 10.2%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 87.6% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Taraz

$45 7.2%

Istanbul

$91 6% 101% $46

Getting Around

Taraz

$3.5 * 0.6%

Istanbul

$75 5% 2054% $72

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $261 in Taraz 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 4.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Taraz versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $179 vs $258 – making Taraz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Taraz

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

07:38 7:38 AM

05:38 5:38 AM

2 h behind Taraz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

431,160

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.04 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.18 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Taraz Istanbul 3,480 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Taraz
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

Taraz vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 143%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $938 per month in Taraz and $2,278 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taraz, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $261 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Taraz and $55 in Istanbul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Taraz, where all-in costs run around $625, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Taraz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taraz – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Taraz. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.