Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Trabzon and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Trabzon: $684 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Trabzon
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Trabzon Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Trabzon

🇹🇷 Turkey

$684

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $684 per month in Trabzon vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Trabzon $684
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $1,271 per month in Trabzon vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Trabzon $1,271
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $1,858 per month in Trabzon vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Trabzon $1,858
Istanbul $3,281

Trabzon is about 56% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Trabzon sits 49% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.97 ₺395

$12.30 ₺609

-35.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.76 ₺1,523

$54.7 ₺2,708

-43.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 ₺536

$9.22 ₺456

17.57%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₺202

$4.40 ₺218

-7.27%

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

$1.56 ₺77.1

$1.68 ₺83.1

-7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 ₺10.13

$0.59 ₺29.40

-66.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 ₺91.7

$4.70 ₺233

-60.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₺102

$5.91 ₺292

-65.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 ₺48.07

$1.21 ₺60.0

-19.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 ₺59.1

$0.89 ₺44.10

33.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 ₺120

$2.19 ₺108

10.96%

Eggs

$2.46 ₺122

$2.35 ₺116

4.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.18 ₺405

$10.42 ₺516

-21.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ₺138

$5.65 ₺280

-50.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.30 ₺857

$20.94 ₺1,037

-17.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 ₺101

$1.90 ₺94.1

7.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₺78.8

$2.31 ₺114

-31.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.84 ₺41.48

$1.28 ₺63.1

-34.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 ₺53.2

$1.80 ₺89.0

-40.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.43 ₺21.12

$0.65 ₺32.16

-33.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 ₺16.82

$0.64 ₺31.91

-46.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 ₺39.45

$1.25 ₺62.1

-36.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₺31.21

$0.56 ₺27.58

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.17 ₺107

$2.37 ₺118

-8.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.20 ₺455

$13.42 ₺664

-31.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₺79.1

$2.40 ₺119

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₺113

$3.48 ₺172

-34.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 ₺97.9

$1.29 ₺64.1

53.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₺30.60

$0.92 ₺45.70

-32.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 ₺329

$10.96 ₺542

-39.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ₺64.0

$1.47 ₺72.9

-12.24%

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

$40.6K ₺2.0M

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-20.12%

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

$38.8K ₺1.9M

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-12.85%

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

$90.9 ₺4,498

$88.6 ₺4,387

2.53%

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

$12.38 ₺613

$11.59 ₺574

6.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.66 ₺627

$15.81 ₺783

-19.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 ₺2,537

$77.2 ₺3,820

-33.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$5.21 ₺258

$8.14 ₺403

-36.00%

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

$250 ₺12.4K

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-75.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.9 ₺4,054

$54.0 ₺2,671

51.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.7 ₺3,056

$40.83 ₺2,021

51.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 ₺4,515

$98.9 ₺4,895

-7.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.7 ₺2,955

$96.6 ₺4,783

-38.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 ₺21.7K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-77.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 ₺17.3K

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-70.44%

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)

$1,215 ₺60.1K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

0.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

19.75%

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

Last update for Trabzon: October 13, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Trabzon

$204 29.8%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 27.5% $56

Eating Out

Trabzon

$166 24.2%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 34.8% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Trabzon

$133 19.4%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 1.4% $1.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Trabzon

$116 16.9%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Trabzon

$62 9%

Istanbul

$93 6% 51.5% $32

Getting Around

Trabzon

$5.1 * 0.7%

Istanbul

$77 5% 1416% $72

Accommodation & Living

Trabzon

- * 0%

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 1% higher in Trabzon, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Trabzon versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $204 vs $260 – making Trabzon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Trabzon

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

05:27 5:27 AM

Same time as Trabzon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

816,684

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Trabzon Istanbul 900 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Trabzon
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

Trabzon vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 126%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,027 per month in Trabzon and $2,325 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Trabzon and $55.0 in Istanbul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% 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 Trabzon, where all-in costs run around $684, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Trabzon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Trabzon – 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 Trabzon. 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.