Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulyanovsk and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulyanovsk: $886 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Ulyanovsk
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Ulyanovsk Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Ulyanovsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$886

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $886 per month in Ulyanovsk vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Ulyanovsk $886
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $1,363 per month in Ulyanovsk vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Ulyanovsk $1,363
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $1,840 per month in Ulyanovsk vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Ulyanovsk $1,840
Istanbul $3,281

Ulyanovsk is about 43% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ulyanovsk sits 34% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.26 ₽690

$12.30 ₺609

-32.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.69 ₽2,478

$54.7 ₺2,708

-45.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.32 ₽528

$9.22 ₺456

-31.45%

Cappuccino

$2.27 ₽190

$4.40 ₺218

-48.41%

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

$0.90 ₽75.3

$1.68 ₺83.1

-46.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₽29.18

$0.59 ₺29.40

-40.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 ₽151

$4.70 ₺233

-61.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₽162

$5.91 ₺292

-67.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 ₽85.4

$1.21 ₺60.0

-15.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 ₽48.04

$0.89 ₺44.10

-34.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ₽86.5

$2.19 ₺108

-52.51%

Eggs

$1.40 ₽117

$2.35 ₺116

-40.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.19 ₽1,184

$10.42 ₺516

36.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.26 ₽606

$5.65 ₺280

28.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.26 ₽606

$20.94 ₺1,037

-65.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 ₽127

$1.90 ₺94.1

-20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 ₽126

$2.31 ₺114

-34.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 ₽326

$1.28 ₺63.1

205.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 ₽384

$1.80 ₺89.0

155.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ₽122

$0.65 ₺32.16

124.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 ₽68.3

$0.64 ₺31.91

28.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₽46.50

$0.56 ₺27.58

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ₽254

$2.37 ₺118

28.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 ₽90.9

$2.40 ₺119

-54.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ₽36.28

$0.89 ₺43.84

-51.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 ₽294

$1.29 ₺64.1

173.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 ₽304

$10.96 ₺542

-66.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 ₽68.9

$1.47 ₺72.9

-43.54%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

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

$26.0K ₽2.2M

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-41.65%

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

$139 ₽11.6K

$88.6 ₺4,387

56.72%

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

$4.73 ₽395

$11.59 ₺574

-59.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.72 ₽1,145

$15.81 ₺783

-13.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.45 ₽3,042

$77.2 ₺3,820

-52.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.86 ₽2,075

$22.74 ₺1,126

9.32%

Cinema Ticket

$8.30 ₽693

$8.14 ₺403

1.97%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.11 ₽2,513

$54.0 ₺2,671

-44.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.99 ₽3,004

$40.83 ₺2,021

-11.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 ₽7,875

$98.9 ₺4,895

-4.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₽4,951

$96.6 ₺4,783

-38.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 ₽30.0K

$985 ₺48.7K

-63.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ₽20.1K

$650 ₺32.2K

-62.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$469 ₽39.1K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-76.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 ₽35.3K

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-64.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,609 ₽217.8K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-16.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,463 ₽122.1K

$1,780 ₺88.1K

-17.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$504 ₽42.1K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

-58.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

-43.79%

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

Last update for Ulyanovsk: October 12, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ulyanovsk

$241 27.2%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 170% $409

Groceries & Markets

Ulyanovsk

$200 * 22.6%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 29.9% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulyanovsk

$157 17.8%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 26.3% $41

Eating Out

Ulyanovsk

$130 14.7%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 71.4% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Ulyanovsk

$99 11.2%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 32.1% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Ulyanovsk

$53 6%

Istanbul

$93 6% 76.1% $40

Getting Around

Ulyanovsk

$5.3 * 0.6%

Istanbul

$77 5% 1359% $72

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $360 in Ulyanovsk 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 139% 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 $30.00 in Ulyanovsk versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $260 – making Ulyanovsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Ulyanovsk

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

11:58 11:58 AM

10:58 10:58 AM

1 h behind Ulyanovsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

627,705

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ulyanovsk Istanbul 2,060 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ulyanovsk
Istanbul

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

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

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

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ulyanovsk vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 75%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,328 per month in Ulyanovsk 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 Ulyanovsk, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Ulyanovsk and $55.0 in Istanbul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ulyanovsk, where all-in costs run around $886, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Ulyanovsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ulyanovsk – 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 Ulyanovsk. 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.