Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Urganch and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Urganch: $414 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Urganch

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$414

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $414 per month in Urganch vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Urganch $414
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $701 per month in Urganch vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Urganch $701
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $987 per month in Urganch vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Urganch $987
Istanbul $3,212

Urganch is about 73% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Urganch sits 69% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 UZS 46.0K

$11.81 ₺592

-67.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.71 UZS 355.8K

$54.9 ₺2,754

-45.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.88 UZS 46.4K

$9.26 ₺465

-58.10%

Cappuccino

$2.00 UZS 23.9K

$4.30 ₺216

-53.49%

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

$0.88 UZS 10.5K

$1.77 ₺89.0

-50.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 UZS 3,132

$0.56 ₺28.32

-53.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 UZS 15.5K

$4.69 ₺235

-72.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 UZS 11.3K

$1.25 ₺62.7

-24.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 UZS 11.0K

$0.88 ₺44.17

4.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 UZS 17.3K

$2.20 ₺111

-34.55%

Eggs

$1.86 UZS 22.3K

$2.43 ₺122

-23.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.56 UZS 54.6K

$10.48 ₺526

-56.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 UZS 57.3K

$5.31 ₺267

-9.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.37 UZS 88.3K

$21.10 ₺1,058

-65.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.36 UZS 16.3K

$1.86 ₺93.1

-26.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 UZS 21.0K

$2.30 ₺115

-23.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 UZS 30.3K

$1.22 ₺61.0

107.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 UZS 24.3K

$1.80 ₺90.2

12.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 UZS 9,262

$0.69 ₺34.83

11.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 UZS 6,257

$0.64 ₺32.16

-18.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 UZS 9,361

$1.36 ₺68.0

-42.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 UZS 5,186

$0.58 ₺28.94

-25.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.88 UZS 22.5K

$2.34 ₺117

-19.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 UZS 3,310

$0.88 ₺44.07

-68.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.34 UZS 4,074

$1.28 ₺64.4

-73.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UZS 4,788

$0.85 ₺42.80

-52.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 UZS 14.9K

$1.48 ₺74.0

-16.22%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

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

$3.38 UZS 40.4K

$11.20 ₺562

-69.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.18 UZS 122.0K

$15.89 ₺797

-35.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.98 UZS 167.4K

$74.7 ₺3,745

-81.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 UZS 49.7K

$8.05 ₺404

-48.45%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.59 UZS 150.8K

$53.9 ₺2,702

-76.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.64 UZS 151.3K

$41.49 ₺2,081

-69.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.28 UZS 494.3K

$91.3 ₺4,580

-54.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$161 UZS 1.9M

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-84.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$127 UZS 1.5M

$625 ₺31.3K

-79.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 UZS 3.2M

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-86.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$205 UZS 2.5M

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-81.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,037 UZS 36.4M

$2,988 ₺149.8K

1.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,667 UZS 43.9M

$1,730 ₺86.8K

111.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$416 UZS 5.0M

$1,136 ₺57.0K

-63.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

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

Last update for Urganch: October 31, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Urganch

–

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Groceries & Markets

Urganch

–

Istanbul

$258 17%

Eating Out

Urganch

–

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Urganch

–

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Urganch

–

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Urganch

–

Istanbul

$91 6%

Getting Around

Urganch

–

Istanbul

$75 5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $161 in Urganch 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 2.7 times higher, 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 in Urganch versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $141 vs $258 – making Urganch the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇿 Urganch

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

16:26 4:26 PM

14:26 2:26 PM

2 h behind Urganch

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

146,709

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.44 EUR

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to UZS – Uzbekistani Som Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇿 Uzbekistani Som (soʻm)

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 11,975 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD). 1 EUR = 13,449 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.44 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to UZS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Urganch Istanbul 2,630 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Urganch
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

Urganch vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 266%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $622 per month in Urganch 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 Urganch, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $161 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Groceries cost about 83% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Urganch and $55 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 Urganch, where all-in costs run around $414, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Urganch it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $414 in Urganch to $1,519 in Istanbul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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