Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yekaterinburg and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Yekaterinburg: $1,351 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Yekaterinburg
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Yekaterinburg Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Yekaterinburg

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,351

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,351 per month in Yekaterinburg vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Yekaterinburg $1,351
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $2,221 per month in Yekaterinburg vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Yekaterinburg $2,221
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $3,091 per month in Yekaterinburg vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Yekaterinburg $3,091
Istanbul $3,212

Yekaterinburg is about 11% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.38 ₽1,178

$11.81 ₺592

21.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.3 ₽4,615

$54.9 ₺2,754

2.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.26 ₽595

$9.26 ₺465

-21.60%

Cappuccino

$2.32 ₽190

$4.30 ₺216

-46.05%

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

$1.17 ₽96.2

$1.77 ₺89.0

-33.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₽39.19

$0.56 ₺28.32

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ₽181

$4.69 ₺235

-52.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ₽250

$7.12 ₺357

-57.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 ₽99.9

$1.25 ₺62.7

-2.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 ₽57.4

$0.88 ₺44.17

-20.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ₽105

$2.20 ₺111

-41.36%

Eggs

$1.67 ₽137

$2.43 ₺122

-31.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 ₽934

$10.48 ₺526

8.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.49 ₽449

$5.31 ₺267

3.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ₽1,110

$21.10 ₺1,058

-35.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 ₽166

$1.86 ₺93.1

9.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 ₽143

$2.30 ₺115

-23.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₽127

$1.22 ₺61.0

27.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.84 ₽233

$1.80 ₺90.2

57.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 ₽52.6

$0.69 ₺34.83

-7.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 ₽50.2

$0.64 ₺32.16

-4.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 ₽126

$1.36 ₺68.0

13.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₽72.5

$0.58 ₺28.94

51.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 ₽293

$2.34 ₺117

52.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.37 ₽604

$13.03 ₺653

-43.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₽122

$2.36 ₺118

-37.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₽216

$3.32 ₺166

-20.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 ₽40.87

$0.88 ₺44.07

-43.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.74 ₽1,536

$66.1 ₺3,316

-71.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.27 ₽350

$1.28 ₺64.4

233.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.18 ₽14.70

$0.85 ₺42.80

-78.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 ₽370

$11.09 ₺556

-59.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 ₽67.9

$1.48 ₺74.0

-43.92%

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

$52.5K ₽4.3M

$48.6K ₺2.4M

7.96%

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

$38.3K ₽3.1M

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-8.82%

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

$124 ₽10.2K

$92.7 ₺4,650

33.77%

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

$6.30 ₽516

$11.20 ₺562

-43.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.26 ₽1,004

$15.89 ₺797

-22.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.92 ₽3,598

$74.7 ₺3,745

-41.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.27 ₽2,972

$22.95 ₺1,151

58.04%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ₽596

$8.05 ₺404

-9.57%

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

$353 ₽29.0K

$948 ₺47.6K

-62.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,843 ₽314.8K

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-89.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ₽9,857

$53.9 ₺2,702

123.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$91.7 ₽7,514

$41.49 ₺2,081

121.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 ₽13.6K

$101 ₺5,060

64.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 ₽12.6K

$91.3 ₺4,580

68.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$802 ₽65.7K

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-20.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 ₽38.8K

$625 ₺31.3K

-24.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 ₽110.2K

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-32.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 ₽83.4K

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-9.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,747 ₽225.1K

$2,988 ₺149.8K

-8.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,139 ₽175.3K

$1,730 ₺86.8K

23.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$945 ₽77.4K

$1,136 ₺57.0K

-16.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.22

40.42

-45.03%

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

Last update for Yekaterinburg: November 2, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yekaterinburg

$474 35.1%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 31.8% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Yekaterinburg

$239 17.7%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 45.9% $110

Groceries & Markets

Yekaterinburg

$222 16.4%

Istanbul

$258 17% 16.5% $36

Eating Out

Yekaterinburg

$188 14%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 17.2% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yekaterinburg

$143 10.6%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 16% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Yekaterinburg

$58 4.3%

Istanbul

$91 6% 55.2% $32

Getting Around

Yekaterinburg

$26 1.9%

Istanbul

$75 5% 190% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $802 in Yekaterinburg 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 run about 20% higher in Istanbul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Yekaterinburg versus $55 in Istanbul. Groceries tell a different story – $222 in Yekaterinburg vs $258 in Istanbul – so Yekaterinburg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Yekaterinburg

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

05:15 5:15 AM

03:15 3:15 AM

2 h behind Yekaterinburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,495,066

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 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 November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 81.92 RUB (100 RUB = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 91.55 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.05 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Yekaterinburg Istanbul 2,860 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Yekaterinburg
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

Yekaterinburg vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,026 per month in Yekaterinburg 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 Yekaterinburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $802 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Public transport costs about 72% less in Yekaterinburg. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Yekaterinburg, where all-in costs run around $1,351, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Yekaterinburg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Yekaterinburg costs $1,351 versus $1,519 in Istanbul. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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