Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zonguldak and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Zonguldak: $1,080 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Zonguldak
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Zonguldak Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Zonguldak

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,080

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,080 per month in Zonguldak vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Zonguldak $1,080
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $1,593 per month in Zonguldak vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Zonguldak $1,593
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $2,105 per month in Zonguldak vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Zonguldak $2,105
Istanbul $3,281

Zonguldak is about 30% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Zonguldak sits 20% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.19 ₺405

$12.30 ₺609

-33.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.91 ₺1,085

$54.7 ₺2,708

-59.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.29 ₺361

$9.22 ₺456

-20.93%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ₺184

$4.40 ₺218

-15.45%

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

$1.43 ₺70.8

$1.68 ₺83.1

-14.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₺21.20

$0.59 ₺29.40

-27.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.20 ₺208

$4.70 ₺233

-10.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 ₺195

$5.91 ₺292

-33.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 ₺48.03

$1.21 ₺60.0

-19.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 ₺49.86

$0.89 ₺44.10

13.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$2.19 ₺108

4.11%

Eggs

$2.62 ₺130

$2.35 ₺116

11.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 ₺505

$10.42 ₺516

-2.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.39 ₺267

$5.65 ₺280

-4.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.44 ₺1,012

$20.94 ₺1,037

-2.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.3

$1.90 ₺94.1

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 ₺111

$2.31 ₺114

-3.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 ₺63.9

$1.28 ₺63.1

0.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 ₺86.2

$1.80 ₺89.0

-3.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.36

$0.65 ₺32.16

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₺27.20

$0.64 ₺31.91

-14.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ₺52.4

$1.25 ₺62.1

-15.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₺34.21

$0.56 ₺27.58

23.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.05 ₺102

$2.37 ₺118

-13.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.64 ₺626

$13.42 ₺664

-5.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₺99.9

$2.40 ₺119

-15.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₺97.9

$3.48 ₺172

-43.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 ₺97.5

$0.89 ₺43.84

121.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺63.5

$1.29 ₺64.1

-0.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 ₺40.99

$0.92 ₺45.70

-9.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.41 ₺317

$10.96 ₺542

-41.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ₺66.2

$1.47 ₺72.9

-8.84%

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

$48.3K ₺2.4M

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-4.90%

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

$41.7K ₺2.1M

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-6.26%

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

$65.9 ₺3,264

$88.6 ₺4,387

-25.60%

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

$10.89 ₺539

$11.59 ₺574

-6.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.88 ₺885

$15.81 ₺783

13.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.02 ₺2,278

$77.2 ₺3,820

-40.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.5 ₺2,498

$22.74 ₺1,126

121.90%

Cinema Ticket

$5.69 ₺282

$8.14 ₺403

-30.10%

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

$1,043 ₺51.6K

$1,008 ₺49.9K

3.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ₺981.8K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-22.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 ₺2,697

$54.0 ₺2,671

0.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.66 ₺2,409

$40.83 ₺2,021

19.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,106

$98.9 ₺4,895

4.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 ₺4,728

$96.6 ₺4,783

-1.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 ₺21.5K

$985 ₺48.7K

-55.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₺17.9K

$650 ₺32.2K

-44.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 ₺21.7K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-77.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ₺23.9K

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-59.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,153 ₺57.1K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-63.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$863 ₺42.7K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

-28.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

43.57

40.92

6.48%

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

Last update for Zonguldak: 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

Zonguldak

$361 33.4%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 80.1% $289

Groceries & Markets

Zonguldak

$250 23.1%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 3.9% $9.7

Eating Out

Zonguldak

$168 15.6%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 32.6% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Zonguldak

$136 12.6%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 3.8% $5.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zonguldak

$95 8.8%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 22.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Zonguldak

$57 5.3%

Istanbul

$93 6% 62.8% $36

Getting Around

Zonguldak

$13 * 1.2%

Istanbul

$77 5% 478% $64

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $433 in Zonguldak 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 40% 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 $22.00 in Zonguldak versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $260 – making Zonguldak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Zonguldak

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

22:28 10:28 PM

Same time as Zonguldak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,395

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

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Zonguldak Istanbul 240 km

From you

Zonguldak
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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

Zonguldak vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,620 per month in Zonguldak 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 Zonguldak, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Zonguldak 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 4% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zonguldak, where all-in costs run around $1,080, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Zonguldak it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zonguldak – 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 Zonguldak. 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.