Cost of living in Istanbul, Turkey

Summary of cost of living in Istanbul

  • Family of four estimated monthly costs: 12,237TL
  • Single person estimated monthly costs: 5,215TL
  • Istanbul is the most expensive city in Turkey (1 out of 4)
  • Cost of living in Istanbul is cheaper than in 71% of cities in Middle East (12 out of 17)
  • Cost of living in Istanbul is cheaper than in 88% of cities in the World (225 out of 257)

List of prices in Istanbul, Turkey. Current as of Apr 2020.

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Food [Edit]
Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district 38TL
Combo meal in fast food restaurant (big mac meal or similar) 24TL
500 gr (1 lb.) of boneless chicken breast 13TL
1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk 4.76TL
12 eggs, large 12TL
1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes 5.56TL
500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese 20TL
1 kg (2 lb.) of apples 4.88TL
1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes 4.01TL
0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket 12TL
1 bottle of red table wine, good quality 69TL
2 liters of coca-cola 5.27TL
Bread for 2 people for 1 day 2.04TL
Housing [Edit]
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in expensive area 3,546TL
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in normal area 2,252TL
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 2 people in 85m2 flat 611TL
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in expensive area 2,624TL
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in normal area 1,605TL
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 1 person in 45 m2 (480 sqft) studio 424TL
Internet 8 mbps (1 month) 65TL
40” flat screen tv 2,472TL
Microwave 800/900 watt (bosch, panasonic, lg, sharp, or equivalent brands) 524TL
Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) 32TL
Hourly rate for cleaning help 25TL
Clothes [Edit]
1 pair of jeans (levis 501 or similar) 256TL
1 summer dress in a high street store (zara, h&m or similar retailers) 169TL
1 pair of sport shoes (nike, adidas, or equivalent brands) 417TL
1 pair of men’s leather business shoes 335TL
Transportation [Edit]
Volkswagen golf 1.4 tsi 150 cv (or equivalent), with no extras, new 169,598TL
1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas 7TL
Monthly ticket public transport 195TL
Taxi trip on a business day, basic tariff, 8 km. (5 miles) 31TL
Personal Care [Edit]
Cold medicine for 6 days (tylenol, frenadol, coldrex, or equivalent brands) 17TL
1 box of antibiotics (12 doses) 26TL
Short visit to private doctor (15 minutes) 216TL
1 box of 32 tampons (tampax, ob, ...) 20TL
Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) 19TL
Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) 19TL
4 rolls of toilet paper 11TL
Tube of toothpaste 17TL
Standard men's haircut in expat area of the city 42TL
Entertainment [Edit]
Basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub 98TL
2 tickets to the movies 52TL
2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) 178TL
Dinner for two at an italian restaurant in the expat area including appetisers, main course, wine and dessert 250TL
1 cocktail drink in downtown club 51TL
Cappuccino in expat area of the city 14TL
1 beer in neighbourhood pub (500ml or 1pt.) 21TL
Ipad wi-fi 128gb 2,935TL
1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) 0.85TL
1 month of gym membership in business district 186TL
1 package of marlboro cigarettes 17TL
These prices are based on abundant and consistent data. They are very reliable. They are based on 3,777 prices entered by 488 different people.
Latest price update: April 09, 2020

Moving to Istanbul with your children?

International Schools in Istanbul

Istanbul position in our World Ranking

the world
225th
out of 257
middle east
12th
out of 17
turkey
1st
out of 4

Cheapest and most expensive products in Istanbul compared to other cities:

the world
2nd
the world
4th
the world
5th
middle east
2nd
middle east
2nd
middle east
2nd

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Furnished accommodation in EXPENSIVE area

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International Cost of Living Index

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Prices recently added

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