Cost of living in Istanbul
Extraordinary value in dollars, dense transit and real coastline — priced against a currency that keeps moving.
Build your own budget
Monthly spending by category: Housing $700, Food $384, Transport $67, Utilities $112, Healthcare $16, Lifestyle $84, Other $53.
1-bed, city centre Median advertised rent for this unit type Estimated $700
Salary and tax in Istanbul
| Gross salary (USD/yr) | Income tax | Social contributions | Take-home / month | Effective rate | Left after costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $12,090 | $6,000 | $1,826 | 45.2% | $409 |
| $75,000 | $24,340 | $11,250 | $3,284 | 47.5% | $1,868 |
| $120,000 | $41,768 | $18,000 | $5,019 | 49.8% | $3,603 |
| $200,000 | $73,768 | $30,000 | $8,019 | 51.9% | $6,603 |
- Brackets are indexed to inflation annually and move quickly.
People who actually live in Istanbul
Quality of life
A year of weather in Istanbul
Average monthly temperature in Istanbul: January 8.1 degrees, February 6.7 degrees, March 10.1 degrees, April 12.8 degrees, May 16.2 degrees, June 22.9 degrees, July 26.2 degrees, August 25.5 degrees, September 21.8 degrees, October 16.8 degrees, November 13.5 degrees, December 9.4 degrees. The shaded band is the average daily high and low.
Where these numbers come from
Share of this budget, weighted by money rather than by field count, that rests on a published source rather than our model.
- Measured0%
- Taken directly from a published source. No modelling in between.
- Derived40%
- Anchored to a measured source, then adjusted. The adjustment is stated.
- Estimated60%
- Modelled from regional relationships. Nobody measured this one.
Prices in Istanbul
| Item | USD | TRY |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (monthly rent) | ||
| One-bedroom, city centre | $700 | TRY 34,819 |
| One-bedroom, outside the centre | $500 | TRY 24,871 |
| Three-bedroom, city centre | $1,400 | TRY 69,638 |
| Three-bedroom, outside the centre | $950 | TRY 47,255 |
| Buy price per m², city centre | $3,200 | TRY 159,174 |
| Bills | ||
| Utilities, 85m² apartment | $130 | TRY 6,466 |
| Home internet, 60 Mbps+ | $17 | TRY 846 |
| Mobile plan | $10 | TRY 497 |
| Food | ||
| Groceries, one adult per month | $245 | TRY 12,187 |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | $7.15 | TRY 356 |
| Three-course dinner for two | $41 | TRY 2,039 |
| Coffee | $2.55 | TRY 127 |
| Beer in a bar | $4.09 | TRY 203 |
| Transport | ||
| Monthly transit pass | $36 | TRY 1,791 |
| Taxi, per km | $0.87 | TRY 43 |
| Petrol, per litre | $1.50 | TRY 75 |
| Health, family & lifestyle | ||
| Health insurance, per adult | $60 | TRY 2,985 |
| Doctor visit, out of pocket | $30 | TRY 1,492 |
| Full-time childcare, one child | $400 | TRY 19,897 |
| International school, per year | $14,000 | TRY 696,385 |
| Gym membership | $28 | TRY 1,393 |
| Cinema ticket | $4.99 | TRY 248 |
Prices are held in USD and converted at the August 2026 snapshot rate. Last reviewed 2026-08-01. Every figure carries its own provenance — see where these numbers come from.
Living and working here
Digital-nomad visa for remote workers under 55 with proof of income; short-term residence permits are also common.
1 USD ≈ TRY 49.74
Europe/Istanbul
mediterranean climate
Compare Istanbul with…
Getting set up in Istanbul
The things people end up arranging in the first month in Istanbul — usually in roughly this order. We have picked services that work before you have local residency, which is the constraint that catches most people out.
- AiraloesimData eSIM for the first weeks before you get a local number.
- SafetyWinginsuranceHealth and travel cover written for people living outside their home country.
- WisetransferMoving money between currencies without the bank spread.
- RevolutbankingA multi-currency account that works before you have local residency.
- Kiwi.comflightsOne-way and multi-city routing for a move rather than a return trip.
- Booking.comstaysSomewhere to land for the first month while you look at flats.
These are affiliate links: if you sign up, we may be paid a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change what any of them costs, and it has no bearing on the numbers anywhere else on this page — those come from the model, not from anyone paying us.
Know what things really cost here?
No submissions yet. Yours would be the first.
We publish the median, not the mean — one mis-keyed rent should not move the number.
Frequently asked
How much money do you need per month to live in Istanbul?
A single adult renting a one-bedroom in the centre and living moderately needs roughly $1,416 a month, of which $700 is rent. A couple sharing that flat needs about $1,940, and a family of four in a three-bedroom outside the centre with childcare needs about $3,712.
Is Istanbul expensive?
On our index Istanbul scores 22 where New York is 100 — about 78% below New York for the same household. The average local net salary of $800 a month covers 0.6× that budget.
What salary do you need in Istanbul?
To cover the single-adult budget of $1,416 a month after tax, you need roughly $30,000 gross a year — before any saving. Add 30–40% on top if you want to save meaningfully.
How much is rent in Istanbul?
A one-bedroom in the centre averages $700 a month, $500 outside the centre. A three-bedroom runs $1,400 central and $950 further out.
Can you work remotely from Istanbul?
Digital-nomad visa for remote workers under 55 with proof of income; short-term residence permits are also common.
Sources
- World Bank – ICP price level & PPP indicators— price levels, purchasing power normalisation
- OECD – Prices and purchasing power parities— price levels, household consumption
- Open-Meteo historical climate archive— climate
- exchangerate.host / ECB reference rates— currency conversion
Figures are modelled estimates built for comparison between cities, not a quote for any individual. Read the full methodology.