Seoul vs Istanbul Cost of Living
Seoul (South Korea) · Overall index 53.3 — Istanbul (Türkiye) · Overall index 38.0
Summary
- Overall, Istanbul is 29% cheaper than Seoul.
- Dining out in Istanbul is 36% cheaper than in Seoul.
- Transport in Istanbul is 34% cheaper than in Seoul.
| Item | Seoul | Istanbul | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -31% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,128 | $834 | -26% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $885 | $681 | -23% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,631 | $1,641 | -38% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,576 | $1,017 | -35% |
| Groceries | -27% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.97 | $0.59 | -39% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.03 | $1.97 | -35% |
| Rice (1kg) | $3.33 | $2.57 | -23% |
| Eggs (12) | $3.32 | $2.68 | -19% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $9.47 | $7.92 | -16% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $8.39 | $6.79 | -19% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $14.8 | $9.75 | -34% |
| Apples (1kg) | $4.15 | $3.01 | -27% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.53 | $0.95 | -38% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $3.36 | $2.33 | -31% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $3.73 | $2.89 | -23% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.22 | $1.67 | -25% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.86 | $1.52 | -18% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.71 | $1.42 | -17% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.67 | $1.12 | -33% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $11.7 | $7.89 | -33% |
| Transport | -34% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.68 | $1 | -40% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $68.9 | $46.8 | -32% |
| Taxi, base fare | $2.76 | $1.8 | -35% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.34 | $0.89 | -34% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.53 | $0.4 | -25% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $18,844 | $12,051 | -36% |
| Dining out | -36% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $14.8 | $9.61 | -35% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $84.8 | $46.8 | -45% |
| Fast food combo meal | $7.96 | $5.61 | -30% |
| Cappuccino | $3.11 | $2.14 | -31% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.89 | $1.11 | -41% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $4.53 | $3.04 | -33% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $5.53 | $3.62 | -35% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.43 | $0.87 | -39% |
| Telecom | -18% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $45.1 | $37.5 | -17% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $47.3 | $40.2 | -15% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.22 | $0.18 | -18% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $11.3 | $8.91 | -21% |
| Utilities & household | -27% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $130 | $96 | -26% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.16 | $0.1 | -37% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $3.13 | $2.38 | -24% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.03 | $0.77 | -25% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $15.9 | $10.9 | -31% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $60.9 | $42.1 | -31% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $9.46 | $8.61 | -9% |
| Men's haircut | $22.9 | $15.3 | -33% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $16.6 | $11.8 | -29% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,561 | $1,178 | -25% |
3,024 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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