Cost of Living · AE vs TR
🇦🇪 Dubai vs 🇹🇷 Istanbul: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,546 in United Arab Emirates vs $745 in Türkiye — 51.79% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Türkiye
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -56.84%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -56.84%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -56.84%
Closest to United Arab Emirates prices
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: -20.73%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -21.33%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -21.34%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | United Arab Emirates | Türkiye | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $1,058 | $457 (18,014 TRY) | -56.84% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $846 | $365 (14,411 TRY) | -56.84% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $1,934 | $835 (32,941 TRY) | -56.84% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $12.12 | $6.26 (247 TRY) | -48.35% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $50.50 | $26.10 (1,030 TRY) | -48.32% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $7.68 | $4.21 (166 TRY) | -45.18% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.83 | $0.51 (20 TRY) | -38.55% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $2.40 | $1.48 (58 TRY) | -38.33% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $2.55 | $1.58 (62 TRY) | -38.04% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $7.50 | $4.64 (183 TRY) | -38.13% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $3.00 | $1.86 (73 TRY) | -38% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $3.60 | $2.23 (88 TRY) | -38.06% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $9.00 | $5.57 (220 TRY) | -38.11% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.50 | $0.93 (37 TRY) | -38% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $4.04 | $2.09 (82 TRY) | -48.27% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $6.93 | $5.45 (215 TRY) | -21.36% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $3.37 | $1.74 (69 TRY) | -48.37% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.73 | $1.07 (42 TRY) | -38.15% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $45.37 | $24.90 (982 TRY) | -45.12% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $1.92 | $1.05 (41 TRY) | -45.31% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $2.69 | $1.39 (55 TRY) | -48.33% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.21 | $0.63 (25 TRY) | -47.93% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.82 | $0.65 (26 TRY) | -20.73% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $140 | $76.60 (3,022 TRY) | -45.13% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $48.86 | $26.81 (1,058 TRY) | -45.13% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $31.41 | $17.24 (680 TRY) | -45.11% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $33.67 | $17.40 (687 TRY) | -48.32% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $9.43 | $4.87 (192 TRY) | -48.36% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $20.20 | $10.44 (412 TRY) | -48.32% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $47.63 | $37.47 (1,478 TRY) | -21.33% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $77.94 | $61.31 (2,419 TRY) | -21.34% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $168 | $86.99 (3,432 TRY) | -48.32% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is Türkiye than United Arab Emirates?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $745 in Türkiye versus $1,546 in United Arab Emirates — 51.79% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Türkiye?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $2.09 in Türkiye (≈ 82.46 TRY), versus about $4.04 in United Arab Emirates.
- How much is rent in Türkiye compared to United Arab Emirates?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $457/month in Türkiye versus $1,058/month in United Arab Emirates (-56.84%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.