Salary Equivalence

Istanbul

Istanbul, Turkey — cost-of-living and salary purchasing-power profile with a price-level index of 35.0 (New York City = 100).

Key figures

Price level index35.0
Rent index26.0
Population15,462,000

About Istanbul

Istanbul has a composite price-level index of 35.0 (New York City = 100) and a rent index of 26.0, making it a relatively affordable city. It is home to roughly 15.5 million people and uses the TRY. The calculators below convert any salary to and from Istanbul so you can judge a move in real purchasing-power terms rather than raw currency.

The comparisons below show how Istanbul stacks up against the alternatives people most often weigh against it, with the specific numbers laid out side by side.

Frequently asked questions

How expensive is Istanbul?

Istanbul has a composite price-level index of 35.0 (NYC = 100) and a rent index of 26.0.

What currency is used in Istanbul?

Istanbul uses the TRY.

DE
Dr. Elena Vasquez
Lead Economist, Cost-of-Living Research

Elena holds a PhD in Economics and has spent 12 years modelling purchasing-power parity and regional price indices.

PhD Economics, LSEFormer OECD statistics fellow
✓ Reviewed by Priya Nair, Data Quality Reviewer.
Last updated 2026-06-01

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