The cost of living in Bursa Turkey is relatively high. As the city of Bursa is the fourth largest city in Turkey in terms of area, and it is not far from Istanbul, the most important city in Turkey. In many statistics, Bursa became one of the most secure cities around the world. It was also classified in one of the statistics as one of the 50 best livable cities in the world.
Bursa is also known for its quality of education. It accepts many international students and has many opportunities, you can get to know more about the study opportunities here (https://www.studyinturkey.gov.tr/studyinturkey/CityDetail?cId=h4V6QD4MF5A=).
Bursa is also a first-class industrial city. In terms of cost of living in Bursa Turkey, it is clearly lower than Istanbul. But the cost of basic food commodities is slightly higher in Bursa than in other Turkish cities. Let’s get to know more about the cost of living in Bursa Turkey in details.
Accommodation cost of living in Bursa Turkey
Accommodation is always a challenge, especially when it comes to large central cities. In Bursa there are many residential neighborhoods, the most famous of which are: Yıldırım, Osman Ghazi, and Nilufer. They are areas with varying levels of apartment prices, and we usually find places near universities with the highest prices, such as Grokle.
The average price per meter square for an apartment in the center of the city is from 2500 to 3500 TL, if it’s outside of the city center it is from 1800 to 2500 TL. If you aren’t planning to buy an apartment but rent one then the average cost per month for a one-bedroom apartment in city center is 812 TL and 1728 TL for a three-bedroom apartment. If you’re looking for something cheaper you can rent outside the city center for 621 TL per month for one-bedroom apartment and 1136 TL for a three-bedroom apartment.
Check this guide about how to pick a home efficiently in Turkey
Food and groceries cost of living in Bursa Turkey
Food is actually one of the cheap affordable things in Bursa Turkey, unlike accommodation. You can find here a detailed grocery list:
Milk (1 liter): 4.30 TL
White Bread (200 g): 2.2 TL
Rice (1 kg): 7.33 TL
Eggs (12 pieces): 8.6 TL
Cheese (1 kg): 34.62 TL
Chicken (1 kg): 18.7 TL
Meat (1 kg): 69 TL
Apples (1 kg): 4.2 TL
Banana (1 kg): 9.39 TL
Oranges (1 kg): 4.3 TL
Tomato (1 kg): 4.75 TL
Potato (1 kg): 3.6 TL
Onion (1 kg): 3.69 TL
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught): from 10.5 TL to 20 TL
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle): from 14 TL to 25 TL
Cappuccino (regular): 9.3 TL
Coke (0.33 liter bottle): 3.35 TL
Water (1.5 liter bottle): 1.86 TL
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range): from 30 TL to 60 TL
Cigarettes 20 Pack: 15 TL
Transportation cost of living in Bursa Turkey
Luckily, transportation is relatively cheap in Bursa Turkey, and the best way to go around it. It is also very clean, convenient and fast with a variety of vehicles and means. There are busses, sea busses, shared taxis, tram, metrobuses, metros, cable cars, and ferries. One way ticket in public transportation can cost 2.6 TL. A pre-paid transportation card costs 150 TL.
If you have a car, 1 liter of gasoline would cost you around 6.79 Turkish liras. If you want to take a cab, the basic tariff would be 4 Turkish liras and for each kilometer you add around 3.3 Turkish liras.
Utilities and bills cost of living in Bursa Turkey
By comparing the household bills in Antalya with other European cities, you would find that it is relatively cheap. Which is also an added plus to living in Bursa Turkey and allows for a low cost of living budget.
Basic utilities for an 85-meter square apartment per month is 350 TL.
Water and sewage: from 50 to 60 TL per month.
Internet cost per month for 6mb per second 66.79 TL.
You can also get monthly maintenance services that ranges from 50 to 500 TL per month depending on services provided.
For mobile phone calls, one minute can cost 0.83 TL.
Dining out cost of living in Bursa Turkey
Dining out and trying cultural foods is a very important thing to add to your cost of living budget so that you get to experience important cultural sides through food, you can find here a price guide:
Meal in a cheap restaurant for two: 20 TL
Three-course Meal for two People in a mid-range restaurant: 60 TL
Fast Food Chains: 16.5 TL
Sports and other leisure activities cost of living
The average cost of 1 month gym subscription is around 125 TL.
Renting a tennis court to play with friends on weekends would cost around 50 TL an hour.
If you fancy a movie, going to a cinema would cost you 15 TL for 1 ticket.
Child care can cost around 990 TL per month for a child in the age of pre-school and younger. A primary international school would cost from 20,000 to 40,000 TL per year.
Medical care in Turkey is relatively of low cost, as governmental hospitals provide a discounted service for Turkey residents as long as they have a proof of identity or refugee identification card. This would serve well in planning your cost of living in Bursa Turkey.
If you’re planning to work in Bursa Turkey, the salary averages at 2,292 TL after tax reduction.
All in all, Bursa Turkey is an amazing place to live in, with its amazing nature, modern residential areas, and very convenient cost of living.
