It is crucial to know the cost of living in Izmir if you are looking for residency in Turkey as it is one of the most important Turkish cities, as it is the second most important commercial center in Turkey after Istanbul, and the third busiest city in Turkey. It is also the first export port in the country and the most important industrial city of Turkey.
It has recently attracted the attention of tourists because it has many nice attractions, cultural, and multiple means of entertainment. With regards to the cost of living in Izmir, it is considered an above-average city, but it is lower than the city of Istanbul. Let’s learn about the cost of living in Izmir in details.
Accommodation cost of living in Izmir
Accommodation is always a challenge, especially when it comes to large central cities.
The average price per meter square for an apartment in the center of the city is 5000 TL, if it’s outside of the city center it is 3072 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 1315 TL and 2328 TL for a three-bedroom apartment. If you’re looking for something cheaper you can rent outside the city center for 821 TL per month for one-bedroom apartment and 1453 TL for a three-bedroom apartment.
Food and groceries cost of living in Izmir
Food is actually one of the cheap affordable things in Izmir, unlike accommodation. You can find here a detailed grocery list:
Milk (1 liter): 3.59 TL
White Bread (200 g): 2.36 TL
Rice (1 kg): 7.9 TL
Eggs (12 pieces): 9.42 TL
Cheese (1 kg): 29.5 TL
Chicken (1 kg): 18.23 TL
Meat (1 kg): 56.72 TL
Apples (1 kg): 4.63 TL
Banana (1 kg): 8.56 TL
Oranges (1 kg): 4.1 TL
Tomato (1 kg): 4.39 TL
Potato (1 kg): 3.41 TL
Onion (1 kg): 3.65 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): from 8 TL to 15 TL
Coke (0.33 liter bottle): from 2.50 TL to 7 TL
Water (1.5 liter bottle): 1.92 TL
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range): from 30 TL to 60 TL
Cigarettes 20 Pack: 13 TL
Transportation cost of living in Izmir
Luckily, transportation is relatively cheap in Izmir, 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 3 TL. A pre-paid transportation card costs 180 TL.
If you have a car, 1 liter of gasoline would cost you around 6.5 Turkish liras. If you want to take a cab, the basic tariff would be 3.9 Turkish liras and for each kilometer you add around 3.1 Turkish liras.
Utilities and bills cost of living in Izmir
By comparing the household bills in Izmir with other European cities, you would find that it is relatively cheap. Which is also an added plus to living in Izmir and allows for a low cost of living budget.
Basic utilities for an 85-meter square apartment per month is 276.88 TL.
Water and sewage: from 50 to 60 TL per month.
Internet cost per month for 6mb per second 79.16 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 0.63 TL.
Dining out cost of living in Izmir
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: 80 TL
Fast Food Chains: 19TL
Sports and other leisure activities cost of living
The average cost of 1 month gym subscription is around 138 TL.
Renting a tennis court to play with friends on weekends would cost around 96 TL an hour.
If you fancy a movie, going to a cinema would cost you 40TL for 2 tickets.
Shopping in Izmir
Shopping comes at a convenient price, you can but a pair of jeans at the price of 189 TL from a famous chain store. A summer dress for 158 TL. A medium quality sneaker for 380 TL. Men’s shoes for 334 TL.
Medical care in Turkey is a relatively low cost, as governmental hospitals provide a discounted service for Turkey residents as long as they have proof of identity or refugee identification card. This would serve well in planning your cost of living in Izmir. Check the following link for more information about medical centers in Turkey
If you’re planning to work in Izmir, the salary averages at 2281 TL after tax reduction.
You can know all about the cost of studying in Turkey
Here
All in all, Izmir is an amazing place to live in, with its amazing nature, modern residential areas, and very convenient cost of living.
