The cost of living in Kocaeli is very convenient if you’re thinking of residing in it. The city of Kocaeli is a Turkish coastal city located on the Sea of Marmara in northern Turkey and is considered an important industrial and tourist center in Turkey. Considering the cost of living in Kocaeli, we find it is not high, despite its proximity to Istanbul, as it is only 5 minutes away from Istanbul by car.
The monthly cost of a family consisting of 4 individuals, without calculating the housing rent, is about 7990 Turkish liras compared to Istanbul, which costs a monthly living for 4 people about 10,000 Turkish liras. You can know more about the history of Kocaeli throught this link (http://koto.org.tr/en/history-of-kocaeli-cd-5c534709154c5). Let’s get to know more details about the cost of living in Kocaeli.
Accommodation cost of living in Kocaeli
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 3500 TL, if it’s outside of the city center it is 1850 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 880 TL and 1400 TL for a three-bedroom apartment. If you’re looking for something cheaper you can rent outside the city center for 625 TL per month for one-bedroom apartment and 991 TL for a three-bedroom apartment.
Food and groceries cost of living in Kocaeli
Food is actually one of the cheap affordable things in Kocaeli, unlike accommodation. You can find here a detailed grocery list:
Milk (1 liter): 3.88 TL
White Bread (200 g): 2.75 TL
Rice (1 kg): 8.6 TL
Eggs (12 pieces): 8.42 TL
Cheese (1 kg): 28.33 TL
Chicken (1 kg): 19TL
Meat (1 kg): 51 TL
Apples (1 kg): 4.42 TL
Banana (1 kg): 8.75 TL
Oranges (1 kg): 4.32 TL
Tomato (1 kg): 4.77 TL
Potato (1 kg): 4.55 TL
Onion (1 kg): 4.04 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): 13.5 TL
Coke (0.33 liter bottle): 4.56 TL
Water (1.5 liter bottle): 2.24 TL
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range): from 30 TL to 60 TL
Cigarettes 20 Pack: 18 TL
Transportation cost of living in Kocaeli
Luckily, transportation is relatively cheap in Kocaeli, 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 2.75 TL. A pre-paid transportation card costs 130 TL.
If you have a car, 1 liter of gasoline would cost you around 6.6 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 Turkish liras.
Check this article for more information about buses and public transportation in Turkey
Utilities and bills cost of living in Kocaeli
By comparing the household bills in Kocaeli with other European cities, you would find that it is relatively cheap. Which is also an added plus to living in Kocaeli and allows for a low cost of living budget.
Basic utilities for an 85-meter square apartment per month is 451 TL.
Water and sewage: from 50 to 60 TL per month.
Internet cost per month for 6mb per second 76 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 0.41 TL.
Dining out cost of living in Kocaeli
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: 18 TL
Three-course Meal for two People in a mid-range restaurant: 80 TL
Fast Food Chains: 15 TL
Sports and other leisure activities cost of living
The average cost of 1 month gym subscription is around 155 TL.
Renting a tennis court to play with friends on weekends would cost around 75 TL an hour.
If you fancy a movie, going to a cinema would cost you 15.5 TL for 1 ticket.
Child care can cost around 1320 TL per month for a child in the age of pre-school and younger. A primary international school would cost 15,000 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 Kocaeli.
If you’re planning to work in Kocaeli, the salary averages at 2580 TL after tax reduction.
All in all, Kocaeli is an amazing place to live in, with its amazing nature, modern residential areas, and very convenient cost of living.
