cost
Cost of Living Index
Istanbul75.6 / 0
İzmir70.9 / 100
Comparison
Side-by-side data for relocation, travel, hiring, and investment decisions. Values are shown with source-backed metric definitions so trade-offs are easy to compare.
Bars and radar use 0-100 better scores. Tooltips keep the raw source values visible.
Chart summary: İzmir leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; İzmir leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; Istanbul leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; İzmir leads House Price to Income with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | Istanbul | 75.6 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | İzmir | 70.9 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | Istanbul | 49.3 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | İzmir | 60.2 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | Istanbul | $2,049 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | İzmir | $2,181 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Istanbul | 13.2x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | İzmir | 9.7x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Istanbul | $4,401/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | İzmir | $4,003/mo | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Istanbul | 6.6% | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | İzmir | 13.0% | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | Istanbul | 87.2 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | İzmir | 83.7 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Istanbul | 73.3 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | İzmir | 76.8 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
No clear winner across 22 metrics.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
Istanbul leads rent, salary, and jobs; İzmir leads cost, safety, and housing.
cost
Istanbul
75.6
İzmir
70.9
safety
Istanbul
49.3
İzmir
60.2
housing
Istanbul
$2,049
İzmir
$2,181
housing
Istanbul
13.2x
İzmir
9.7x
jobs
Istanbul
$4,401/mo
İzmir
$4,003/mo
jobs
Istanbul
6.6%
İzmir
13.0%
health
Istanbul
87.2
İzmir
83.7
health
Istanbul
73.3 years
İzmir
76.8 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
Istanbul
0.3%
İzmir
1.1%
education
Istanbul
64.3
İzmir
69
transport
Istanbul
74.7
İzmir
47.3
safety
Istanbul
14.5 per 100k
İzmir
20.9 per 100k
safety
Istanbul
39.6 per 100k
İzmir
16.4 per 100k
health
Istanbul
23.7%
İzmir
25.3%
quality
Istanbul
5.5
İzmir
3.4
housing
Istanbul
$8,591/sqm
İzmir
$8,777/sqm
religion
Istanbul
60.4%
İzmir
64.4%
religion
Istanbul
14.5%
İzmir
23.2%
religion
Istanbul
61.5%
İzmir
77.6%
Some city-level values are modeled estimates when official city-level data is unavailable.
Each metric keeps its source, year, last refreshed date, and confidence label visible. Review methodology or Data Sources.