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The Istanbul Planning Agency (IPA) has calculated the average monthly cost of living for a family of four in Türkiye’s largest city at ₺90,032 ($2,320) as of April 2025, marking a 2.9% rise from the previous month and a significant 51.7% increase compared to the same period last year.
To put this into context, the reported figure is over four times higher than the net minimum wage of ₺22,104, underscoring the growing financial burden on households.
One of the more striking insights in the report concerns individuals living alone in Istanbul, whose average monthly living cost has reached ₺36,522. This amount equates to roughly 1.65 times the national minimum wage, according to IPA.
According to the report, education-related expenses posted the sharpest rise among all major spending categories in Istanbul, followed closely by housing and personal care. These three areas continue to drive the overall cost of living higher, reflecting the growing financial strain on households. On a monthly basis, communication and housing expenses recorded the most significant increases, suggesting that pressures on essential services are not only persistent but accelerating.
Although some categories, such as clothing and transportation, showed modest short-term declines, their prices remain significantly higher compared to the same period last year, indicating that any monthly relief has done little to reverse broader inflation trends.
The cost of food continues to climb, with key staples such as coffee and eggs seeing steep annual increases. Even on a monthly basis, several items in the food basket, like pasta and vermicelli, registered notable price hikes, underscoring the impact of inflation on everyday consumption.
Personal care and hygiene products also contributed to the rising cost of living. While certain items showed slight decreases from the previous month, the overall category still reflects a strong upward trend over the past year.
Surging living costs in Istanbul reflect Türkiye’s broader inflationary trend, which peaked at 75.5% in May 2024, according to official data. However, as the government has implemented monetary tightening measures to rein in excessive demand since mid-2023, annual inflation has been declining for 11 consecutive months, falling to 37.89% in April.
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