What US$500 buys in Istanbul

With US$500 in Istanbul, the basket holds 40 products across 10 categories and totals 77.4%.

Prices collected on November 8, 2026

Fresh fish laid out on round red trays at a market stall
A fish stall near the Spice Bazaar.Photo: Derzsi Elekes Andor, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

At the November 8, 2026 exchange rate, US$500 comes to about TRY 25,076.44.

Where the money goes

Share of the budget by category in this basket.

Clothing31%
Meat & fish16%
Footwear13%
Personal care13%
Pantry staples7%
Cleaning & paper6%
Fruit & vegetables5%
Dairy & eggs5%
Quick meals & snacks3%
Snacks & drinks1%

What the basket holds

ProductQuantityCost
Milk - 1 L6 × 1 LTRY 316.50
Eggs - 10 pieces3 × 10 piecesTRY 269.25
Rice - 1 kg5 × 1 kgTRY 404.75
Pasta - 500 g5 × 0.5 kgTRY 182.50
Bread - 500 g3 × 0.5 kgTRY 195.00
Cooking oil - 1 L5 × 1 LTRY 629.75
Chicken - 1 kg2 kgTRY 274.96
Beef - 1 kg1.5 kgTRY 1,454.91
Ground beef - 1 kg1.5 kgTRY 1,319.85
Potatoes - 1 kg5 kgTRY 202.10
Tomatoes - 1 kg2 kgTRY 213.92
Onions - 1 kg3 kgTRY 116.76
Bananas - 1 kg2 kgTRY 239.92
Apples - 1 kg3 kgTRY 247.32
Yogurt - 1 kg3 × 1 kgTRY 291.69
Drinking water - 1.5 L6 × 1.5 LTRY 160.38
Shampoo - 400 ml2 × 0.4 LTRY 438.00
Shower gel - 400 ml2 × 0.4 LTRY 313.00
Bar soap - 100 g6 × 0.1 kgTRY 175.86
Liquid soap - 500 ml2 × 0.5 LTRY 147.90
Toothpaste - 100 ml3 × 0.1 LTRY 537.00
Toothbrush - 1 piece3 × 1 pieceTRY 239.70
Deodorant - 150 ml2 × 0.15 LTRY 580.00
Toilet paper - 4 rolls3 × 4 piecesTRY 102.78
Paper towels - 2 rolls3 × 2 piecesTRY 93.00
Laundry detergent - 1.5 L2 × 1.5 LTRY 498.00
Dishwashing liquid - 500 ml2 × 0.5 LTRY 128.82
Multi-purpose cleaner - 1 L2 × 1 LTRY 122.50
Trash bags - 20 pieces3 × 20 piecesTRY 240.00
Basic cotton T-shirt - 1 piece3 × 1 pieceTRY 1,139.97
Jeans - 1 pair2 × 1 pieceTRY 2,299.98
Shorts - 1 pair1 × 1 pieceTRY 999.99
Socks - 3-pack2 × 3 piecesTRY 539.88
Casual sneakers - 1 pair2 × 1 pieceTRY 2,599.98
Instant noodles - 1 pack10 × 1 pieceTRY 198.50
Individually packaged cake - 1 piece6 × 1 pieceTRY 106.98
Biscuits - 1 pack6 × 1 pieceTRY 155.70
Chocolate bar - 1 bar6 × 1 pieceTRY 205.38
Gloves - 1 pair2 × 1 pieceTRY 449.98
Beanie - 1 piece2 × 1 pieceTRY 579.98

How these prices were read

Prices come from public shop pages and haven't been independently verified. The Data & methodology page has the details. Data & methodology

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Questions people ask

What does US$500 buy in Istanbul?

A basket of 40 products across 10 categories. The biggest shares of the budget go to clothing (31%), meat & fish (16%), and footwear (13%).

How much is US$100 in Turkish lira?

At the reference rate of November 8, 2026, US$100 comes to about TRY 5,015.28.

Where do these prices come from?

Prices come from public shop pages and haven't been independently verified. The Data & methodology page has the details.

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