TR flag
Bursa

Turkey

vs
TR flag
Istanbul

Turkey

Climate

Bursa logs 26 hot days a year to Istanbul's 9 — Istanbul wins by 17. Bursa also leads on outdoor-dinner months by 1.

BursaIstanbul
Sunny days
219225
Hot days
269
Frost days
190
Rain days
107109
Snow days
20
Outdoor dinner months
5/124/12
Avg wind
2.1 m/s4.5 m/s
Sunshine hours
2,5152,562
Darkest month sun
107 hrs/mo106 hrs/mo
UV peak month
8.98.4

Bursa

Feels-like °C

2
4
8
14
20
25
27
28
24
16
11
7

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Istanbul

Feels-like °C

-2
1
4
9
15
22
25
25
21
13
8
4

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Istanbul averages $1,616/mo for balanced living; Bursa has no cost baseline yet.

Bursa

monthly · balanced

Istanbul

$1,616

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,190Comfort $3,242
Top 53%in Among 15 Middle East cities

Mobility

Istanbul scores 3.2 on mobility (0–5 scale); Bursa has no mobility baseline.

/5
vs
3.2/5
BursaIstanbul
WalkabilityTransitMotorbikeFlightsAirport

Culture

Istanbul's culture score of 4.2 sits well above Bursa's 0.0.

0.0/5
vs
4.2/5
BursaIstanbul
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Istanbul leads

Nature & Outdoors

Istanbul scores 3.8 on nature & outdoors (0–5 scale); Bursa has no nature & outdoors baseline.

/5
vs
3.8/5
BursaIstanbul
SeaForestGreen AreasLakesRunningCampingBeach

Safety

Istanbul scores 1.6 on safety (0–5 scale); Bursa has no safety baseline.

/5
vs
1.6/5
BursaIstanbul
Street SafetyProperty CrimeRoadEarthquake

Career

Istanbul scores 3.8 on career (0–5 scale); Bursa has no career baseline.

/5
vs
3.8/5
BursaIstanbul
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking

Social & Community

Istanbul scores 3.6 on social & community (0–5 scale); Bursa has no social & community baseline.

/5
vs
3.6/5
BursaIstanbul
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support

Food & Dining

Istanbul scores 3.6 on food & dining (0–5 scale); Bursa has no food & dining baseline.

/5
vs
3.6/5
BursaIstanbul
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery

Family

Istanbul scores 2.9 on family (0–5 scale); Bursa has no family baseline.

/5
vs
2.9/5
BursaIstanbul
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesGroceriesGymYogaSpa

Healthcare

Istanbul scores 4.1 on healthcare (0–5 scale); Bursa has no healthcare baseline.

/5
vs
4.1/5
BursaIstanbul
Private Healthcare

Air Quality

Bursa averages 22.5 µg/m³ (sensitive-groups) PM2.5 annually versus Istanbul's 18.7 µg/m³ (sensitive-groups) — Istanbul breathes ~17% cleaner air (3.8 µg/m³ lower).

Bursa

Istanbul

22.5µg/m³
18.7µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Sensitive Groups
Sensitive Groups

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Bursa (2.4M) and Istanbul (14.2M) are 6.0x in population — Istanbul is the larger metro, Bursa the smaller; on land area Istanbul spans roughly 5.9x more ground.

5.9x

Istanbul is roughly 5.9x the scale of Bursa

Combined population & area comparison

TR flagIstanbul
5.9x
TR flagBursa
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.TR flagIstanbul14.2M6.0x
2.TR flagBursa2.4M1x
Area
1.TR flagIstanbul1,269 km²5.9x
2.TR flagBursa216 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
30 km15 km

TR flagBursa

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
83 km52 km

TR flagIstanbul

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Bursa vs Istanbul

Which is cheaper, Bursa or Istanbul?
Istanbul has an estimated monthly cost of $1,616.
How does the climate compare between Bursa and Istanbul?
Sunny days: 219 vs 225 d — Similar Annual sunshine: 2,515 vs 2,562 hrs — Similar Winter sunshine: 107 vs 106 hrs/day — Similar Hot days (>30°C): 26 vs 9 d — Istanbul lower Frost days: 19 vs 0 d — Istanbul lower Rainy days: 107 vs 109 d — Similar Snowy days: 2 vs 0 d — Similar
Is Bursa or Istanbul safer?
Istanbul has a safety score of 1.6/5.
Should I move to Bursa or Istanbul?
Bursa and Istanbul are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Bursa and Istanbul stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

Take the free diagnostic

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