TR flag
Erzurum

Turkey

vs
TR flag
Istanbul

Turkey

Climate

Erzurum logs 4 hot days a year to Istanbul's 9 — Erzurum wins by 5. Istanbul also leads on outdoor-dinner months by 2.

ErzurumIstanbul
Sunny days
244225
Hot days
49
Frost days
1610
Rainy days
91109
Snow days
400
Outdoor dinner months
2/124/12
Avg wind
1.9 m/s4.5 m/s
Sunshine hours
2,6482,562
Darkest month sun
116 hrs/mo106 hrs/mo
UV peak month
9.28.4

Erzurum

Feels-like °C

-6
-3
2
9
13
20
23
25
19
10
2
-4

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; Erzurum has no cost baseline yet.

Erzurum

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); Erzurum has no mobility baseline.

/5
vs
3.2/5
ErzurumIstanbul
WalkabilityTransitMotorbikeFlightsAirport

Culture

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

0.0/5
vs
4.2/5
ErzurumIstanbul
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Istanbul leads

Nature & Outdoors

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

/5
vs
3.8/5
ErzurumIstanbul
SeaForestGreen AreasLakesRunningCampingBeach

Safety

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

/5
vs
1.6/5
ErzurumIstanbul
Street SafetyProperty CrimeRoadEarthquake

Career

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

/5
vs
3.8/5
ErzurumIstanbul
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking

Social & Community

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

/5
vs
3.6/5
ErzurumIstanbul
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); Erzurum has no food & dining baseline.

/5
vs
3.6/5
ErzurumIstanbul
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery

Family

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

/5
vs
2.9/5
ErzurumIstanbul
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesGroceriesGymYogaSpa

Healthcare

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

/5
vs
4.1/5
ErzurumIstanbul
Private Healthcare

Air Quality

Erzurum averages 24.0 µg/m³ (sensitive-groups) PM2.5 annually versus Istanbul's 18.7 µg/m³ (sensitive-groups) — Istanbul breathes ~22% cleaner air (5.3 µg/m³ lower).

Erzurum

Istanbul

24.0µg/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.

Erzurum (163K) and Istanbul (14.2M) are 87x in population — Istanbul is the larger metro, Erzurum the smaller; on land area Istanbul spans roughly 47x more ground.

64x

Istanbul is roughly 64x the scale of Erzurum

Combined population & area comparison

TR flagIstanbul
64x
TR flagErzurum
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.TR flagIstanbul14.2M87x
2.TR flagErzurum163K1x
Area
1.TR flagIstanbul1,269 km²47x
2.TR flagErzurum27 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
6.6 km8.0 km

TR flagErzurum

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

TR flagIstanbul

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Erzurum vs Istanbul

Which is cheaper, Erzurum or Istanbul?
Istanbul has an estimated monthly cost of $1,616.
How does the climate compare between Erzurum and Istanbul?
Sunny days: 244 vs 225 d — Erzurum higher Annual sunshine: 2,648 vs 2,562 hrs — Similar Winter sunshine: 116 vs 106 hrs/day — Similar Hot days (>30°C): 4 vs 9 d — Erzurum lower Frost days: 161 vs 0 d — Istanbul lower Rainy days: 91 vs 109 d — Erzurum lower Snowy days: 40 vs 0 d — Istanbul lower
Is Erzurum or Istanbul safer?
Istanbul has a safety score of 1.6/5.
Should I move to Erzurum or Istanbul?
Erzurum 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 Erzurum 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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