Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amstelveen and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $3,065 in Amstelveen, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Amstelveen
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Amstelveen Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Amstelveen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,065

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amstelveen and in Istanbul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Amstelveen and in Istanbul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,065 per month in Amstelveen vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Amstelveen $3,065
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $4,295 per month in Amstelveen vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Amstelveen $4,295
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $5,526 per month in Amstelveen vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Amstelveen $5,526
Istanbul $3,281

Amstelveen costs about 98% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Amstelveen and Istanbul sit above the global median – Amstelveen by 127%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.32 €21.63

$12.30 ₺609

97.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 €75.3

$54.7 ₺2,708

54.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.31 €11.84

$9.22 ₺456

44.36%

Cappuccino

$3.98 €3.54

$4.40 ₺218

-9.55%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 €3.36

$1.68 ₺83.1

125.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 €2.74

$0.59 ₺29.40

422.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.52 €4.91

$4.70 ₺233

17.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$5.91 ₺292

-4.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.21 ₺60.0

-6.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 €1.37

$0.89 ₺44.10

73.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 €3.17

$2.19 ₺108

62.56%

Eggs

$4.87 €4.33

$2.35 ₺116

107.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 €11.36

$10.42 ₺516

22.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.11 €12.55

$5.65 ₺280

149.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.95 €15.08

$20.94 ₺1,037

-19.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.90 ₺94.1

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.31 ₺114

4.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.28 ₺63.1

42.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.93 €5.27

$1.80 ₺89.0

229.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$0.65 ₺32.16

221.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$0.64 ₺31.91

184.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.25 ₺62.1

2.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$0.56 ₺27.58

35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.12 €12.55

$2.37 ₺118

495.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.80 €6.05

$13.42 ₺664

-49.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.27

$2.40 ₺119

-40.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 €2.41

$3.48 ₺172

-22.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.89 €3.46

$0.89 ₺43.84

337.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.1 €63.3

$67.4 ₺3,338

5.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 €3.56

$1.29 ₺64.1

210.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.89 €2.57

$0.92 ₺45.70

214.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.69 €26.40

$10.96 ₺542

170.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 €2.10

$1.47 ₺72.9

60.54%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$41.4K €36.8K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-18.53%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.5K €34.2K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-13.64%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$282 €251

$88.6 ₺4,387

218.05%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$23.74 €21.12

$11.59 ₺574

104.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 €44.75

$15.81 ₺783

218.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.06 €27.62

$77.2 ₺3,820

-59.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.9 €48.86

$22.74 ₺1,126

141.56%

Cinema Ticket

$16.45 €14.63

$8.14 ₺403

102.09%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,347 €2,088

$1,008 ₺49.9K

132.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.9K €24.0K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

5.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 €53.0

$54.0 ₺2,671

10.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.45 €40.42

$40.83 ₺2,021

11.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 €79.6

$98.9 ₺4,895

-9.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €130

$96.6 ₺4,783

50.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 €1,980

$985 ₺48.7K

126.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,706 €1,518

$650 ₺32.2K

162.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,136 €2,789

$1,983 ₺98.2K

58.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,489 €2,214

$1,180 ₺58.4K

110.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,191 €7,285

$3,138 ₺155.4K

161.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,126 €5,448

$1,780 ₺88.1K

244.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,644 €4,131

$1,205 ₺59.7K

285.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

40.92

-89.49%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Amstelveen: October 12, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Amstelveen

$1.7K 55.7%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 61.9% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amstelveen

$356 11.6%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 67.4% $240

Eating Out

Amstelveen

$349 11.4%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 35.9% $125

Groceries & Markets

Amstelveen

$331 10.8%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 21.6% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Amstelveen

$153 5%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 14.7% $23

Getting Around

Amstelveen

$105 3.4%

Istanbul

$77 5% 26.9% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Amstelveen

$64 2.1%

Istanbul

$93 6% 46.1% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,227 in Amstelveen versus $985 in Istanbul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 285% higher in Amstelveen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Amstelveen versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $331 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amstelveen

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

13:30 1:30 PM

14:30 2:30 PM

1 h ahead of Amstelveen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,675

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Amstelveen Istanbul 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Amstelveen
Istanbul

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Amstelveen vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amstelveen is pricier by about 98%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,597 per month in Amstelveen and $2,325 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Istanbul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 6% less in Istanbul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,347 per month in Amstelveen and $1,008 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Amstelveen at $3,065. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amstelveen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Istanbul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Amstelveen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.