Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arad, Israel and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,519 a month against $2,967 in Arad, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

141

Cost of Living Index in Arad
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Arad Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Arad

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,967

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arad 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 Arad and in Istanbul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,967 per month in Arad vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Arad $2,967
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $4,355 per month in Arad vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Arad $4,355
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $5,743 per month in Arad vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Arad $5,743
Istanbul $3,212

Arad costs about 95% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Arad and Istanbul sit above the global median – Arad by 119%, Istanbul by 12%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.32 ₪84.2

$11.81 ₺592

122.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.4 ₪286

$54.9 ₺2,754

62.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.55 ₪65.7

$9.26 ₺465

121.92%

Cappuccino

$4.65 ₪14.86

$4.30 ₺216

8.14%

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

$3.87 ₪12.38

$1.77 ₺89.0

118.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₪8.52

$0.56 ₺28.32

376.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.93 ₪31.74

$4.69 ₺235

111.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.95 ₪31.82

$7.12 ₺357

39.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 ₪8.46

$1.25 ₺62.7

112.00%

White Bread (500g)

$5.77 ₪18.45

$0.88 ₺44.17

555.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 ₪10.80

$2.20 ₺111

53.64%

Eggs

$4.54 ₪14.52

$2.43 ₺122

86.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.09 ₪41.85

$10.48 ₺526

24.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.84 ₪60.2

$5.31 ₺267

254.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.99 ₪83.1

$21.10 ₺1,058

23.18%

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 ₪20.92

$1.86 ₺93.1

251.61%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 ₪10.10

$2.30 ₺115

37.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ₪9.46

$1.22 ₺61.0

142.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 ₪10.22

$1.80 ₺90.2

77.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 ₪6.66

$0.69 ₺34.83

201.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 ₪5.54

$0.64 ₺32.16

170.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 ₪7.51

$1.36 ₺68.0

72.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 ₪8.08

$0.58 ₺28.94

336.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.00 ₪31.97

$2.34 ₺117

327.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.71 ₪40.64

$13.03 ₺653

-2.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 ₪14.69

$2.36 ₺118

94.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 ₪12.76

$3.32 ₺166

20.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 ₪8.07

$0.88 ₺44.07

186.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 ₪332

$66.1 ₺3,316

56.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.10 ₪25.89

$1.28 ₺64.4

532.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 ₪4.09

$0.85 ₺42.80

50.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.83 ₪89.0

$11.09 ₺556

150.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.55 ₪8.15

$1.48 ₺74.0

72.30%

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

$54.2K ₪173.3K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

11.42%

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

$53.8K ₪172.2K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

28.28%

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

$333 ₪1,066

$92.7 ₺4,650

259.57%

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

$11.98 ₪38.32

$11.20 ₺562

6.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.92 ₪156

$15.89 ₺797

207.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.0 ₪252

$74.7 ₺3,745

5.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$16.19 ₪51.8

$8.05 ₺404

101.12%

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

$1,602 ₪5,121

$948 ₺47.6K

68.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.6K ₪91.6K

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-22.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₪325

$53.9 ₺2,702

88.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.8 ₪204

$41.49 ₺2,081

53.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$175 ₪560

$101 ₺5,060

73.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 ₪506

$91.3 ₺4,580

73.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 ₪5,099

$1,014 ₺50.8K

57.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,172 ₪3,748

$625 ₺31.3K

87.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,423 ₪7,747

$2,005 ₺100.6K

20.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 ₪6,008

$1,126 ₺56.5K

66.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.1K ₪32.1K

$2,988 ₺149.8K

236.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,705 ₪24.6K

$1,730 ₺86.8K

345.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,549 ₪8,149

$1,136 ₺57.0K

124.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.2

40.42

-87.14%

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

Last update for Arad: November 1, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arad

$1.2K 39.5%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 46.7% $548

Groceries & Markets

Arad

$513 17.3%

Istanbul

$258 17% 49.6% $254

Eating Out

Arad

$424 14.3%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 47.9% $203

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arad

$394 13.3%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 69.6% $274

Clothing & Footwear

Arad

$225 7.6%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 42.4% $95

Getting Around

Arad

$128 4.3%

Istanbul

$75 5% 41.4% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Arad

$111 3.8%

Istanbul

$91 6% 18.5% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,595 in Arad versus $1,014 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 in Arad are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Arad versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $513 vs $258 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Arad

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

20:03 8:03 PM

21:03 9:03 PM

1 h ahead of Arad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,530

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.313 USD

1 ILS = 0.278 EUR

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to ILS – Israeli New Shekel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇱 Israeli New Shekel (₪)

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.2 ILS (1 ILS = 0.313 USD). 1 EUR = 3.59 ILS (1 ILS = 0.278 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to ILS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Arad Istanbul 1,220 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Arad
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

Arad vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arad costs about 95% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,451 per month in Arad and $2,278 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,014 there versus $1,595 in Arad.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,967 in Arad and $1,519 in Istanbul. That makes Istanbul about 49% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 36% less in Istanbul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,967 in Arad and $1,519 in Istanbul. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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