Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Argostoli and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Argostoli: $1,378 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Istanbul outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Argostoli, Greece
Istanbul, Turkey
Argostoli
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,378
/mo nomad
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,519
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,378 per month in Argostoli vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Argostoli $1,378
  • Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $2,118 per month in Argostoli vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Argostoli $2,118
  • Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $2,857 per month in Argostoli vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Argostoli $2,857
  • Istanbul $3,212

Argostoli is about 9% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Argostoli and Istanbul sit above the global median – Argostoli by 2%, Istanbul by 12%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Argostoli
Istanbul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.14 €9.91
$11.81 ₺592
-5.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.1 €52.6
$54.9 ₺2,754
7.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.00 €8.02
$9.26 ₺465
-2.81%
Cappuccino
$4.18 €3.72
$4.30 ₺216
-2.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30 €2.05
$1.77 ₺89.0
29.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.54 €0.48
$0.56 ₺28.32
-3.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.42 €3.93
$4.69 ₺235
-5.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.37 €3.89
$7.12 ₺357
-38.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Argostoli
Istanbul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 €1.46
$1.25 ₺62.7
31.20%
White Bread (500g)
$1.42 €1.26
$0.88 ₺44.17
61.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.56 €2.28
$2.20 ₺111
16.36%
Eggs
$5.16 €4.59
$2.43 ₺122
112.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.41 €11.05
$10.48 ₺526
18.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.89 €8.81
$5.31 ₺267
86.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.56 €13.85
$21.10 ₺1,058
-26.26%
Apples (1kg)
$2.13 €1.89
$1.86 ₺93.1
14.52%
Banana (1kg)
$2.15 €1.91
$2.30 ₺115
-6.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.59 €1.42
$1.22 ₺61.0
30.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.11 €1.88
$1.80 ₺90.2
17.22%
Potato (1kg)
$1.10 €0.98
$0.69 ₺34.83
59.42%
Onion (1kg)
$1.16 €1.03
$0.64 ₺32.16
81.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.84 €0.75
$1.36 ₺68.0
-38.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 €1.07
$0.58 ₺28.94
108.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.50 €4.89
$2.34 ₺117
135.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.25 €6.45
$13.03 ₺653
-44.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 €1.59
$2.36 ₺118
-24.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 €2.96
$3.32 ₺166
-
🚌 Getting Around
Argostoli
Istanbul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.39 €1.24
$0.88 ₺44.07
57.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$50.3 €44.80
$66.1 ₺3,316
-23.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$1.28 ₺64.4
247.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$0.85 ₺42.80
28.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.77 €14.94
$11.09 ₺556
51.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.17 €1.93
$1.48 ₺74.0
46.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K €24.6K
$48.6K ₺2.4M
-43.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K €21.3K
$42.0K ₺2.1M
-43.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Argostoli
Istanbul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 €153
$92.7 ₺4,650
84.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.38 €22.60
$11.20 ₺562
126.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.29 €24.30
$15.89 ₺797
71.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Argostoli
Istanbul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.0 €46.30
$74.7 ₺3,745
-30.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.13 €22.37
$22.95 ₺1,151
9.50%
Cinema Ticket
$9.18 €8.18
$8.05 ₺404
14.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Argostoli
Istanbul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$471 €419
$948 ₺47.6K
-50.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,821 €4,293
$36.9K ₺1.9M
-86.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Argostoli
Istanbul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$83.4 €74.3
$53.9 ₺2,702
54.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.06 €34.78
$41.49 ₺2,081
-5.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 €71.1
$101 ₺5,060
-20.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 €97.3
$91.3 ₺4,580
19.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Argostoli
Istanbul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$486 €432
$1,014 ₺50.8K
-52.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 €339
$625 ₺31.3K
-39.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$723 €644
$2,005 ₺100.6K
-63.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$605 €539
$1,126 ₺56.5K
-46.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,488 €2,215
$2,988 ₺149.8K
-16.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,964 €1,748
$1,730 ₺86.8K
13.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Argostoli
Istanbul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,136 ₺57.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.38
40.42
-89.16%

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

Last update for Argostoli: 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
Argostoli
$381
Istanbul
$625 64.1% $244
Groceries & Markets
Argostoli
$289
Istanbul
$258 10.5% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Argostoli
$224
Istanbul
$120 46.6% $104
Eating Out
Argostoli
$208
Istanbul
$221 6% $12
Clothing & Footwear
Argostoli
$140
Istanbul
$129 7.7% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Argostoli
$70
Istanbul
$91 29% $20
Getting Around
Argostoli
$66
Istanbul
$75 14.3% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $486 in Argostoli 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Argostoli versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $258 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Argostoli
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🕒 Local time
02:14 2:14 AM
03:14 3:14 AM
1 h ahead of Argostoli
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,000
15,701,602
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Argostoli Istanbul 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Argostoli
  • 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
Argostoli vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Argostoli cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,067 per month in Argostoli and $2,278 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Argostoli, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $486 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.
How do food prices compare in Argostoli and in Istanbul?
Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Is eating out cheaper in Argostoli or in Istanbul?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Argostoli and $55 in Istanbul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is Argostoli or Istanbul more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Argostoli – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Argostoli or Istanbul?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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