Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arta and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Arta: $1,348 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Arta
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Arta Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Arta

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,348

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,348 per month in Arta vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Arta $1,348
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $2,005 per month in Arta vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Arta $2,005
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $2,661 per month in Arta vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Arta $2,661
Istanbul $3,212

Arta is about 11% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.28 €10.04

$11.81 ₺592

-4.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.11 €39.28

$54.9 ₺2,754

-19.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.98 €8.89

$9.26 ₺465

7.78%

Cappuccino

$4.22 €3.75

$4.30 ₺216

-1.86%

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

$2.87 €2.55

$1.77 ₺89.0

62.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.48

$0.56 ₺28.32

-3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.17 €4.60

$4.69 ₺235

10.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.02 €5.36

$7.12 ₺357

-15.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.11

$1.25 ₺62.7

-0.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 €1.02

$0.88 ₺44.17

30.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 €0.82

$2.20 ₺111

-58.18%

Eggs

$3.39 €3.01

$2.43 ₺122

39.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €12.18

$10.48 ₺526

30.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.05 €9.84

$5.31 ₺267

108.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.96 €9.76

$21.10 ₺1,058

-48.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 €0.89

$1.86 ₺93.1

-46.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 €1.13

$2.30 ₺115

-44.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.22 ₺61.0

-1.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.99 €0.88

$1.80 ₺90.2

-45.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 €1.09

$0.69 ₺34.83

76.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 €0.97

$0.64 ₺32.16

70.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 €0.73

$1.36 ₺68.0

-39.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.15 €0.14

$0.58 ₺28.94

-74.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.99 €4.44

$2.34 ₺117

113.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.42 €3.93

$13.03 ₺653

-66.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.76

$2.36 ₺118

-63.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.01

$3.32 ₺166

-32.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 €1.25

$0.88 ₺44.07

60.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.30 €43.90

$66.1 ₺3,316

-25.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.30 €3.83

$1.28 ₺64.4

235.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.98

$0.85 ₺42.80

29.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.57 €14.76

$11.09 ₺556

49.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.48 ₺74.0

41.89%

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

$28.2K €25.1K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-42.04%

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

$28.1K €25.1K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-32.94%

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

$211 €188

$92.7 ₺4,650

127.61%

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

$23.45 €20.88

$11.20 ₺562

109.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.99 €22.25

$15.89 ₺797

57.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 €46.41

$74.7 ₺3,745

-30.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.62 €22.81

$22.95 ₺1,151

11.63%

Cinema Ticket

$10.60 €9.44

$8.05 ₺404

31.68%

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

$467 €415

$948 ₺47.6K

-50.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 €8,050

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-75.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €79.6

$53.9 ₺2,702

65.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.26 €25.17

$41.49 ₺2,081

-31.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 €69.2

$101 ₺5,060

-22.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 €79.7

$91.3 ₺4,580

-1.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 €440

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-51.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 €338

$625 ₺31.3K

-39.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 €665

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-62.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$599 €533

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-46.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,477 €2,206

$2,988 ₺149.8K

-17.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,969 €1,753

$1,730 ₺86.8K

13.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$895 €797

$1,136 ₺57.0K

-21.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.34

40.42

-86.79%

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

Last update for Arta: November 2, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arta

$379 28.1%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 64.8% $245

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arta

$259 19.2%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 53.8% $140

Eating Out

Arta

$222 16.5%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 0.6% $1.3

Groceries & Markets

Arta

$221 16.4%

Istanbul

$258 17% 16.8% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Arta

$128 9.5%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 1% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Arta

$73 5.4%

Istanbul

$91 6% 23.8% $17

Getting Around

Arta

$65 4.8%

Istanbul

$75 5% 16.2% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $494 in Arta 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 run about 27% higher in Istanbul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Arta versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $221 vs $258 – making Arta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Arta

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

07:10 7:10 AM

08:10 8:10 AM

1 h ahead of Arta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,435

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Arta Istanbul 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Arta
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

Arta vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,022 per month in Arta 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 Arta, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $494 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $467 per month in Arta and $948 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Arta, where all-in costs run around $1,348, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Arta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Arta – 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 Arta. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.