Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bussum and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,557 in Bussum, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Bussum
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Bussum Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Bussum

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,557

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,557 in Bussum versus $1,550 in Istanbul.

Bussum $2,557
Istanbul $1,550

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,742 in Bussum versus $2,415 in Istanbul.

Bussum $3,742
Istanbul $2,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,927 in Bussum versus $3,281 in Istanbul.

Bussum $4,927
Istanbul $3,281

Living in Bussum is roughly 65% more expensive than in Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bussum 89% above, Istanbul 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.87 €22.12

$12.30 ₺609

102.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.2 €74.9

$54.7 ₺2,708

53.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.63 €12.13

$9.22 ₺456

47.83%

Cappuccino

$3.90 €3.47

$4.40 ₺218

-11.36%

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

$3.77 €3.36

$1.68 ₺83.1

124.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 €2.77

$0.59 ₺29.40

427.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.43 €4.83

$4.70 ₺233

15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.48 €4.88

$5.91 ₺292

-7.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.21 ₺60.0

-3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 €1.18

$0.89 ₺44.10

49.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 €2.16

$2.19 ₺108

10.96%

Eggs

$4.82 €4.29

$2.35 ₺116

105.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 €11.36

$10.42 ₺516

22.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.39 €12.80

$5.65 ₺280

154.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.67 €14.83

$20.94 ₺1,037

-20.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$1.90 ₺94.1

0.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.13

$2.31 ₺114

3.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.28 ₺63.1

41.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 €2.36

$1.80 ₺89.0

47.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 €1.78

$0.65 ₺32.16

209.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 €1.39

$0.64 ₺31.91

143.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 €1.09

$1.25 ₺62.1

-1.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.67

$0.56 ₺27.58

33.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.92 €12.38

$2.37 ₺118

487.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 €6.03

$13.42 ₺664

-49.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.34

$2.40 ₺119

-37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.56

$3.48 ₺172

-49.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.50 €3.11

$0.89 ₺43.84

293.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 €78.8

$67.4 ₺3,338

31.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 €3.91

$1.29 ₺64.1

241.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.28 €2.91

$0.92 ₺45.70

256.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.8 €54.1

$10.96 ₺542

454.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.47 ₺72.9

53.74%

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

$39.5K €35.2K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-22.14%

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

$23.0K €20.5K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-48.30%

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

$282 €251

$88.6 ₺4,387

217.90%

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

$24.44 €21.74

$11.59 ₺574

110.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.21 €43.77

$15.81 ₺783

211.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.0 €52.5

$77.2 ₺3,820

-23.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.98 €21.33

$22.74 ₺1,126

5.45%

Cinema Ticket

$16.68 €14.83

$8.14 ₺403

104.91%

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

$2,374 €2,112

$1,008 ₺49.9K

135.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,848 €6,981

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-69.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 €52.0

$54.0 ₺2,671

8.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.85 €39.01

$40.83 ₺2,021

7.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 €80.6

$98.9 ₺4,895

-8.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €125

$96.6 ₺4,783

45.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 €1,458

$985 ₺48.7K

66.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 €1,047

$650 ₺32.2K

81.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 €2,129

$1,983 ₺98.2K

20.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,886 €1,678

$1,180 ₺58.4K

59.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,963 €5,304

$3,138 ₺155.4K

90.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,301 €5,605

$1,780 ₺88.1K

254.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,538 €4,037

$1,205 ₺59.7K

276.49%

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 Bussum: October 11, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bussum

$1.2K 46%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 44.8% $527

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bussum

$355 13.9%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 67.3% $239

Eating Out

Bussum

$352 13.8%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 36.6% $129

Groceries & Markets

Bussum

$306 12%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 15.3% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Bussum

$150 5.9%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 12.9% $19

Getting Around

Bussum

$123 4.8%

Istanbul

$77 5% 37.7% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Bussum

$92 3.6%

Istanbul

$93 6% 1.2% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,639 in Bussum and $985 in Istanbul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bussum pays 276% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $84.0 in Bussum vs $55.0 in Istanbul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $306 vs $260 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Bussum

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

03:41 3:41 AM

04:41 4:41 AM

1 h ahead of Bussum

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,220

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

Bussum Istanbul 2,190 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bussum
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

Bussum vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bussum and Istanbul differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($2,557 vs $1,550 including rent). Istanbul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 276% higher in Bussum, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,639 in Bussum versus $985 in Istanbul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,557 per month in Bussum versus $1,550 in Istanbul – a 65% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Istanbul runs roughly 31% less than in Bussum. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,550 in Istanbul versus $2,557 in Bussum, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Bussum. The gap between the two cities makes Istanbul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bussum and Istanbul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Istanbul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Bussum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.