Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Canary Islands and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,650 in the Canary Islands, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in the Canary Islands
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Canary Islands Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Canary Islands

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,650

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,650 in the Canary Islands versus $1,550 in Istanbul.

Canary Islands $1,650
Istanbul $1,550

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,373 in the Canary Islands versus $2,415 in Istanbul.

Canary Islands $2,373
Istanbul $2,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in the Canary Islands versus $3,281 in Istanbul.

Canary Islands $3,095
Istanbul $3,281

Living in the Canary Islands is roughly 6% more expensive than in Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Canary Islands 22% above, Istanbul 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.32 €18.07

$12.30 ₺609

65.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.1 €54.3

$54.7 ₺2,708

11.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 €8.37

$9.22 ₺456

2.17%

Cappuccino

$2.05 €1.83

$4.40 ₺218

-53.41%

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

$1.86 €1.65

$1.68 ₺83.1

10.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.98

$0.59 ₺29.40

86.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 €2.53

$4.70 ₺233

-39.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 €3.04

$5.91 ₺292

-42.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.21 ₺60.0

12.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 €2.13

$0.89 ₺44.10

168.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 €1.40

$2.19 ₺108

-27.85%

Eggs

$2.18 €1.94

$2.35 ₺116

-7.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.31 €17.18

$10.42 ₺516

85.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.93 €8.83

$5.65 ₺280

75.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.23 €15.32

$20.94 ₺1,037

-17.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$1.90 ₺94.1

43.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.31 ₺114

-2.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$1.28 ₺63.1

68.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$1.80 ₺89.0

39.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 €1.91

$0.65 ₺32.16

229.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$0.64 ₺31.91

215.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.25 ₺62.1

36.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$0.56 ₺27.58

66.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.66 €4.14

$2.37 ₺118

96.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.86 €6.99

$13.42 ₺664

-41.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.51

$2.40 ₺119

-29.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.55

$3.48 ₺172

-49.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 €0.76

$0.89 ₺43.84

-3.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.24 €3.77

$1.29 ₺64.1

228.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 €1.50

$0.92 ₺45.70

83.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 €14.75

$10.96 ₺542

51.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.47 ₺72.9

15.65%

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

$24.9K €22.2K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-50.93%

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

$29.0K €25.8K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-34.95%

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

$126 €112

$88.6 ₺4,387

42.29%

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

$20.91 €18.60

$11.59 ₺574

80.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.49 €31.57

$15.81 ₺783

124.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.49 €42.24

$77.2 ₺3,820

-38.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.07 €21.41

$22.74 ₺1,126

5.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 €8.76

$8.14 ₺403

21.01%

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

$400 €355

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-60.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,096 €4,532

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-80.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 €60.7

$54.0 ₺2,671

26.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.65 €34.38

$40.83 ₺2,021

-5.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 €79.7

$98.9 ₺4,895

-9.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €101

$96.6 ₺4,783

17.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 €988

$985 ₺48.7K

12.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 €605

$650 ₺32.2K

4.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$825 €734

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-30.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,369 €1,218

$1,205 ₺59.7K

13.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

40.92

-91.86%

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

Last update for the Canary Islands: October 13, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Canary Islands

$680 41.2%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 4.5% $30

Groceries & Markets

Canary Islands

$316 19.2%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 17.9% $57

Eating Out

Canary Islands

$248 15.1%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 10.1% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canary Islands

$182 11.1%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 36.4% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Canary Islands

$140 8.5%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 6.5% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Canary Islands

$67 4.1%

Istanbul

$93 6% 39.1% $26

Getting Around

Canary Islands

$16 * 1%

Istanbul

$77 5% 377% $61

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,111 in the Canary Islands and $985 in Istanbul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Canary Islands pays 14% 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: $61.0 in the Canary Islands vs $55.0 in Istanbul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $260 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Canary Islands

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

21:33 9:33 PM

23:33 11:33 PM

2 h ahead of the Canary Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,050

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

Canary Islands Istanbul 4,360 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Canary Islands
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

Canary Islands vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in the Canary Islands. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Istanbul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 14% higher in the Canary Islands, 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: $1,111 in the Canary Islands versus $985 in Istanbul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in the Canary Islands. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,650 per month in the Canary Islands versus $1,550 in Istanbul – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,650 in the Canary Islands, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in the Canary Islands. The gap between the two cities makes Istanbul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Istanbul delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,550 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Istanbul hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Canary Islands 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 6% less than in the Canary Islands. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.