Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chaves and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Chaves: $1,064 a month against $1,525 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Chaves
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Chaves Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Chaves

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,064

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,064 per month in Chaves vs $1,525 in Istanbul, rent included.

Chaves $1,064
Istanbul $1,525

A couple spends around $1,607 per month in Chaves vs $2,390 in Istanbul, rent included.

Chaves $1,607
Istanbul $2,390

A family of three spends $2,150 per month in Chaves vs $3,256 in Istanbul, rent included.

Chaves $2,150
Istanbul $3,256

Chaves is about 30% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chaves sits 21% below the global median, while Istanbul is 13% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.99 €7.10

$11.96 ₺592

-33.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.32 €19.86

$57.2 ₺2,834

-61.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.78 €6.92

$9.51 ₺471

-18.19%

Cappuccino

$1.54 €1.37

$4.40 ₺218

-65.00%

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

$1.49 €1.33

$1.75 ₺86.6

-14.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$0.56 ₺27.57

1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 €2.03

$4.71 ₺233

-51.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.43

$6.14 ₺304

-55.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 €0.90

$1.24 ₺61.6

-17.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 €1.01

$0.95 ₺47.25

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 €1.01

$2.28 ₺113

-50.44%

Eggs

$3.05 €2.71

$2.45 ₺121

24.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.23 €5.54

$10.56 ₺523

-41.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 €5.81

$5.50 ₺272

18.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.26 €9.12

$21.65 ₺1,072

-52.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 €1.01

$1.83 ₺90.6

-37.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$2.29 ₺113

-49.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.11 €0.98

$1.28 ₺63.4

-13.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.97

$1.82 ₺90.1

-39.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$0.66 ₺32.74

206.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.01

$0.63 ₺31.14

79.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.27 ₺62.8

11.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.70

$0.56 ₺27.62

41.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.97 €5.31

$2.36 ₺117

152.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.03 €3.58

$12.98 ₺642

-68.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.02

$2.48 ₺123

-53.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.02

$3.50 ₺174

-67.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 €0.77

$0.82 ₺40.77

6.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.67 €24.61

$65.2 ₺3,228

-57.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 €3.53

$1.33 ₺65.7

198.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 €0.61

$0.90 ₺44.60

-24.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 €17.60

$10.91 ₺540

81.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.43 ₺70.7

36.36%

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

$34.1K €30.4K

$49.6K ₺2.5M

-31.15%

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

$37.6K €33.4K

$43.2K ₺2.1M

-12.94%

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

$134 €119

$88.8 ₺4,395

50.52%

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

$17.81 €15.84

$11.69 ₺579

52.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.69 €28.19

$16.09 ₺797

96.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.25 €22.46

$76.3 ₺3,776

-66.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.49 €4.88

$22.72 ₺1,125

-75.84%

Cinema Ticket

$7.14 €6.35

$8.26 ₺409

-13.56%

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

$223 €199

$1,015 ₺50.2K

-77.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,620 €3,220

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-85.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 €63.9

$53.3 ₺2,636

34.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.56 €20.07

$40.55 ₺2,008

-44.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.0 €56.1

$100 ₺4,956

-37.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.2 €80.3

$93.5 ₺4,630

-3.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 €425

$977 ₺48.4K

-51.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 €336

$627 ₺31.0K

-39.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$951 €846

$1,980 ₺98.0K

-51.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$736 €655

$1,147 ₺56.8K

-35.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,870 €1,663

$3,095 ₺153.2K

-39.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,472 €1,310

$1,787 ₺88.5K

-17.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,015 €903

$1,213 ₺60.1K

-16.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

-92.63%

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

Last update for Chaves: October 19, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chaves

$378 35.5%

Istanbul

$627 41.1% 65.9% $249

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chaves

$183 17.2%

Istanbul

$117 7.6% 36.3% $67

Groceries & Markets

Chaves

$182 17.2%

Istanbul

$263 17.2% 43.9% $80

Eating Out

Chaves

$131 12.3%

Istanbul

$222 14.6% 69.7% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Chaves

$111 10.5%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 16% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Chaves

$40 3.7%

Istanbul

$93 6.1% 135% $53

Getting Around

Chaves

$39 3.6%

Istanbul

$74 4.9% 93.1% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $478 in Chaves versus $977 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 20% higher in Istanbul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Chaves versus $57.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $182 vs $263 – making Chaves the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Chaves

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

11:55 11:55 AM

13:55 1:55 PM

2 h ahead of Chaves

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,592

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

Chaves Istanbul 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chaves
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

Chaves vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul costs about 43% more than Chaves, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,596 per month in Chaves and $2,287 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chaves, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 136% less in Chaves. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $223 per month in Chaves and $1,015 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chaves, where all-in costs run around $1,064, than in Istanbul at $1,525. In Chaves it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chaves costs $1,064 versus $1,525 in Istanbul. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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