Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Drachten and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,483 in Drachten, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Drachten
Learn more

Drachten Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Drachten

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,483

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,483 in Drachten versus $1,550 in Istanbul.

Drachten $2,483
Istanbul $1,550

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,657 in Drachten versus $2,415 in Istanbul.

Drachten $3,657
Istanbul $2,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,831 in Drachten versus $3,281 in Istanbul.

Drachten $4,831
Istanbul $3,281

Living in Drachten is roughly 60% more expensive than in Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Drachten 84% above, Istanbul 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.26 €21.58

$12.30 ₺609

97.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 €75.0

$54.7 ₺2,708

54.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.55 €12.05

$9.22 ₺456

46.96%

Cappuccino

$3.98 €3.54

$4.40 ₺218

-9.55%

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

$3.62 €3.22

$1.68 ₺83.1

115.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 €2.75

$0.59 ₺29.40

425.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.11

$4.70 ₺233

22.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €5.05

$5.91 ₺292

-3.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.21 ₺60.0

-4.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 €1.19

$0.89 ₺44.10

50.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 €1.41

$2.19 ₺108

-27.40%

Eggs

$5.00 €4.45

$2.35 ₺116

112.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.45 €11.07

$10.42 ₺516

19.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.26 €11.80

$5.65 ₺280

134.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 €10.74

$20.94 ₺1,037

-42.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.90 ₺94.1

-2.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 €2.22

$2.31 ₺114

7.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$1.28 ₺63.1

47.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.14 €2.79

$1.80 ₺89.0

74.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 €1.45

$0.65 ₺32.16

152.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 €1.41

$0.64 ₺31.91

146.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.25 ₺62.1

2.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 €0.57

$0.56 ₺27.58

16.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.96 €7.97

$2.37 ₺118

278.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.86 €6.10

$13.42 ₺664

-48.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.31

$2.40 ₺119

-38.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.35

$3.48 ₺172

-23.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.38 €3.00

$0.89 ₺43.84

279.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.0 €80.1

$67.4 ₺3,338

33.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.73

$1.29 ₺64.1

224.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 €2.71

$0.92 ₺45.70

231.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.31 €43.86

$10.96 ₺542

349.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 €2.01

$1.47 ₺72.9

54.42%

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

$41.5K €36.9K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-18.23%

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

$37.3K €33.2K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-16.29%

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

$276 €246

$88.6 ₺4,387

211.83%

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

$24.01 €21.35

$11.59 ₺574

107.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.46 €44.00

$15.81 ₺783

212.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.09 €36.55

$77.2 ₺3,820

-46.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.13 €19.68

$22.74 ₺1,126

-2.68%

Cinema Ticket

$16.02 €14.25

$8.14 ₺403

96.81%

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

$2,305 €2,050

$1,008 ₺49.9K

128.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,889 €7,018

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-69.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 €52.5

$54.0 ₺2,671

9.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.14 €39.26

$40.83 ₺2,021

8.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 €77.7

$98.9 ₺4,895

-11.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €121

$96.6 ₺4,783

40.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 €1,272

$985 ₺48.7K

45.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 €1,027

$650 ₺32.2K

77.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,384 €2,120

$1,983 ₺98.2K

20.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,900 €1,690

$1,180 ₺58.4K

61.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,428 €4,829

$3,138 ₺155.4K

72.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,379 €3,895

$1,780 ₺88.1K

146.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,515 €2,237

$1,205 ₺59.7K

108.66%

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 Drachten: October 12, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Drachten

$1.2K 46.5%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 43.7% $505

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Drachten

$350 14.1%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 66.8% $234

Eating Out

Drachten

$349 14.1%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 36.1% $126

Groceries & Markets

Drachten

$286 11.5%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 9.2% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Drachten

$147 5.9%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 11% $16

Getting Around

Drachten

$123 5%

Istanbul

$77 5% 37.5% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Drachten

$73 3%

Istanbul

$93 6% 27.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,430 in Drachten and $985 in Istanbul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Drachten pays 109% 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 Drachten vs $55.0 in Istanbul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $260 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Drachten

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

01:43 1:43 AM

02:43 2:43 AM

1 h ahead of Drachten

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

45,186

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Drachten Istanbul 2,180 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Drachten
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

Drachten vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 109% higher in Drachten, 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: $1,430 in Drachten versus $985 in Istanbul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,305 in Drachten versus $1,008 in Istanbul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Drachten. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,550 in Istanbul versus $2,483 in Drachten, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Drachten. The gap between the two cities makes Istanbul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Istanbul is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Drachten, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Drachten 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 60% less than in Drachten. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.