Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ely, Cambridgeshire and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,350 in Ely, Cambridgeshire, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Ely, Cambridgeshire
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Ely, Cambridgeshire Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Ely, Cambridgeshire

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,350

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,350 per month in Ely, Cambridgeshire vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Ely, Cambridgeshire $2,350
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $3,545 per month in Ely, Cambridgeshire vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Ely, Cambridgeshire $3,545
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $4,740 per month in Ely, Cambridgeshire vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Ely, Cambridgeshire $4,740
Istanbul $3,281

Ely, Cambridgeshire costs about 52% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ely, Cambridgeshire and Istanbul sit above the global median – Ely, Cambridgeshire by 74%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.60 £17.70

$12.30 ₺609

91.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 £70.5

$54.7 ₺2,708

71.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.23 £9.93

$9.22 ₺456

43.49%

Cappuccino

$5.04 £3.78

$4.40 ₺218

14.55%

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

$2.45 £1.84

$1.68 ₺83.1

45.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 £1.32

$0.59 ₺29.40

198.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 £3.86

$4.70 ₺233

9.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 £2.48

$5.91 ₺292

-43.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 £0.93

$1.21 ₺60.0

1.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.23

$0.89 ₺44.10

84.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 £1.99

$2.19 ₺108

21.46%

Eggs

$3.51 £2.64

$2.35 ₺116

49.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.60 £7.95

$10.42 ₺516

1.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.14 £8.35

$5.65 ₺280

97.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 £12.73

$20.94 ₺1,037

-18.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 £2.99

$1.90 ₺94.1

110.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 £0.98

$2.31 ₺114

-43.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 £1.93

$1.28 ₺63.1

100.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.23 £3.17

$1.80 ₺89.0

135.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 £1.21

$0.65 ₺32.16

147.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 £1.22

$0.64 ₺31.91

153.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 £0.86

$1.25 ₺62.1

-8.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 £1.11

$0.56 ₺27.58

164.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.82 £15.62

$2.37 ₺118

778.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.68 £8.01

$13.42 ₺664

-20.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 £1.63

$2.40 ₺119

-9.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 £2.07

$3.48 ₺172

-20.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.70 £4.27

$0.89 ₺43.84

540.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 £42.25

$67.4 ₺3,338

-16.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 £3.14

$1.29 ₺64.1

224.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 £1.78

$0.92 ₺45.70

157.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.60

$1.47 ₺72.9

45.58%

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

$40.3K £30.2K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-20.61%

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

$41.7K £31.3K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-6.40%

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

$274 £205

$88.6 ₺4,387

208.95%

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

$16.82 £12.62

$11.59 ₺574

45.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.97 £24.73

$15.81 ₺783

108.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.38 £32.54

$77.2 ₺3,820

-43.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.58 £11.69

$22.74 ₺1,126

-31.49%

Cinema Ticket

$15.96 £11.97

$8.14 ₺403

96.07%

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

$1,716 £1,288

$1,008 ₺49.9K

70.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K £11.0K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-42.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.5 £71.7

$54.0 ₺2,671

77.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 £41.57

$40.83 ₺2,021

35.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 £92.6

$98.9 ₺4,895

24.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 £78.0

$96.6 ₺4,783

7.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 £848

$985 ₺48.7K

14.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,029 £772

$650 ₺32.2K

58.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 £1,396

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-6.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,753 £1,315

$1,180 ₺58.4K

48.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,848 £4,387

$3,138 ₺155.4K

86.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,049 £3,788

$1,780 ₺88.1K

183.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,284 £2,464

$1,205 ₺59.7K

172.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.62

40.92

-88.71%

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

Last update for Ely, Cambridgeshire: October 10, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$1K 43.8%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 36.8% $379

Eating Out

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$338 14.4%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 34% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$324 13.8%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 64.1% $208

Groceries & Markets

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$319 13.6%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 18.6% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$170 7.2%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 23.3% $40

Getting Around

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$95 4.1%

Istanbul

$77 5% 19.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$75 3.2%

Istanbul

$93 6% 24.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,130 in Ely, Cambridgeshire versus $985 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 172% higher in Ely, Cambridgeshire, 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 $94.0 in Ely, Cambridgeshire versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $319 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Ely, Cambridgeshire

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

05:25 5:25 AM

07:25 7:25 AM

2 h ahead of Ely, Cambridgeshire

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,574

15,701,602

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to GBP in detail →

On the map

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Ely, Cambridgeshire Istanbul 2,500 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ely, Cambridgeshire
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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

Ely, Cambridgeshire vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ely, Cambridgeshire is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,525 per month in Ely, Cambridgeshire and $2,325 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,350 in Ely, Cambridgeshire and $1,550 in Istanbul. That's a gap of about 52%.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Istanbul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Ely, Cambridgeshire at $2,350. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ely, Cambridgeshire it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Istanbul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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