Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Geleen and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,493 in Geleen, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Geleen
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Geleen Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Geleen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,493

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,493 per month in Geleen vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Geleen $2,493
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $3,708 per month in Geleen vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Geleen $3,708
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $4,923 per month in Geleen vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Geleen $4,923
Istanbul $3,281

Geleen costs about 61% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Geleen and Istanbul sit above the global median – Geleen by 85%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 €17.99

$12.30 ₺609

64.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.3 €84.8

$54.7 ₺2,708

74.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 €10.76

$9.22 ₺456

31.24%

Cappuccino

$4.05 €3.60

$4.40 ₺218

-7.95%

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

$3.86 €3.43

$1.68 ₺83.1

129.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 €2.60

$0.59 ₺29.40

396.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.31 €5.61

$4.70 ₺233

34.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 €5.00

$5.91 ₺292

-4.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.21 ₺60.0

5.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.82

$0.89 ₺44.10

130.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$2.19 ₺108

21.00%

Eggs

$4.54 €4.04

$2.35 ₺116

93.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.44 €12.85

$10.42 ₺516

38.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.72 €12.21

$5.65 ₺280

142.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.71 €13.97

$20.94 ₺1,037

-24.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 €2.31

$1.90 ₺94.1

36.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 €2.21

$2.31 ₺114

7.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.28 ₺63.1

48.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 €3.88

$1.80 ₺89.0

142.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.74

$0.65 ₺32.16

201.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 €2.10

$0.64 ₺31.91

268.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.13

$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)

$13.80 €12.27

$2.37 ₺118

482.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.56 €5.83

$13.42 ₺664

-51.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.32

$2.40 ₺119

-37.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.43

$3.48 ₺172

-21.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 €2.86

$0.89 ₺43.84

261.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.6 €81.5

$67.4 ₺3,338

35.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 €2.90

$1.29 ₺64.1

152.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.31 €2.94

$0.92 ₺45.70

259.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.50 €24.46

$10.96 ₺542

150.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 €2.10

$1.47 ₺72.9

60.54%

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

$41.7K €37.1K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-17.97%

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

$38.4K €34.2K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-13.71%

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

$262 €233

$88.6 ₺4,387

196.02%

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

$16.97 €15.10

$11.59 ₺574

46.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.89 €37.26

$15.81 ₺783

164.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.24 €36.69

$77.2 ₺3,820

-46.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 €23.32

$22.74 ₺1,126

15.30%

Cinema Ticket

$15.25 €13.57

$8.14 ₺403

87.35%

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

$1,269 €1,129

$1,008 ₺49.9K

25.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,561 €5,836

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-74.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.3 €72.3

$54.0 ₺2,671

50.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.65 €33.49

$40.83 ₺2,021

-7.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €99.9

$98.9 ₺4,895

13.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €113

$96.6 ₺4,783

31.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,395 €1,240

$985 ₺48.7K

41.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$650 ₺32.2K

79.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,397 €2,132

$1,983 ₺98.2K

20.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 €1,697

$1,180 ₺58.4K

61.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,630 €5,008

$3,138 ₺155.4K

79.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,826 €3,403

$1,780 ₺88.1K

114.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,548 €4,046

$1,205 ₺59.7K

277.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.02

40.92

-90.18%

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

Last update for Geleen: 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

Geleen

$1.2K 46.9%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 44.4% $519

Groceries & Markets

Geleen

$329 13.2%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 21.1% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Geleen

$321 12.9%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 63.9% $205

Eating Out

Geleen

$317 12.7%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 29.5% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Geleen

$161 6.5%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 19% $31

Getting Around

Geleen

$124 5%

Istanbul

$77 5% 38.2% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Geleen

$72 2.9%

Istanbul

$93 6% 30.2% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,395 in Geleen 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 277% higher in Geleen, 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 $95.0 in Geleen versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $329 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Geleen

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

06:44 6:44 AM

07:44 7:44 AM

1 h ahead of Geleen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,970

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

Geleen Istanbul 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Geleen
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

Geleen vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Geleen is pricier by about 61%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,740 per month in Geleen 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.

Public transport costs about 36% less in Istanbul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,269 per month in Geleen and $1,008 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Geleen at $2,493. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Geleen 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, Geleen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.