Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gijon and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $1,744 in Gijon, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Gijon
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,744
/mo nomad
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,526
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,744 in Gijon versus $1,526 in Istanbul.

  • Gijon $1,744
  • Istanbul $1,526

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,544 in Gijon versus $2,399 in Istanbul.

  • Gijon $2,544
  • Istanbul $2,399

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,344 in Gijon versus $3,272 in Istanbul.

  • Gijon $3,344
  • Istanbul $3,272

Living in Gijon is roughly 14% more expensive than in Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gijon 30% above, Istanbul 14% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Gijon
Istanbul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.66 €14.87
$11.88 ₺585
40.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.4 €61.1
$55.1 ₺2,714
24.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.75 €14.06
$9.14 ₺450
72.32%
Cappuccino
$2.51 €2.24
$4.24 ₺209
-40.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.60
$1.75 ₺86.0
66.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 €2.08
$0.54 ₺26.83
331.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.98 €3.55
$4.69 ₺231
-15.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.95 €5.31
$5.97 ₺294
-0.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Gijon
Istanbul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 €1.07
$1.26 ₺62.1
-4.76%
White Bread (500g)
$1.78 €1.59
$0.95 ₺46.81
87.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.39 €1.24
$2.31 ₺114
-39.83%
Eggs
$4.40 €3.93
$2.47 ₺122
78.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.46 €11.12
$10.55 ₺520
18.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.78 €6.94
$5.60 ₺276
38.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.43 €11.98
$21.21 ₺1,045
-36.68%
Apples (1kg)
$3.76 €3.36
$1.93 ₺95.1
94.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 €1.33
$2.29 ₺113
-34.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.28 ₺63.1
42.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.69 €3.29
$1.84 ₺90.8
100.54%
Potato (1kg)
$2.26 €2.02
$0.67 ₺32.86
237.31%
Onion (1kg)
$2.21 €1.97
$0.59 ₺29.31
274.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.32 €1.18
$1.33 ₺65.4
-0.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.80 €0.71
$0.59 ₺29.10
35.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.65 €5.94
$2.36 ₺116
181.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 €8.88
$13.47 ₺664
-26.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.51 €1.35
$2.42 ₺119
-37.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 €1.81
$3.54 ₺174
-42.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Gijon
Istanbul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.48 €1.32
$0.83 ₺40.64
78.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$33.88 €30.24
$66.5 ₺3,273
-49.01%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.48 €4.89
$1.35 ₺66.6
305.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.26 €1.12
$0.85 ₺42.05
48.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.15 €26.01
$10.86 ₺535
168.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.76 €1.57
$1.47 ₺72.3
19.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.8K €32.8K
$51.6K ₺2.5M
-28.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.9K €25.8K
$44.4K ₺2.2M
-34.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gijon
Istanbul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$148 €132
$89.2 ₺4,395
65.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.99 €16.05
$11.60 ₺572
55.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.60 €22.84
$16.10 ₺793
59.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Gijon
Istanbul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.1 €46.46
$77.3 ₺3,805
-32.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.39 €8.38
$22.66 ₺1,116
-58.56%
Cinema Ticket
$9.35 €8.34
$8.34 ₺411
12.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Gijon
Istanbul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$483 €431
$974 ₺48.0K
-50.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.1K €9,008
$25.8K ₺1.3M
-60.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Gijon
Istanbul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.9 €85.6
$52.7 ₺2,597
82.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.80 €28.38
$39.16 ₺1,929
-18.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 €98.5
$103 ₺5,083
6.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 €106
$96.6 ₺4,759
22.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Gijon
Istanbul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$890 €794
$994 ₺49.0K
-10.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$716 €639
$629 ₺31.0K
13.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,432 €1,278
$2,024 ₺99.7K
-29.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,059 €945
$1,155 ₺56.9K
-8.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,639 €3,248
$3,160 ₺155.7K
15.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,102 €1,876
$1,838 ₺90.5K
14.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Gijon
Istanbul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,822 €1,626
$1,203 ₺59.3K
51.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.43
41.09
-91.65%

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

Last update for Gijon: October 6, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Gijon
$716
Istanbul
$629 12.1% $86
Groceries & Markets
Gijon
$281
Istanbul
$264 5.9% $17
Eating Out
Gijon
$263
Istanbul
$218 17.3% $45
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gijon
$191
Istanbul
$117 38.9% $75
Clothing & Footwear
Gijon
$160
Istanbul
$131 18.2% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Gijon
$71
Istanbul
$94 32.8% $23
Getting Around
Gijon
$52
Istanbul
$75 46.2% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $890 in Gijon and $994 in Istanbul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gijon pays 51% 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: $68.0 in Gijon vs $55.0 in Istanbul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $264 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Gijon
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🕒 Local time
07:39 7:39 AM
08:39 8:39 AM
1 h ahead of Gijon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
268,313
15,701,602
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Gijon Istanbul 2,840 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Gijon
  • 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
Gijon vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Istanbul cheaper than Gijon?
Istanbul is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Gijon or Istanbul?
Average pay runs 51% higher in Gijon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Gijon and Istanbul?
Rent for a central apartment: $890 in Gijon versus $994 in Istanbul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Gijon and in Istanbul?
All in, you'll spend $1,744 per month in Gijon versus $1,526 in Istanbul – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Istanbul runs roughly 96% less than in Gijon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Gijon or in Istanbul?
At $1,526 in Istanbul versus $1,744 in Gijon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Gijon. The gap between the two cities makes Istanbul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Gijon or Istanbul more family-friendly?
For families, Istanbul is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Gijon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Gijon or Istanbul?
Safety-wise, Gijon 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Istanbul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Gijon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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