Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hasselt and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,005 in Hasselt, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Hasselt
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Hasselt Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Hasselt

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,005

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,005 per month in Hasselt vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Hasselt $2,005
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $3,025 per month in Hasselt vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Hasselt $3,025
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $4,045 per month in Hasselt vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Hasselt $4,045
Istanbul $3,281

Hasselt costs about 29% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hasselt and Istanbul sit above the global median – Hasselt by 48%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.57 €20.17

$12.30 ₺607

83.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 €90.8

$54.7 ₺2,700

85.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.48 €12.05

$9.22 ₺455

46.20%

Cappuccino

$3.67 €3.28

$4.40 ₺217

-16.59%

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

$3.67 €3.28

$1.68 ₺82.8

118.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 €2.86

$0.59 ₺29.31

442.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.12 €4.58

$4.70 ₺232

8.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 €5.00

$5.91 ₺292

-5.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.21 ₺59.8

8.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 €2.25

$0.89 ₺43.97

183.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 €1.99

$2.19 ₺108

1.83%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.96

$2.35 ₺116

40.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 €7.09

$10.42 ₺514

-23.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.52 €10.30

$5.65 ₺279

103.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.13 €20.67

$20.94 ₺1,033

10.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 €1.80

$1.90 ₺93.8

5.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.31 ₺114

-25.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

$1.28 ₺63.0

101.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$1.80 ₺88.7

43.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.60

$0.65 ₺32.07

175.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 €1.16

$0.64 ₺31.82

103.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 €0.95

$1.25 ₺61.9

-15.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.94

$0.56 ₺27.50

87.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.02 €11.64

$2.37 ₺117

449.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.04 €8.08

$13.42 ₺662

-32.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.44

$2.40 ₺119

-32.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.79

$3.48 ₺172

-42.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.80

$0.89 ₺43.71

252.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.49 €29.03

$67.4 ₺3,328

-51.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.68 €5.08

$1.29 ₺63.9

340.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 €2.38

$0.92 ₺45.56

189.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.47

$10.96 ₺541

231.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.77

$1.47 ₺72.7

35.37%

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

$35.6K €31.8K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-29.93%

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

$33.9K €30.3K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-23.88%

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

$205 €183

$88.6 ₺4,374

130.90%

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

$19.80 €17.69

$11.59 ₺572

70.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.52 €41.57

$15.81 ₺781

194.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.36 €24.44

$77.2 ₺3,809

-64.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.17 €8.20

$22.74 ₺1,122

-59.67%

Cinema Ticket

$15.14 €13.53

$8.14 ₺402

86.00%

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

$1,591 €1,421

$1,008 ₺49.8K

57.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.8K €29.4K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

28.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 €98.3

$54.0 ₺2,663

103.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 €46.50

$40.83 ₺2,015

27.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.2

$98.9 ₺4,881

4.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €119

$96.6 ₺4,768

37.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$936 €837

$985 ₺48.6K

-4.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 €709

$650 ₺32.1K

22.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,444 €1,290

$1,983 ₺97.9K

-27.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 €1,066

$1,180 ₺58.3K

1.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,517 €4,036

$3,138 ₺154.9K

43.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,384 €2,131

$1,780 ₺87.9K

33.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,034 €2,711

$1,205 ₺59.5K

151.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

40.92

-91.54%

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

Last update for Hasselt: 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

Hasselt

$794 39.6%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 18.1% $144

Eating Out

Hasselt

$329 16.4%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 32.2% $106

Groceries & Markets

Hasselt

$310 15.5%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 16.2% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hasselt

$271 13.5%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 57.2% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Hasselt

$179 8.9%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 27.1% $49

Getting Around

Hasselt

$64 3.2%

Istanbul

$77 5% 20% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Hasselt

$58 2.9%

Istanbul

$93 6% 62.1% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $936 in Hasselt 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 152% higher in Hasselt, 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 $102 in Hasselt versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $310 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Hasselt

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

07:33 7:33 AM

08:33 8:33 AM

1 h ahead of Hasselt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,694

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 49.36 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.24 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Between locations

Hasselt Istanbul 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hasselt
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

Hasselt vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,005 in Hasselt, $1,550 in Istanbul – roughly 29% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,007 per month in Hasselt 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,591 per month in Hasselt and $1,008 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Hasselt, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Hasselt at $2,005. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hasselt it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,550 in Istanbul to $2,005 in Hasselt. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Hasselt makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.