Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilversum and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,920 in Hilversum, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Hilversum
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Hilversum Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Hilversum

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,920

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,920 in Hilversum versus $1,550 in Istanbul.

Hilversum $2,920
Istanbul $1,550

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,236 in Hilversum versus $2,415 in Istanbul.

Hilversum $4,236
Istanbul $2,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,553 in Hilversum versus $3,281 in Istanbul.

Hilversum $5,553
Istanbul $3,281

Living in Hilversum is roughly 88% more expensive than in Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hilversum 116% above, Istanbul 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.73 €24.67

$12.30 ₺609

125.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 €70.7

$54.7 ₺2,708

45.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.70 €14.85

$9.22 ₺456

81.13%

Cappuccino

$4.30 €3.82

$4.40 ₺218

-2.27%

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

$3.92 €3.49

$1.68 ₺83.1

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.65

$0.59 ₺29.40

405.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.53 €4.92

$4.70 ₺233

17.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 €4.92

$5.91 ₺292

-6.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.21 ₺60.0

49.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.11

$0.89 ₺44.10

166.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.47 €3.09

$2.19 ₺108

58.45%

Eggs

$5.27 €4.69

$2.35 ₺116

124.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.30 €12.72

$10.42 ₺516

37.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.89 €12.35

$5.65 ₺280

145.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 €14.64

$20.94 ₺1,037

-21.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$1.90 ₺94.1

33.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 €2.38

$2.31 ₺114

16.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 €2.41

$1.28 ₺63.1

111.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.21 €4.63

$1.80 ₺89.0

189.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$0.65 ₺32.16

190.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.98

$0.64 ₺31.91

248.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.25 ₺62.1

18.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €1.02

$0.56 ₺27.58

103.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.60 €11.21

$2.37 ₺118

431.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.83 €6.07

$13.42 ₺664

-49.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.31

$2.40 ₺119

-38.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 €2.42

$3.48 ₺172

-21.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.62 €3.22

$0.89 ₺43.84

306.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.0 €58.7

$67.4 ₺3,338

-2.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.50 €4.89

$1.29 ₺64.1

326.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.44 €3.06

$0.92 ₺45.70

273.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.12 €19.67

$10.96 ₺542

101.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 €2.13

$1.47 ₺72.9

62.59%

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

$41.8K €37.2K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-17.65%

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

$42.6K €37.9K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-4.38%

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

$265 €236

$88.6 ₺4,387

198.98%

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

$28.28 €25.15

$11.59 ₺574

144.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.2 €56.2

$15.81 ₺783

299.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.0 €60.5

$77.2 ₺3,820

-11.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.61 €29.89

$22.74 ₺1,126

47.80%

Cinema Ticket

$16.73 €14.88

$8.14 ₺403

105.53%

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

$678 €603

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-32.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K €13.9K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-38.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €100

$54.0 ₺2,671

109.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.90 €42.60

$40.83 ₺2,021

17.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 €80.4

$98.9 ₺4,895

-8.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €126

$96.6 ₺4,783

46.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 €1,497

$985 ₺48.7K

70.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,432 €1,274

$650 ₺32.2K

120.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,924 €2,601

$1,983 ₺98.2K

47.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,281 €2,029

$1,180 ₺58.4K

93.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,800 €6,049

$3,138 ₺155.4K

116.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,225 €4,648

$1,780 ₺88.1K

193.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,910 €3,478

$1,205 ₺59.7K

224.37%

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 Hilversum: October 11, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hilversum

$1.4K 49.1%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 54.6% $782

Eating Out

Hilversum

$390 13.4%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 42.7% $167

Groceries & Markets

Hilversum

$360 12.3%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 27.9% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hilversum

$356 12.2%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 67.4% $240

Clothing & Footwear

Hilversum

$177 6.1%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 26.1% $46

Getting Around

Hilversum

$103 3.5%

Istanbul

$77 5% 25.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Hilversum

$101 3.5%

Istanbul

$93 6% 7.9% $8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,683 in Hilversum and $985 in Istanbul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hilversum pays 224% 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: $80.0 in Hilversum vs $55.0 in Istanbul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $260 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Hilversum

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

07:11 7:11 AM

08:11 8:11 AM

1 h ahead of Hilversum

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

93,345

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

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Between locations

Hilversum Istanbul 2,190 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hilversum
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

Hilversum vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hilversum and Istanbul differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($2,920 vs $1,550 including rent). Istanbul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 224% higher in Hilversum, 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: $1,683 in Hilversum versus $985 in Istanbul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Istanbul runs roughly 2% less than in Hilversum. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $678 in Hilversum versus $1,008 in Istanbul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,550 in Istanbul versus $2,920 in Hilversum, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Hilversum. The gap between the two cities makes Istanbul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Hilversum 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 88% less than in Hilversum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.