Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hsinchu and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Hsinchu: $1,140 a month against $1,516 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Hsinchu
Learn more

Hsinchu Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Hsinchu

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,140

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,140 per month in Hsinchu vs $1,516 in Istanbul, rent included.

Hsinchu $1,140
Istanbul $1,516

A couple spends around $1,917 per month in Hsinchu vs $2,356 in Istanbul, rent included.

Hsinchu $1,917
Istanbul $2,356

A family of three spends $2,693 per month in Hsinchu vs $3,197 in Istanbul, rent included.

Hsinchu $2,693
Istanbul $3,197

Hsinchu is about 25% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Hsinchu sits 16% below the global median, while Istanbul is 11% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 NT$120

$11.59 ₺579

-68.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.83 NT$907

$54.7 ₺2,730

-49.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.75 NT$155

$9.39 ₺469

-49.41%

Cappuccino

$2.99 NT$97.3

$4.23 ₺211

-29.31%

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

$0.90 NT$29.37

$1.72 ₺85.8

-47.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 NT$21.37

$0.57 ₺28.31

15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 NT$61.7

$4.65 ₺232

-59.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 NT$73.1

$6.84 ₺341

-67.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.75 NT$89.7

$1.20 ₺60.1

129.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 NT$52.9

$0.94 ₺47.06

72.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.35 NT$142

$2.24 ₺112

94.20%

Eggs

$2.76 NT$90.1

$2.42 ₺121

14.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$35.37 NT$1,153

$10.24 ₺511

245.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 NT$226

$5.38 ₺268

28.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.54 NT$670

$21.19 ₺1,058

-3.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 NT$84.7

$1.89 ₺94.4

37.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 NT$79.2

$2.22 ₺111

9.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 NT$106

$1.26 ₺62.8

157.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 NT$101

$1.81 ₺90.2

71.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 NT$76.9

$0.70 ₺34.91

237.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 NT$75.4

$0.64 ₺32.19

260.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 NT$63.9

$1.22 ₺61.0

60.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 NT$44.32

$0.55 ₺27.41

147.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 NT$127

$2.32 ₺116

68.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 NT$394

$13.31 ₺665

-9.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 NT$61.4

$2.33 ₺116

-19.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$74.6

$3.46 ₺173

-33.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 NT$16.76

$0.91 ₺45.27

-43.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.54 NT$1,257

$66.3 ₺3,312

-41.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 NT$97.6

$1.29 ₺64.3

131.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 NT$9.64

$0.86 ₺42.74

-65.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.82 NT$320

$11.09 ₺554

-11.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.98

$1.42 ₺70.9

-28.87%

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

$34.7K NT$1.1M

$49.2K ₺2.5M

-29.40%

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

$23.6K NT$769.1K

$42.8K ₺2.1M

-44.89%

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

$102 NT$3,315

$87.7 ₺4,381

15.90%

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

$19.11 NT$623

$11.28 ₺563

69.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.66 NT$674

$15.89 ₺793

30.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 NT$1,664

$75.9 ₺3,790

-32.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,150

Cinema Ticket

$10.28 NT$335

$8.20 ₺410

25.37%

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

$735 NT$24.0K

$1,028 ₺51.3K

-28.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K NT$531.6K

$26.0K ₺1.3M

-37.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 NT$1,829

$53.3 ₺2,663

5.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 NT$1,140

$39.69 ₺1,982

-11.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.7 NT$2,467

$99.8 ₺4,982

-24.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,352

$93.5 ₺4,670

9.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 NT$13.6K

$1,003 ₺50.1K

-58.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 NT$8,377

$628 ₺31.4K

-59.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 NT$35.9K

$1,963 ₺98.0K

-43.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 NT$24.7K

$1,122 ₺56.0K

-32.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,930 NT$226.0K

$3,075 ₺153.5K

125.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,621 NT$150.7K

$1,753 ₺87.5K

163.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,398 NT$78.2K

$1,180 ₺58.9K

103.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.13

40.69

-94.77%

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

Last update for Hsinchu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Hsinchu

$405 35.5%

Istanbul

$258 17% 36.2% $146

Accommodation & Living

Hsinchu

$257 22.5%

Istanbul

$628 41.5% 145% $371

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hsinchu

$141 12.4%

Istanbul

$115 7.6% 18.8% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Hsinchu

$121 10.6%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 6.2% $7.5

Eating Out

Hsinchu

$100 8.7%

Istanbul

$218 14.4% 119% $118

Sport & Entertainment

Hsinchu

$72 6.3%

Istanbul

$92 6.1% 28.9% $21

Getting Around

Hsinchu

$45 4%

Istanbul

$76 5% 67.6% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $418 in Hsinchu versus $1,003 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 in Hsinchu are about 2 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Hsinchu versus $55 in Istanbul. Groceries tell a different story – $405 in Hsinchu vs $258 in Istanbul – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Hsinchu

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

05:38 5:38 AM

00:38 12:38 AM

5 h behind Hsinchu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

453,120

15,701,602

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.75 EUR

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.79 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 32.61 TWD (100 TWD = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 36.41 TWD (100 TWD = 2.75 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 49.93 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 55.75 TRY (100 TRY = 1.79 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hsinchu Istanbul 8,390 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Hsinchu
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

Hsinchu vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul costs about 33% more than Hsinchu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,711 per month in Hsinchu and $2,274 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hsinchu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $418 there versus $1,003 in Istanbul.

Public transport costs about 42% less in Hsinchu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $735 per month in Hsinchu and $1,028 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,140 in Hsinchu and $1,516 in Istanbul. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.