Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Imatra and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,519 a month against $1,789 in Imatra, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Imatra, Finland
Istanbul, Turkey
Imatra
🇫🇮 Finland
$1,789
/mo nomad
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,519
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,789 per month in Imatra vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Imatra $1,789
  • Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $2,700 per month in Imatra vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Imatra $2,700
  • Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $3,611 per month in Imatra vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Imatra $3,611
  • Istanbul $3,212

Imatra costs about 18% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Imatra and Istanbul sit above the global median – Imatra by 32%, Istanbul by 12%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Imatra
Istanbul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.99 €9.79
$11.81 ₺592
-6.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.3 €50.2
$54.9 ₺2,754
2.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.99 €8.00
$9.26 ₺465
-2.92%
Cappuccino
$4.50 €4.01
$4.30 ₺216
4.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.94 €2.62
$1.77 ₺89.0
66.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 €1.74
$0.56 ₺28.32
250.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.62 €6.79
$4.69 ₺235
62.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.78 €7.81
$7.12 ₺357
23.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Imatra
Istanbul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.25 ₺62.7
4.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.67 €2.38
$0.88 ₺44.17
203.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.37 €2.11
$2.20 ₺111
7.73%
Eggs
$3.14 €2.80
$2.43 ₺122
29.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.75 €7.79
$10.48 ₺526
-16.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.40 €12.82
$5.31 ₺267
171.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.78 €19.39
$21.10 ₺1,058
3.22%
Apples (1kg)
$2.25 €2.01
$1.86 ₺93.1
20.97%
Banana (1kg)
$2.11 €1.88
$2.30 ₺115
-8.26%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.46 €2.19
$1.22 ₺61.0
101.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.97 €3.53
$1.80 ₺90.2
120.56%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 €1.11
$0.69 ₺34.83
79.71%
Onion (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$0.64 ₺32.16
190.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.76 €2.45
$1.36 ₺68.0
102.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$0.58 ₺28.94
256.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.60 €11.22
$2.34 ₺117
438.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.18 €14.41
$13.03 ₺653
24.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.14 €2.80
$2.36 ₺118
33.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.41 €3.04
$3.32 ₺166
2.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Imatra
Istanbul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.40 €3.03
$0.88 ₺44.07
286.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.7 €58.5
$66.1 ₺3,316
-0.70%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.38 €3.90
$1.28 ₺64.4
242.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.29 €1.15
$0.85 ₺42.80
51.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$65.3 €58.1
$11.09 ₺556
488.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.36 €2.10
$1.48 ₺74.0
59.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.9K €32.9K
$48.6K ₺2.4M
-24.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.1K €33.9K
$42.0K ₺2.1M
-9.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Imatra
Istanbul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$131 €117
$92.7 ₺4,650
41.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.55 €21.86
$11.20 ₺562
119.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.03 €21.39
$15.89 ₺797
51.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Imatra
Istanbul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.92 €37.33
$74.7 ₺3,745
-43.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.76 €19.38
$22.95 ₺1,151
-5.19%
Cinema Ticket
$17.75 €15.80
$8.05 ₺404
120.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Imatra
Istanbul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$325 €290
$948 ₺47.6K
-65.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$36.9K ₺1.9M
-65.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Imatra
Istanbul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.3 €84.9
$53.9 ₺2,702
76.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.94 €43.57
$41.49 ₺2,081
17.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 €90.1
$101 ₺5,060
0.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$156 €139
$91.3 ₺4,580
71.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Imatra
Istanbul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$799 €711
$1,014 ₺50.8K
-21.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$639 €569
$625 ₺31.3K
2.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,226 €1,092
$2,005 ₺100.6K
-38.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,027 €915
$1,126 ₺56.5K
-8.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,039 €3,596
$2,988 ₺149.8K
35.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,166 €1,929
$1,730 ₺86.8K
25.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Imatra
Istanbul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,136 ₺57.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.51
40.42
-91.32%

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

Last update for Imatra: November 1, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Imatra
$639
Istanbul
$625 2.3% $15
Groceries & Markets
Imatra
$377
Istanbul
$258 31.5% $119
Eating Out
Imatra
$244
Istanbul
$221 9.5% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Imatra
$181
Istanbul
$129 28.4% $51
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Imatra
$180
Istanbul
$120 33.4% $60
Getting Around
Imatra
$90
Istanbul
$75 16.6% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Imatra
$77
Istanbul
$91 17.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $799 in Imatra versus $1,014 in Istanbul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Imatra versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $377 vs $258 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇫🇮 Imatra
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🕒 Local time
08:22 8:22 AM
09:22 9:22 AM
1 h ahead of Imatra
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
24,919
15,701,602
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Imatra Istanbul 2,240 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Imatra
  • 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
Imatra vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Imatra and in Istanbul compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,789 in Imatra, $1,519 in Istanbul – Istanbul comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Imatra compared to Istanbul?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,683 per month in Imatra and $2,278 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Imatra and Istanbul?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Imatra, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $799 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Imatra and Istanbul?
Kindergarten costs $325 per month in Imatra and $948 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Imatra or Istanbul?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,789 in Imatra and $1,519 in Istanbul. That makes Istanbul about 15% cheaper.
Which city is feasible on a $1,500 budget?
$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,789 in Imatra and $1,519 in Istanbul. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
How does quality of life compare between Imatra and Istanbul?
It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,519 in Istanbul to $1,789 in Imatra. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Imatra or Istanbul safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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