Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Aarschot

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,043 in Aarschot, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Aarschot
Learn more

Aarschot Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Aarschot

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,043

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Aarschot

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Istanbul and in Aarschot actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $2,043 in Aarschot.

Istanbul $1,550
Aarschot $2,043

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $2,981 in Aarschot.

Istanbul $2,415
Aarschot $2,981

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $3,919 in Aarschot.

Istanbul $3,281
Aarschot $3,919

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 24% less than in Aarschot, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 15% above, Aarschot 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$17.81 €15.84

-30.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$77.2 €68.6

-29.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$10.96 €9.75

-15.88%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$3.68 €3.27

19.57%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$2.97 €2.65

-43.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$2.62 €2.33

-77.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$5.18 €4.61

-9.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$4.42 €3.93

33.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.24 €1.10

-2.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$2.80 €2.49

-68.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.02 €1.79

8.42%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.73 €3.32

-37.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$11.33 €10.08

-8.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$11.70 €10.41

-51.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$14.96 €13.31

39.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.70 €2.41

-29.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.23 €1.98

3.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.16 €1.92

-40.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$2.20 €1.95

-18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$2.20 €1.96

-70.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.75 €1.56

-63.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.50 €1.34

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.90 €0.80

-37.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$9.28 €8.26

-74.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$7.24 €6.44

85.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$2.03 €1.80

18.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.77 €1.58

96.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$3.13 €2.79

-71.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$133 €118

-49.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$4.98 €4.43

-74.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$2.49 €2.21

-63.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$16.79 €14.93

-34.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.97 €1.75

-25.38%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$35.9K €31.9K

41.42%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$34.1K €30.3K

30.66%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$210 €186

-57.70%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$18.26 €16.24

-36.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$53.8 €47.82

-70.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$36.30 €32.29

112.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$17.78 €15.81

27.90%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$14.46 €12.86

-43.71%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$701 €624

43.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$15.9K €14.1K

61.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$86.4 €76.9

-37.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$25.84 €22.98

58.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$88.0 €78.3

12.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$131 €116

-26.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$920 €818

7.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$806 €717

-19.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,371 €1,219

44.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,158 €1,030

1.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$3,530 €3,140

-11.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,807 €2,497

-36.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$3,157 €2,808

-61.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.52

1062.50%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Aarschot: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Aarschot

$806 39.4% 24% $156

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Aarschot

$302 14.8% 16.4% $43

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Aarschot

$277 13.5% 23.9% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Aarschot

$149 7.3% 14% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Aarschot

$282 13.8% 143% $165

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Aarschot

$65 3.2% 30.2% $28

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Aarschot

$163 8% 112% $86

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $920 in Aarschot. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aarschot pays 162% 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: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $77.0 in Aarschot for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $302 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇪 Aarschot

🕒 Local time

02:23 2:23 AM

01:23 1:23 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

27,656

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Aarschot 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Aarschot

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

Istanbul vs Aarschot: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 162% lower in Aarschot. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Istanbul versus $920 in Aarschot. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Aarschot. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Istanbul – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $77.0 in Aarschot. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,550 in Istanbul versus $2,043 in Aarschot, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Aarschot. The gap between the two cities makes Istanbul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Istanbul is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Aarschot, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Aarschot 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 32% less than in Aarschot. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.