Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Alghero

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,696 in Alghero, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. The total is higher in Alghero despite lower rent and utilities.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Alghero
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,696
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Alghero

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 Alghero actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,696 in Alghero, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,550
  • Alghero $1,696

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,705 in Alghero, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,415
  • Alghero $2,705

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,715 in Alghero, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,281
  • Alghero $3,715

Istanbul is about 9% cheaper than Alghero, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Alghero sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Alghero by 26%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Alghero
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 ₺609
$22.60 €20.10
-45.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,708
$84.5 €75.2
-35.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.22 ₺456
$10.51 €9.35
-12.27%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺218
$2.09 €1.86
110.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₺83.1
$2.87 €2.55
-41.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₺29.40
$1.54 €1.37
-61.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.70 ₺233
$5.48 €4.88
-14.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 ₺292
$3.31 €2.94
78.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Alghero
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ₺60.0
$1.61 €1.43
-24.84%
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 ₺44.10
$2.70 €2.40
-67.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 ₺108
$2.91 €2.59
-24.74%
Eggs
$2.35 ₺116
$3.78 €3.36
-37.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.42 ₺516
$21.06 €18.73
-50.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 ₺280
$12.20 €10.86
-53.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.94 ₺1,037
$22.70 €20.19
-7.75%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₺94.1
$2.58 €2.29
-26.36%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 ₺114
$1.79 €1.59
29.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.1
$2.23 €1.98
-42.60%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺89.0
$3.58 €3.19
-49.72%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ₺32.16
$1.92 €1.71
-66.15%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺31.91
$2.27 €2.02
-71.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 ₺62.1
$1.53 €1.37
-18.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.58
$0.56 €0.50
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.37 ₺118
$6.71 €5.97
-64.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 ₺664
$8.35 €7.43
60.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₺119
$1.43 €1.27
67.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 ₺172
$1.74 €1.55
100.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Alghero
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 ₺43.84
$1.64 €1.46
-45.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.4 ₺3,338
$42.61 €37.90
58.25%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺64.1
$9.27 €8.24
-86.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 ₺45.70
$1.48 €1.32
-37.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.96 ₺542
$31.80 €28.29
-65.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ₺72.9
$2.00 €1.78
-26.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.8K ₺2.5M
$36.3K €32.3K
39.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.5K ₺2.2M
$35.3K €31.4K
26.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Alghero
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 ₺4,387
$155 €138
-42.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 ₺574
$8.76 €7.79
32.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.81 ₺783
$29.83 €26.54
-47.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Alghero
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.2 ₺3,820
$56.9 €50.6
35.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.74 ₺1,126
$23.31 €20.73
-2.45%
Cinema Ticket
$8.14 ₺403
$8.96 €7.97
-9.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Alghero
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,008 ₺49.9K
$429 €382
134.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K ₺1.3M
$8,179 €7,275
212.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Alghero
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.0 ₺2,671
$66.6 €59.3
-19.01%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.83 ₺2,021
$42.31 €37.63
-3.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.9 ₺4,895
$89.8 €79.9
10.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 ₺4,783
$117 €104
-17.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Alghero
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$985 ₺48.7K
$603 €536
63.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$650 ₺32.2K
$568 €505
14.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,983 ₺98.2K
$1,146 €1,019
73.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,180 ₺58.4K
$1,013 €901
16.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,138 ₺155.4K
$2,887 €2,568
8.69%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,780 ₺88.1K
$1,995 €1,775
-10.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Alghero
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,205 ₺59.7K
$1,992 €1,772
-39.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.92
3.27
1151.38%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Alghero: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$650
Alghero
$568 12.6% $82
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$260
Alghero
$363 39.8% $103
Eating Out
Istanbul
$223
Alghero
$289 29.5% $66
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$131
Alghero
$142 8.7% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$116
Alghero
$193 66.5% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Alghero
$75 19.9% $19
Getting Around
Istanbul
$77
Alghero
$66 14.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $603 in Alghero. 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 65% higher in Alghero, 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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $85.0 in Alghero. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $363 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇮🇹 Alghero
🕒 Local time
04:10 4:10 AM
03:10 3:10 AM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
42,085
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Alghero 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Alghero

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 Alghero: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Istanbul or Alghero?
Alghero costs about 9% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Istanbul and in Alghero?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $2,544 in Alghero. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Istanbul or Alghero?
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.
How do dining costs compare in Istanbul and in Alghero?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $85.0 in Alghero. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Istanbul compared to Alghero?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,550 in Istanbul and $1,696 in Alghero. That's a gap of about 9%.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Istanbul or in Alghero?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Alghero at $1,696. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alghero it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Istanbul or Alghero?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Istanbul costs $1,550 versus $1,696 in Alghero. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Istanbul compared to Alghero?
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.
Should I move to Istanbul or to Alghero?
If budget matters most, go with Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alghero makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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