Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Arrest

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,692 in Arrest, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Arrest despite lower rent and utilities.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Arrest
Learn more

Arrest Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Arrest

🇫🇷 France

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Arrest

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,692 in Arrest.

Istanbul $1,550
Arrest $1,692

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $2,690 in Arrest.

Istanbul $2,415
Arrest $2,690

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $3,687 in Arrest.

Istanbul $3,281
Arrest $3,687

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 8% less than in Arrest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 15% above, Arrest 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$17.07 €15.18

-27.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$55.5 €49.39

-1.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$13.59 €12.09

-32.16%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.92 €2.60

50.68%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$3.06 €2.72

-45.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$2.07 €1.84

-71.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$8.32 €7.40

-43.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$5.43 €4.83

8.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.29 €1.14

-6.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.69 €1.51

-47.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.56 €2.28

-14.45%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.97 €3.53

-40.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$10.14 €9.02

2.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$11.97 €10.65

-52.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$15.82 €14.07

32.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$3.02 €2.68

-37.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$3.00 €2.67

-23.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.43 €1.27

-10.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$4.16 €3.70

-56.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.78 €1.58

-63.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$2.01 €1.79

-68.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.60 €1.42

-21.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.16 €0.14

250.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$12.68 €11.28

-81.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$5.46 €4.86

145.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.46 €1.30

64.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.63 €1.45

113.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.88 €1.68

-52.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$41.07 €36.53

64.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$2.29 €2.04

-43.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.14 €1.02

-19.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$32.87 €29.24

-66.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.18 €1.94

-32.57%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$34.3K €30.5K

47.92%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$36.3K €32.3K

22.81%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$207 €184

-57.19%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$32.86 €29.23

-64.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$31.63 €28.13

-50.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$37.48 €33.34

105.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$15.53 €13.82

-47.59%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$899 €799

12.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$9,786 €8,705

161.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$129 €114

-58.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$46.89 €41.71

-12.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$102 €91.1

-3.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$158 €141

-38.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$806 €717

22.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$522 €464

24.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,433 €1,275

38.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,150 €1,023

2.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$4,381 €3,897

-28.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$3,174 €2,823

-43.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.9

949.23%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Arrest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Arrest

$522 30.8% 19.7% $128

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Arrest

$292 17.3% 12.6% $33

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Arrest

$285 16.9% 27.8% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Arrest

$196 11.6% 50.2% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Arrest

$271 16% 134% $155

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Arrest

$69 4.1% 26.6% $25

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Arrest

$57 3.4% 26.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $806 in Arrest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $56.0 in Arrest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $292 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇫🇷 Arrest

🕒 Local time

19:28 7:28 PM

18:28 6:28 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

900

💱 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 = 55.67 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

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Between locations

Istanbul Arrest 2,340 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Arrest

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 Arrest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,325 in Istanbul and $2,539 in Arrest to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Istanbul versus $806 in Arrest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,008 in Istanbul versus $899 in Arrest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Arrest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,692 in Arrest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Arrest. 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 Arrest, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Arrest 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 9% less than in Arrest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.