Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $1,806 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Athens
Learn more

Athens Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Athens

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,526 in Istanbul versus $1,806 in Athens.

Istanbul $1,526
Athens $1,806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,399 in Istanbul versus $2,731 in Athens.

Istanbul $2,399
Athens $2,731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,272 in Istanbul versus $3,656 in Athens.

Istanbul $3,272
Athens $3,656

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 15% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 14% above, Athens 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$16.66 €14.87

-28.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$66.2 €59.1

-16.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$11.06 €9.87

-17.36%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$4.14 €3.69

2.42%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$2.80 €2.50

-37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.57 €0.51

-5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$5.64 €5.03

-16.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$5.46 €4.87

9.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.96 €1.75

-35.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$1.41 €1.26

-32.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.83 €2.53

-18.37%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$5.04 €4.50

-50.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$15.35 €13.70

-31.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$10.34 €9.23

-45.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$18.97 €16.93

11.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$2.17 €1.93

-11.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.91 €1.70

19.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.38 €1.23

-7.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$2.20 €1.96

-16.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$1.10 €0.98

-39.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.13 €1.00

-47.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.10 €0.99

20.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.83 €0.74

-28.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$5.60 €4.99

-57.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$10.19 €9.09

32.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$2.18 €1.95

11.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$2.45 €2.19

44.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$1.38 €1.23

-39.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$30.87 €27.55

115.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$4.37 €3.90

-69.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$1.04 €0.93

-18.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$17.11 €15.27

-36.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$2.31 €2.07

-36.36%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$28.0K €25.0K

84.49%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$28.0K €25.0K

58.65%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$210 €187

-57.46%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$26.70 €23.83

-56.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$30.13 €26.89

-46.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$54.6 €48.72

41.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$26.03 €23.23

-12.95%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$10.78 €9.62

-22.63%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$575 €513

69.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$13.1K €11.7K

96.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$93.2 €83.1

-43.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$40.68 €36.30

-3.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$104 €92.9

-0.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$128 €115

-24.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$756 €674

31.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$652 €582

-3.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$1,294 €1,154

56.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$1,163 €1,038

-0.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$4,008 €3,577

-21.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$3,452 €3,081

-46.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$1,243 €1,110

-3.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

4.48

817.19%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Athens

$652 36.5% 3.7% $23

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Athens

$315 17.6% 19.2% $51

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Athens

$269 15% 23.3% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Athens

$165 9.2% 25.6% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Athens

$267 14.9% 128% $150

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Athens

$76 4.3% 18.9% $18

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Athens

$46 2.6% 39% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Istanbul and $756 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 3% 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 $66.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $315 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

08:28 8:28 AM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Athens 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
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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 Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Istanbul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Athens. 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: $994 in Istanbul versus $756 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Istanbul – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $66.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,526 per month in Istanbul versus $1,806 in Athens – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,526 in Istanbul versus $1,806 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Istanbul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Istanbul delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,526 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Istanbul hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Athens 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 18% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.