Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Best

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $2,217 in Best, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 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
107

Cost of Living Index in Best
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Best Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Best

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,217

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Best

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $2,217 in Best, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Best $2,217

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $3,095 in Best, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Best $3,095

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $3,973 in Best, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Best $3,973

Istanbul is about 31% cheaper than Best, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Istanbul and Best sit above the global median – Istanbul by 14%, Best by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$22.31 €19.91

-46.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$86.5 €77.2

-36.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$12.25 €10.94

-25.39%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$3.65 €3.26

16.16%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$3.26 €2.91

-46.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$2.48 €2.21

-78.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$5.77 €5.15

-18.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$4.90 €4.37

21.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.13 €1.01

11.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$1.89 €1.69

-49.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.22 €1.98

4.05%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$3.12 €2.79

-20.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$11.28 €10.07

-6.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$11.49 €10.26

-51.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$14.84 €13.24

42.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$2.01 €1.80

-3.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.60 €1.43

43.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.73 €1.54

-26.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$4.95 €4.41

-62.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$1.17 €1.04

-42.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.19 €1.06

-50.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.11 €0.99

19.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.71 €0.63

-16.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$11.21 €10.01

-78.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$5.55 €4.95

142.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.51 €1.34

60.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$2.50 €2.23

41.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$2.48 €2.22

-66.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$70.9 €63.3

-6.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$3.94 €3.52

-65.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$2.89 €2.57

-70.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$29.72 €26.52

-63.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$2.35 €2.09

-37.45%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$25.6K €22.9K

101.33%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$34.0K €30.3K

30.80%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$185 €165

-51.80%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$14.56 €12.99

-20.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$37.61 €33.56

-57.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$40.32 €35.98

91.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$25.33 €22.60

-10.54%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$13.97 €12.47

-40.30%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$1,298 €1,158

-24.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$5,115 €4,564

403.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$51.7 €46.13

1.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$32.89 €29.35

19.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$74.5 €66.5

38.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$57.9 €51.7

66.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$1,544 €1,378

-35.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$1,100 €982

-42.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$1,975 €1,763

2.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$1,352 €1,206

-14.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$5,221 €4,659

-39.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$4,354 €3,886

-57.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$4,077 €3,639

-70.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

3.54

1060.73%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Best: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Best

$1.1K 49.9% 74.8% $471

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Best

$281 12.8% 6.5% $17

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Best

$321 14.6% 47.2% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Best

$98 4.4% 25.6% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Best

$237 10.8% 103% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Best

$68 3.1% 27.3% $26

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Best

$99 4.5% 31.6% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $1,544 in Best. 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 239% higher in Best, 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 $86.0 in Best. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $281 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇱 Best

🕒 Local time

15:34 3:34 PM

14:34 2:34 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

29,988

💱 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 = 55.2 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 Best 2,140 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Best

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 Best: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Best is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $3,325 in Best. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,526 in Istanbul and $2,217 in Best. That's a gap of about 45%.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Istanbul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,526, than in Best at $2,217. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Best it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Istanbul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Best makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.