Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Boulogne-Billancourt

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,673 in Boulogne-Billancourt, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Boulogne-Billancourt
🇫🇷 France
$2,673
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Boulogne-Billancourt

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 Boulogne-Billancourt actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $2,673 in Boulogne-Billancourt.

  • Istanbul $1,550
  • Boulogne-Billancourt $2,673

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $3,893 in Boulogne-Billancourt.

  • Istanbul $2,415
  • Boulogne-Billancourt $3,893

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $5,113 in Boulogne-Billancourt.

  • Istanbul $3,281
  • Boulogne-Billancourt $5,113

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 42% less than in Boulogne-Billancourt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 15% above, Boulogne-Billancourt 98% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Boulogne-Billancourt
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 ₺609
$16.67 €14.86
-26.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,708
$56.6 €50.5
-3.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.22 ₺456
$13.63 €12.15
-32.36%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺218
$5.19 €4.63
-15.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₺83.1
$4.56 €4.06
-63.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₺29.40
$2.71 €2.42
-78.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.70 ₺233
$7.84 €6.99
-40.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 ₺293
$5.44 €4.85
8.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Boulogne-Billancourt
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ₺60.0
$1.33 €1.18
-9.02%
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 ₺44.10
$2.25 €2.00
-60.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 ₺108
$2.74 €2.44
-20.07%
Eggs
$2.35 ₺116
$3.84 €3.43
-38.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.42 ₺516
$16.64 €14.84
-37.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 ₺280
$11.65 €10.39
-51.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.94 ₺1,037
$20.31 €18.11
3.10%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₺94.1
$3.25 €2.90
-41.54%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 ₺114
$2.16 €1.93
6.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.2
$2.24 €2.00
-42.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺89.0
$4.25 €3.79
-57.65%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ₺32.17
$1.82 €1.63
-64.29%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺31.92
$2.19 €1.95
-70.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 ₺62.1
$1.79 €1.60
-30.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.59
$0.66 €0.59
-15.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.37 ₺118
$13.02 €11.61
-81.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 ₺664
$8.90 €7.94
50.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₺119
$0.93 €0.83
158.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 ₺172
$1.61 €1.43
116.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Boulogne-Billancourt
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 ₺43.84
$2.29 €2.04
-61.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.4 ₺3,339
$47.66 €42.50
41.48%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺64.1
$2.19 €1.95
-41.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 ₺45.70
$1.11 €0.99
-17.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.96 ₺543
$32.47 €28.95
-66.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ₺72.9
$2.17 €1.93
-32.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.8K ₺2.5M
$34.5K €30.8K
47.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.5K ₺2.2M
$35.1K €31.3K
26.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Boulogne-Billancourt
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 ₺4,388
$248 €221
-64.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 ₺574
$22.14 €19.74
-47.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.81 ₺783
$32.28 €28.78
-51.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Boulogne-Billancourt
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.2 ₺3,821
$34.94 €31.16
120.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.74 ₺1,126
$22.49 €20.05
1.11%
Cinema Ticket
$8.14 ₺403
$14.46 €12.89
-43.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Boulogne-Billancourt
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,008 ₺49.9K
$835 €745
20.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K ₺1.3M
$9,936 €8,859
157.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Boulogne-Billancourt
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.0 ₺2,671
$109 €97.1
-50.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.83 ₺2,021
$45.48 €40.55
-10.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.9 ₺4,896
$102 €91.2
-3.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 ₺4,783
$159 €142
-39.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Boulogne-Billancourt
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$985 ₺48.7K
$1,323 €1,180
-25.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$650 ₺32.2K
$1,398 €1,247
-53.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,983 ₺98.2K
$2,710 €2,416
-26.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,180 ₺58.4K
$2,374 €2,116
-50.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,138 ₺155.4K
$3,857 €3,439
-18.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,780 ₺88.1K
$2,984 €2,661
-40.36%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Boulogne-Billancourt
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,205 ₺59.7K
$4,221 €3,763
-71.44%
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 Boulogne-Billancourt: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$650
Boulogne-Billancourt
$1.4K 115% $748
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$260
Boulogne-Billancourt
$341 31.4% $82
Eating Out
Istanbul
$223
Boulogne-Billancourt
$316 41.4% $92
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$131
Boulogne-Billancourt
$187 43.2% $56
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$116
Boulogne-Billancourt
$303 161% $187
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Boulogne-Billancourt
$64 31.7% $30
Getting Around
Istanbul
$77
Boulogne-Billancourt
$65 16.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $1,323 in Boulogne-Billancourt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boulogne-Billancourt pays 250% 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 $57.0 in Boulogne-Billancourt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $341 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇫🇷 Boulogne-Billancourt
🕒 Local time
05:04 5:04 AM
04:04 4:04 AM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
119,808
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.51 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Boulogne-Billancourt 2,260 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Boulogne-Billancourt

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 Boulogne-Billancourt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Boulogne-Billancourt cheaper than Istanbul?
Istanbul is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Istanbul or Boulogne-Billancourt?
On paper, salaries run 250% lower in Boulogne-Billancourt. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Istanbul and Boulogne-Billancourt?
Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Istanbul versus $1,323 in Boulogne-Billancourt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,008 in Istanbul versus $835 in Boulogne-Billancourt. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Istanbul and in Boulogne-Billancourt?
Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Boulogne-Billancourt. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Istanbul or in Boulogne-Billancourt?
At $1,550 in Istanbul versus $2,673 in Boulogne-Billancourt, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Boulogne-Billancourt. The gap between the two cities makes Istanbul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Istanbul or Boulogne-Billancourt more family-friendly?
For families, Istanbul is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Boulogne-Billancourt, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Istanbul or Boulogne-Billancourt?
Safety-wise, Istanbul and Boulogne-Billancourt are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Istanbul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Boulogne-Billancourt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Istanbul vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?