Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Busto Arsizio

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,822 in Busto Arsizio, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Busto Arsizio
Learn more

Busto Arsizio Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Busto Arsizio

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Busto Arsizio

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,822 in Busto Arsizio.

Istanbul $1,550
Busto Arsizio $1,822

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $2,823 in Busto Arsizio.

Istanbul $2,415
Busto Arsizio $2,823

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $3,824 in Busto Arsizio.

Istanbul $3,281
Busto Arsizio $3,824

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 15% less than in Busto Arsizio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 15% above, Busto Arsizio 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$21.97 €19.54

-44.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$90.0 €80.0

-39.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$11.35 €10.10

-18.77%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.17 €1.93

102.76%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$3.39 €3.01

-50.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.40 €1.25

-57.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$6.73 €5.99

-30.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$6.15 €5.47

-3.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.56 €1.39

-22.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$2.45 €2.18

-63.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.43 €3.05

-36.15%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$4.88 €4.34

-51.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$17.02 €15.14

-38.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$13.61 €12.11

-58.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$21.98 €19.55

-4.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.69 €2.40

-29.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.82 €1.62

26.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.55 €2.27

-49.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$3.44 €3.06

-47.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.69 €1.50

-61.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$2.11 €1.87

-69.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.12 €0.99

11.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.61 €0.55

-8.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$7.73 €6.87

-69.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$5.11 €4.54

162.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.49 €1.32

61.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.61 €1.43

116.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.65 €1.47

-46.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$42.67 €37.96

58.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$3.82 €3.40

-66.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$2.28 €2.03

-59.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$39.60 €35.22

-72.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.10 €1.87

-30.00%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$36.7K €32.6K

38.49%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$34.7K €30.9K

28.17%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$198 €176

-55.32%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$11.55 €10.27

0.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$26.99 €24.01

-41.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$31.11 €27.67

148.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$11.29 €10.04

-27.90%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$873 €777

15.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$7,047 €6,268

262.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$87.8 €78.1

-38.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$27.58 €24.53

48.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$107 €94.8

-7.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$135 €120

-28.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$1,258 €1,119

-21.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$654 €581

-0.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,924 €1,712

3.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,075 €956

9.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$2,554 €2,272

22.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,591 €1,415

11.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$2,176 €1,935

-44.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.65

1021.10%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Busto Arsizio: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Busto Arsizio

$654 35.9% 0.6% $3.8

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Busto Arsizio

$352 19.3% 35.6% $92

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Busto Arsizio

$301 16.5% 34.8% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Busto Arsizio

$160 8.8% 22.9% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Busto Arsizio

$237 13% 104% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Busto Arsizio

$54 3% 42.5% $40

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Busto Arsizio

$65 3.5% 16.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $1,258 in Busto Arsizio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busto Arsizio pays 81% 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 $90.0 in Busto Arsizio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $352 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇹 Busto Arsizio

🕒 Local time

19:43 7:43 PM

18:43 6:43 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

83,094

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Busto Arsizio 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Busto Arsizio

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 Busto Arsizio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul and Busto Arsizio differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,550 vs $1,822 including rent). Istanbul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 81% lower in Busto Arsizio. 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: $985 in Istanbul versus $1,258 in Busto Arsizio. 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 $90.0 in Busto Arsizio. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,550 per month in Istanbul versus $1,822 in Busto Arsizio – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,822 in Busto Arsizio, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Busto Arsizio. The gap between the two cities makes Istanbul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Busto Arsizio 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 Busto Arsizio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.