Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Cento

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,634 in Cento, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in Cento despite lower rent and utilities.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Cento
Learn more

Cento Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Cento

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,634

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Cento

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,634 in Cento.

Istanbul $1,550
Cento $1,634

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $2,647 in Cento.

Istanbul $2,415
Cento $2,647

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $3,660 in Cento.

Istanbul $3,281
Cento $3,660

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 5% less than in Cento, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 15% above, Cento 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$19.84 €17.65

-38.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$87.8 €78.1

-37.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$13.20 €11.74

-30.15%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.20 €1.96

100.00%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$3.36 €2.99

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.55 €1.38

-61.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$6.10 €5.42

-22.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$5.56 €4.95

6.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.36 €1.21

-11.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$2.85 €2.54

-68.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.57 €2.29

-14.79%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.89 €3.46

-39.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$18.10 €16.10

-42.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$12.11 €10.77

-53.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$17.33 €15.42

20.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.16 €1.92

-12.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.70 €1.52

35.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.88 €1.68

-31.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$2.47 €2.20

-27.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.32 €1.17

-50.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.36 €1.21

-52.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.70 €1.51

-26.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.56 €0.50

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$6.79 €6.04

-65.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$8.02 €7.13

67.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.60 €1.43

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.87 €1.66

86.10%

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

$44.56 €39.63

51.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$4.55 €4.05

-71.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.42 €1.27

-35.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$27.64 €24.59

-60.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.03 €1.81

-27.59%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$36.8K €32.7K

38.00%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$35.6K €31.7K

25.01%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$234 €208

-62.08%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$11.00 €9.78

5.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$27.90 €24.82

-43.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$56.9 €50.6

35.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$23.47 €20.87

-3.11%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$9.89 €8.80

-17.69%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$547 €487

84.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$4,422 €3,933

478.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$88.6 €78.8

-39.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$42.28 €37.61

-3.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$95.9 €85.3

3.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$150 €134

-35.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$533 €474

84.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$443 €394

46.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,047 €932

89.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$918 €817

28.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$3,197 €2,844

-1.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,863 €1,657

-4.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,766 €1,571

-31.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.19

1182.76%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cento: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Cento

$443 27.1% 31.9% $207

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Cento

$324 19.8% 24.7% $64

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Cento

$286 17.5% 28.1% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Cento

$170 10.4% 29.9% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Cento

$273 16.7% 135% $157

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Cento

$77 4.7% 17.9% $17

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Cento

$63 3.9% 18.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $533 in Cento. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cento pays 47% 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 $88.0 in Cento for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $324 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇹 Cento

🕒 Local time

17:59 5:59 PM

16:59 4:59 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

35,582

💱 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Cento 1,500 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Cento

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 Cento: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Cento. 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 47% lower in Cento. 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 $533 in Cento. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Istanbul runs roughly 51% less than in Cento. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,008 in Istanbul versus $547 in Cento. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,634 in Cento, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Cento. 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 $1,550 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Istanbul hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Cento 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 5% less than in Cento. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.