Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Cesano Maderno

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,899 in Cesano Maderno, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Cesano Maderno
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Cesano Maderno Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Cesano Maderno

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,899

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Cesano Maderno

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,899 in Cesano Maderno, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Cesano Maderno $1,899

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,929 in Cesano Maderno, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Cesano Maderno $2,929

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,959 in Cesano Maderno, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Cesano Maderno $3,959

Istanbul is about 18% cheaper than Cesano Maderno, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Cesano Maderno sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Cesano Maderno by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$22.37 €19.90

-45.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$90.9 €80.8

-39.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$13.65 €12.14

-32.45%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.14 €1.91

105.61%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$3.56 €3.17

-52.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.69 €1.51

-65.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$6.77 €6.02

-30.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$6.53 €5.81

-9.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.75 €1.55

-30.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$2.67 €2.38

-66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.51 €3.12

-37.61%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$4.92 €4.37

-52.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$23.03 €20.49

-54.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$12.68 €11.27

-55.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$22.35 €19.88

-6.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.86 €2.54

-33.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.31 €2.05

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.94 €2.62

-56.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$3.36 €2.99

-46.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$2.40 €2.13

-72.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$2.05 €1.82

-68.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.74 €1.55

-28.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.57 €0.50

-1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$7.35 €6.54

-67.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$8.94 €7.96

50.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.69 €1.50

42.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.65 €1.46

110.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.61 €1.44

-44.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$43.66 €38.83

54.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$5.52 €4.91

-76.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.71 €1.52

-46.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$38.51 €34.26

-71.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.15 €1.91

-31.63%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$36.8K €32.8K

37.93%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$34.5K €30.6K

29.26%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$244 €217

-63.72%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$11.05 €9.82

4.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$32.77 €29.15

-51.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$55.5 €49.39

38.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$26.88 €23.91

-15.40%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$11.06 €9.84

-26.40%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$694 €617

45.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$7,092 €6,308

260.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$100 €89.3

-46.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$50.2 €44.61

-18.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$114 €102

-13.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$163 €145

-40.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$623 €554

58.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$574 €510

13.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$982 €874

101.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$908 €808

29.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$3,132 €2,786

0.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,962 €1,745

-9.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.18

1186.79%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cesano Maderno: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Cesano Maderno

$574 30.2% 11.7% $76

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Cesano Maderno

$389 20.5% 49.7% $129

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Cesano Maderno

$314 16.5% 40.4% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Cesano Maderno

$193 10.2% 47.5% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Cesano Maderno

$288 15.2% 148% $172

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Cesano Maderno

$78 4.1% 16.9% $16

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Cesano Maderno

$64 3.4% 16.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $623 in Cesano Maderno. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $91.0 in Cesano Maderno. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $389 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇹 Cesano Maderno

🕒 Local time

18:01 6:01 PM

17:01 5:01 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

33,094

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Cesano Maderno 1,680 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Cesano Maderno

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 Cesano Maderno: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cesano Maderno costs about 23% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $2,848 in Cesano Maderno. 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 $1,550 in Istanbul and $1,899 in Cesano Maderno. That's a gap of about 23%.

Public transport costs about 54% 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 $1,550, than in Cesano Maderno at $1,899. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cesano Maderno it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Istanbul costs $1,550 versus $1,899 in Cesano Maderno. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Cesano Maderno makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.