Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Cuenca

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,665 in Cuenca, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
Learn more

Cuenca Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Cuenca

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,665

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Cuenca

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,665 in Cuenca, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Cuenca $1,665

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,429 in Cuenca, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Cuenca $2,429

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,194 in Cuenca, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Cuenca $3,194

Istanbul is about 7% cheaper than Cuenca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Cuenca sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Cuenca by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$17.02 €15.14

-27.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$44.99 €40.02

21.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$9.19 €8.17

0.33%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.04 €1.81

115.69%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$2.37 €2.11

-29.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.55 €1.38

-61.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.18 €1.94

115.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.41 €3.03

73.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.99 €0.88

22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.98 €1.76

-55.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.54 €1.37

42.21%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.54 €2.26

-7.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$16.25 €14.45

-35.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$9.06 €8.06

-37.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$21.09 €18.76

-0.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.62 €2.33

-27.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.42 €2.15

-4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.49 €2.21

-48.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$2.99 €2.66

-39.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.99 €1.77

-67.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$2.23 €1.98

-71.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.85 €1.65

-32.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.66 €0.58

-15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$6.33 €5.63

-62.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$4.39 €3.90

205.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$0.98 €0.87

144.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.14 €1.90

62.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.64 €1.46

-45.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$32.14 €28.59

109.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$2.33 €2.07

-44.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.07 €0.95

-14.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$29.90 €26.60

-63.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.80 €1.60

-18.33%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$35.1K €31.2K

44.60%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$28.6K €25.4K

55.65%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$165 €147

-46.44%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$11.62 €10.34

-0.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$21.65 €19.26

-26.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$38.83 €34.54

98.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$15.99 €14.23

42.21%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$8.77 €7.80

-7.18%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$341 €304

195.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$8,017 €7,131

218.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$91.7 €81.5

-41.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$38.71 €34.43

5.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$100 €89.1

-1.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$113 €101

-14.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$912 €811

7.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$687 €611

-5.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,328 €1,181

49.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,015 €903

16.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$3,266 €2,905

-3.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,234 €1,987

-20.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,425 €1,268

-15.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.46

1082.66%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cuenca: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Cuenca

$687 41.3% 5.8% $38

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Cuenca

$300 18% 15.4% $40

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Cuenca

$222 13.3% 0.8% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Cuenca

$155 9.3% 18.5% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Cuenca

$199 11.9% 71.3% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Cuenca

$56 3.4% 39.7% $37

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Cuenca

$46 2.8% 39.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $912 in Cuenca. 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 18% higher in Cuenca, 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 $45.00 in Cuenca. Groceries tell a different story – $260 in Istanbul vs $300 in Cuenca – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇪🇸 Cuenca

🕒 Local time

13:38 1:38 PM

12:38 12:38 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

53,512

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Cuenca 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Cuenca

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 Cuenca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul, $1,665 in Cuenca – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $2,497 in Cuenca. 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $341 in Cuenca. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Cuenca, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Cuenca at $1,665. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cuenca it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,550 in Istanbul to $1,665 in Cuenca. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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