Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Daugavpils

For one person, living is cheaper in Daugavpils: $1,353 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Istanbul, Turkey
Daugavpils, Latvia
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,519
/mo nomad
Daugavpils
🇱🇻 Latvia
$1,353
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Daugavpils

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,353 in Daugavpils, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,519
  • Daugavpils $1,353

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,950 in Daugavpils, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,365
  • Daugavpils $1,950

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,548 in Daugavpils, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,212
  • Daugavpils $2,548

Istanbul costs about 12% more than Daugavpils, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Daugavpils
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.81 ₺592
$10.02 €8.92
17.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.9 ₺2,754
$65.6 €58.4
-16.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.26 ₺465
$6.06 €5.40
52.81%
Cappuccino
$4.30 ₺216
$3.05 €2.72
40.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 ₺89.0
$1.57 €1.40
12.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺28.32
$1.23 €1.09
-54.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.69 ₺235
$4.08 €3.63
14.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.12 ₺357
$4.44 €3.95
60.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Daugavpils
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 ₺62.7
$1.20 €1.07
4.17%
White Bread (500g)
$0.88 ₺44.17
$1.48 €1.32
-40.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 ₺111
$2.48 €2.21
-11.29%
Eggs
$2.43 ₺122
$3.28 €2.92
-25.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.48 ₺526
$10.35 €9.22
1.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.31 ₺267
$8.44 €7.51
-37.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.10 ₺1,058
$13.86 €12.34
52.24%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 ₺93.1
$1.44 €1.28
29.17%
Banana (1kg)
$2.30 ₺115
$1.63 €1.45
41.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.22 ₺61.0
$2.54 €2.26
-51.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺90.2
$2.66 €2.37
-32.33%
Potato (1kg)
$0.69 ₺34.83
$0.82 €0.73
-15.85%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺32.16
$0.93 €0.83
-31.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 ₺68.0
$1.25 €1.11
8.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 ₺28.94
$0.73 €0.65
-20.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.34 ₺117
$4.76 €4.24
-50.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 ₺653
$7.93 €7.06
64.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.36 ₺118
$1.41 €1.25
67.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 ₺166
$1.84 €1.64
80.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Daugavpils
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 ₺44.07
$1.10 €0.98
-20.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.1 ₺3,316
$51.0 €45.42
29.62%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 ₺64.4
$2.28 €2.03
-43.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 ₺42.80
$0.54 €0.48
57.41%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.09 ₺556
$8.08 €7.20
37.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 ₺74.0
$2.01 €1.79
-26.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.6K ₺2.4M
$27.2K €24.2K
78.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.0K ₺2.1M
$29.0K €25.9K
44.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Daugavpils
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.7 ₺4,650
$376 €335
-75.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.20 ₺562
$19.79 €17.63
-43.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.89 ₺797
$16.63 €14.81
-4.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Daugavpils
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.7 ₺3,745
$26.61 €23.69
180.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.95 ₺1,151
$38.42 €34.21
-40.27%
Cinema Ticket
$8.05 ₺404
$7.96 €7.08
1.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Daugavpils
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$948 ₺47.6K
$742 €661
27.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$36.9K ₺1.9M
$22.6K €20.1K
63.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Daugavpils
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₺2,702
$68.1 €60.6
-20.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.49 ₺2,081
$32.98 €29.37
25.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 ₺5,060
$85.4 €76.0
18.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.3 ₺4,580
$110 €97.8
-16.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Daugavpils
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,014 ₺50.8K
$333 €296
204.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$625 ₺31.3K
$279 €248
123.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,005 ₺100.6K
$716 €638
179.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,126 ₺56.5K
$311 €276
262.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,988 ₺149.8K
$1,616 €1,439
84.90%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,730 ₺86.8K
$842 €749
105.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Daugavpils
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,136 ₺57.0K
$977 €870
16.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.42
4.1
885.85%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Daugavpils: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$625
Daugavpils
$279 55.4% $346
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$258
Daugavpils
$250 3.3% $8.5
Eating Out
Istanbul
$221
Daugavpils
$175 20.6% $46
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Daugavpils
$133 3% $3.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$120
Daugavpils
$413 245% $293
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$91
Daugavpils
$43 53.2% $48
Getting Around
Istanbul
$75
Daugavpils
$60 19.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $333 in Daugavpils. 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 16% higher in Istanbul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $66 in Daugavpils. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Istanbul vs $250 in Daugavpils – so Daugavpils wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇱🇻 Daugavpils
🕒 Local time
04:09 4:09 AM
03:09 3:09 AM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
101,057
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Daugavpils 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Daugavpils

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 Daugavpils: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Istanbul or Daugavpils?
Istanbul costs about 12% more than Daugavpils, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Istanbul and in Daugavpils?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $2,030 in Daugavpils. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Istanbul or Daugavpils?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Daugavpils, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $333 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.
How do dining costs compare in Istanbul and in Daugavpils?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $66 in Daugavpils. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Istanbul compared to Daugavpils?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,519 in Istanbul and $1,353 in Daugavpils. That makes Daugavpils about 11% cheaper.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Istanbul or in Daugavpils?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,519 in Istanbul and $1,353 in Daugavpils. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Daugavpils – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Istanbul compared to Daugavpils?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Istanbul or to Daugavpils?
If budget matters most, go with Daugavpils. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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