Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Drama

For one person, living is cheaper in Drama: $1,224 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Drama
Learn more

Drama Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Drama

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,224

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Drama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,519 in Istanbul versus $1,224 in Drama.

Istanbul $1,519
Drama $1,224

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,365 in Istanbul versus $1,831 in Drama.

Istanbul $2,365
Drama $1,831

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,212 in Istanbul versus $2,438 in Drama.

Istanbul $3,212
Drama $2,438

Living in Istanbul is roughly 24% more expensive than in Drama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 12% above, Drama is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$16.88 €15.11

-30.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$45.01 €40.27

22.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$11.41 €10.21

-18.84%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$2.55 €2.29

68.63%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$2.22 €1.98

-20.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.73 €0.65

-23.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$3.42 €3.06

37.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$4.44 €3.97

60.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.77 €1.58

-29.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$1.79 €1.60

-50.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.10 €0.98

100.00%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$5.53 €4.95

-56.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$14.08 €12.60

-25.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$9.08 €8.12

-41.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$14.22 €12.72

48.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.37 €1.22

35.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.38 €1.24

66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.18 €1.06

3.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$2.22 €1.99

-18.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.93 €0.83

-25.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$1.17 €1.05

-45.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$1.59 €1.42

-14.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.83 €0.74

-30.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$5.01 €4.48

-53.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$5.45 €4.88

139.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.02 €0.91

131.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.89 €1.69

75.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$4.47 €4.00

-71.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$1.09 €0.98

-22.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$16.48 €14.74

-32.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$2.17 €1.94

-31.80%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$27.7K €24.7K

75.89%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$28.2K €25.2K

49.06%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$190 €170

-51.09%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$23.28 €20.83

-51.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$30.55 €27.33

-47.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$43.30 €38.74

72.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$8.90 €7.97

-9.55%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$446 €399

112.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$11.9K €10.6K

211.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$97.2 €86.9

-44.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$22.64 €20.26

83.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$59.6 €53.4

69.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$67.3 €60.3

35.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$355 €318

185.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$296 €265

110.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$618 €553

224.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$441 €395

155.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$1,531 €1,370

95.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$3,222 €2,883

-46.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$1,134 €1,015

0.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

4.27

846.60%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Drama: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Drama

$296 24.2% 52.5% $328

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Drama

$265 21.6% 2.4% $6.3

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Drama

$238 19.4% 7.6% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Drama

$111 9.1% 14.2% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Drama

$243 19.9% 103% $124

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Drama

$61 5% 32.7% $30

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Drama

$9.9 * 0.8% 86.8% $65

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Istanbul and $355 in Drama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55 in Istanbul vs $45 in Drama. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $265, with Istanbul cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇬🇷 Drama

🕒 Local time

23:52 11:52 PM

22:52 10:52 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

42,501

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.05 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.895 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Drama 410 km

From you

Istanbul
Drama

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 Drama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Drama is about 19% cheaper overall, especially in transport, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,278 in Istanbul and $1,836 in Drama to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Istanbul versus $355 in Drama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Drama – a meal for two runs $45 versus $55 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $948 in Istanbul versus $446 in Drama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,224 in Drama versus $1,519 in Istanbul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Drama but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Drama 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 Drama are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.