Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Dun Laoghaire

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,761 in Dun Laoghaire, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 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
134

Cost of Living Index in Dun Laoghaire
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Dun Laoghaire Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Dun Laoghaire

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,761

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Dun Laoghaire

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $2,761 in Dun Laoghaire, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Dun Laoghaire $2,761

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $4,416 in Dun Laoghaire, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Dun Laoghaire $4,416

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $6,071 in Dun Laoghaire, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Dun Laoghaire $6,071

Istanbul is about 44% cheaper than Dun Laoghaire, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Istanbul and Dun Laoghaire sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Dun Laoghaire by 105%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$22.06 €19.62

-44.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$101 €90.3

-46.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$13.49 €12.00

-31.65%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$4.97 €4.42

-11.47%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$2.99 €2.66

-43.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$2.23 €1.98

-73.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$7.79 €6.93

-39.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$7.51 €6.68

-21.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.61 €1.43

-24.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$2.35 €2.09

-62.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.07 €1.84

5.80%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$4.20 €3.74

-44.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$9.95 €8.85

4.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$11.07 €9.85

-48.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$13.54 €12.04

54.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.82 €2.51

-32.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.14 €1.90

7.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.78 €2.47

-53.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$4.04 €3.59

-55.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.93 €1.71

-66.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.53 €1.36

-58.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.31 €1.17

-4.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.84 €1.64

-69.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$20.35 €18.10

-88.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$13.51 €12.01

-0.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$3.32 €2.95

-27.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$3.51 €3.12

-0.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$2.31 €2.06

-61.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$5.09 €4.52

-74.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.43 €1.27

-35.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$37.78 €33.60

-70.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.13 €1.89

-30.99%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$38.3K €34.1K

32.51%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$37.4K €33.3K

19.04%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$244 €217

-63.71%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$18.03 €16.03

-35.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$51.2 €45.51

-69.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$58.3 €51.9

32.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$15.38 €13.68

-47.07%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$989 €880

1.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,432 €4,831

370.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$99.0 €88.0

-45.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$47.48 €42.23

-14.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$112 €99.2

-11.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$131 €116

-26.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$1,470 €1,307

-33.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$1,475 €1,312

-55.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$3,599 €3,201

-44.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$3,146 €2,798

-62.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$4,296 €3,821

-71.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.82

971.20%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Dun Laoghaire: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Dun Laoghaire

$1.5K 53.4% 127% $825

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Dun Laoghaire

$336 12.2% 29.2% $76

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Dun Laoghaire

$351 12.7% 57.4% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Dun Laoghaire

$175 6.3% 33.9% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Dun Laoghaire

$313 11.4% 170% $197

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Dun Laoghaire

$89 3.2% 4.6% $4.3

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Dun Laoghaire

$22 * 0.8% 72% $55

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $1,470 in Dun Laoghaire. 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 256% higher in Dun Laoghaire, 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 $101 in Dun Laoghaire. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $336 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇪 Dun Laoghaire

🕒 Local time

08:35 8:35 AM

06:35 6:35 AM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

38,761

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.79 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.75 TRY (100 TRY = 1.79 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 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 Dun Laoghaire 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Dun Laoghaire

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 Dun Laoghaire: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul, $2,761 in Dun Laoghaire – roughly 78% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $4,142 in Dun Laoghaire. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $101 in Dun Laoghaire. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Dun Laoghaire, 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 Dun Laoghaire at $2,761. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dun Laoghaire it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Dun Laoghaire has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,550 in Istanbul to $2,761 in Dun Laoghaire. 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, Dun Laoghaire makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.