Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Elektrenai

For one person, living is cheaper in Elektrenai: $1,361 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Elektrenai
Learn more

Elektrenai Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Elektrenai

🇱🇹 Lithuania

$1,361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Elektrenai

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,361 in Elektrenai, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Elektrenai $1,361

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $2,054 in Elektrenai, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Elektrenai $2,054

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,747 in Elektrenai, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Elektrenai $2,747

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$12.30 €11.01

-3.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$50.8 €45.46

8.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$6.66 €5.96

39.04%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$3.15 €2.82

36.51%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$2.67 €2.39

-33.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$1.93 €1.73

-70.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$5.46 €4.89

-14.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$5.09 €4.55

39.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.23 €1.10

1.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$1.45 €1.30

-39.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.80 €1.61

22.22%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$2.95 €2.64

-17.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$9.98 €8.93

5.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$5.79 €5.18

-8.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$9.48 €8.48

122.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.72 €1.54

8.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.43 €1.28

60.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.65 €1.48

-26.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$2.98 €2.66

-39.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.75 €0.67

-8.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.96 €0.86

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$1.53 €1.37

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.84 €0.76

-30.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$5.43 €4.86

-56.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$8.35 €7.47

56.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.62 €1.45

45.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.72 €1.54

93.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$1.09 €0.98

-19.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$32.62 €29.19

102.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$3.22 €2.88

-60.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.81 €0.72

4.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$13.12 €11.74

-15.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.87 €1.67

-20.86%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$26.8K €23.9K

81.73%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$27.0K €24.2K

55.39%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$201 €180

-53.88%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$13.39 €11.98

-16.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$11.07 €9.90

43.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$39.22 €35.09

90.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$22.12 €19.80

3.75%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$8.90 €7.96

-9.55%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$508 €455

86.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$9,295 €8,317

297.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$136 €122

-60.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$65.5 €58.6

-36.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$80.6 €72.1

25.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$183 €164

-50.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$593 €531

70.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$392 €351

59.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$843 €754

137.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$634 €567

77.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$3,086 €2,762

-3.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$1,911 €1,710

-9.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$1,242 €1,111

-8.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

3.97

918.14%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Elektrenai: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Elektrenai

$392 28.8% 37.2% $232

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Elektrenai

$220 16.2% 14.7% $38

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Elektrenai

$212 15.6% 4% $8.9

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Elektrenai

$209 15.4% 61.8% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Elektrenai

$225 16.6% 88.2% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Elektrenai

$57 4.2% 37.2% $34

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Elektrenai

$44 3.3% 41.2% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $593 in Elektrenai. 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 9% higher in Elektrenai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $51 in Elektrenai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $220 – making Elektrenai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇹 Elektrenai

🕒 Local time

19:17 7:17 PM

18:17 6:17 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

12,012

💱 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 = 56.33 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Elektrenai 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Elektrenai

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 Elektrenai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $2,041 in Elektrenai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Elektrenai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $593 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $51 in Elektrenai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,519 in Istanbul and $1,361 in Elektrenai. That makes Elektrenai about 10% cheaper.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Elektrenai, where all-in costs run around $1,361, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Elektrenai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Elektrenai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Elektrenai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 10% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.